Fermenting Feed for Meat Birds

[RoseMarie1]

Joyful Promise, I would love it if you could start documenting~on a thread for that purpose~ that you are not only breaking even on your feed costs and keeping chickens but are also making a profit! I have so many times on this forum over the years told folks that I make a profit off my laying flock, only to have people sneer in disbelief~OTs too, in fact~that one could ever even break even, let alone make a profit off of their chickens. Since I do not keep detailed records of any kind but have a general sense of money coming in for a specific purpose and money flowing out for the same purpose, I have noted a profit each year and enough of a profit to offset feed costs, equipment, and to purchase new stock when needed...and still have some to waste on other needs.

The reason I would like you to post a thread of these kinds of things is because there are so man naysayers on this forum who will brag about how their first egg costs them hundreds and even thousands of dollars and then deny that anyone could ever make money on raising chickens and never could they ever recoup start up costs. When those kinds of ideas are allowed to flourish unchallenged, pretty soon it is accepted as fact, which leads many newbies to believe that chickens can only be a very expensive hobby so they can just expect to lose money on it. With that mindset, they never realize that they can actively take measures to prevent keeping chickens from draining their resources. Before long they get out of chickens because they spent money like a drunkard getting into it and find they could not keep pouring money into a hobby, in all reality, and so they just give it all up.
A Comet is a proprietary breed name from specific genetics developed and copyrighted by a breeder/company. Similar genetics but not specific ones from that breed have their own product name like Cinnamon Queens, Red Stars, Highlines, etc. Sort of like different genetic strains of Cornish Cross are called different names by the parent company(s) but are generally just referred to as Cornish Rocks when sold to the general public. Everyone who patents their specific breed genetics usually come up with a name or a group of letters/numbers to signify their ownership of that breeding combination.

WOW I can't wait until that happens here where I'm not spending lots of money for what I am getting from the chickens.

Mine are suppose to start laying around Oct. so I sure hope they do well in that. Most all I have bought is feed and stuff trying to re-fix up this old pen I already had.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

My chickens have been making a profit so far. I have 6 laying hens, going through a bag of feed every two months (with lots of scraps thrown in, and I mean LOTS and a whole pen to range in rich in worms, though not so much plants but I throw in fresh grasses and weeds every day) for $15/2mo or so. I sell 6doz eggs a month at $3/doz. 6X3X2=36. So for every $15 I've put into feed so far I have gotten back $16 profit. Meaning I probably spend about $1.45/doz to produce my extremely healthy eggs, which is less than our local grocery. Plus, I should note, that my hens lay more eggs than I sell. I have given them to my mom, neighbors, friends and I haven't bought an egg since I got my chooks!* Also I have had FOUR instances of broodiness this year in my flock. If I didn't have broody hens so often I'd be getting enough eggs to sell/eat/give away even more!

(*That's a lie, I bought a half dozen duck eggs to try them because they taste different and I was thinking of getting into ducks. But no chicken eggs!)

Now my coop cost me a fair amount. Coops are expensive to build. My coop cost me all of about $120, though. I'll make it back someday, but I intend to keep that coop around a long time. Someday when I have a much bigger flock it'll go towards something like ducks, guineas, meat birds, something. It was a worth while investment! Not all of us have stores of wood or free pallets lying around to scrap together a coop for nothing.

 

[BirdbyGavin1103]

Joyful Promise, I would love it if you could start documenting~on a thread for that purpose~ that you are not only breaking even on your feed costs and keeping chickens but are also making a profit! I have so many times on this forum over the years told folks that I make a profit off my laying flock, only to have people sneer in disbelief~OTs too, in fact~that one could ever even break even, let alone make a profit off of their chickens. Since I do not keep detailed records of any kind but have a general sense of money coming in for a specific purpose and money flowing out for the same purpose, I have noted a profit each year and enough of a profit to offset feed costs, equipment, and to purchase new stock when needed...and still have some to waste on other needs.

The reason I would like you to post a thread of these kinds of things is because there are so man naysayers on this forum who will brag about how their first egg costs them hundreds and even thousands of dollars and then deny that anyone could ever make money on raising chickens and never could they ever recoup start up costs. When those kinds of ideas are allowed to flourish unchallenged, pretty soon it is accepted as fact, which leads many newbies to believe that chickens can only be a very expensive hobby so they can just expect to lose money on it. With that mindset, they never realize that they can actively take measures to prevent keeping chickens from draining their resources. Before long they get out of chickens because they spent money like a drunkard getting into it and find they could not keep pouring money into a hobby, in all reality, and so they just give it all up.

I'm hoping our girls will pay for their feed once everyone is laying. Although a profit would be nice, but I'll be "eggstatic" if I sell enough eggs to cover the feed. Sorry couldn't resist the pun...

 

[Triple Willow]

well shoot maybe I NEED one of those things! I have a bad back and I'm sure it's not helping it lugging on all this heavy stuff I do. 

Girl get you one, they are definitely a back-saver! Mine is just a small one. I have never seen one at $10 since then, but I would pay a lot more for one if I had to. Harbor Freight here usually has a huge variety of them sitting outside their store. Everytime I see them I think, "Boy I wish I'd had one of you YEARS AGO!" lol You could probably pick up a nice one at a yard sale or a second hand store. I wish I had another one just like I have. I want to make one of those doodads: put a small propane tank on the dolly with an attached hand held gas line with nozzel (bad description lol), used to burn/kill grass, weeds, saplings, melt ice, etc. ...If I can just find the hose and nozzel part! I have a bunch of saplings that come up everywhere and seem to grow faster than grass!!

 

[Triple Willow]

I am trying to get a new coop/run built and it is raining like crazy around here! We have had like 3-4 inch plus rains for several days and more in the forcast. A lot of places are having flooding. On down from us a few hours, Nashville is having it bad - say a prayer for those folks! Between the rain, high humidity for weeks (that you could choke on lol), and of course nothing ever going as planned and a bum knee, ahhhh! ...but it could ALWAYS be worse.

 

[Triple Willow]

I wish I had another one just like I have. I want to make one of those doodads: put a small propane tank on the dolly with an attached hand held gas line with nozzel (bad description lol), used to burn/kill grass, weeds, saplings, melt ice, etc. ...If I can just find the hose and nozzel part! I have a bunch of saplings that come up everywhere and seem to grow faster than grass!!

If you google "weed dragon" you can see what I'm talking about.

 

[BirdbyGavin1103]

I am trying to get a new coop/run built and it is raining like crazy around here! We have had like 3-4 inch plus rains for several days and more in the forcast. A lot of places are having flooding. On down from us a few hours, Nashville is having it bad - say a prayer for those folks! Between the rain, high humidity for weeks (that you could choke on lol), and of course nothing ever going as planned and a bum knee, ahhhh! ...but it could ALWAYS be worse.

Could be snow!! I was planning on building the ducks a proper coop today and it's yucky here too.

 

[RedRidge]

Since we are on the topic of saving on feeds and on feed amounts, here's a pondering:

Here's a question for everyone on feed amounts....in peak laying season, does the egg return and sell of the eggs justify their feed?

This is REALLY a great question... and one that I think most people don't think about and analyze often enough.
But then again... we all know I over analyze everything.

For me... it's a balance... which is why I keep the birds I do.
Any one breed just would do it for me. My production layers are my "flash in the pan" income. I do perpetuate my own and let some broodys raise a few replacement each year. I think culling young is the key to profitability here. The hard part with a large flock is analyzing who your layers are. My production birds are not friendly so holding them, checking vents, etc, isn't something I do on a regular basis. They free range most of the year and when they do require feed they get all non-gmo, soy free FF. So, I charge a premium (or at least I thought it was a premium until I heard someone out west was charging 50% more than I do) for my eggs. We sell eggs mostly to private individuals and few small restaurants.

All that said... my HRIR are really my dual purpose, longevity birds. If I had to have only one breed just for us this would be it. More than enough eggs and great meat. But the income from the production birds does help pay their food bill in the winter months.

Then there are the two rare breeds... one of which, the SFH, I can sell fertilized eggs for $60/dozen. So we don't eat their eggs... we sell them fertile.
The Rhodebars are a project. I produce quite a few birds who are good birds, but don't lay as well as the production layers, and are F1 birds in my breeding program.
We eat them... even if they aren't as wonderful meat as the HRIR... the crockpot can do wonders.

So... if I analyze each breed separately, they all have their pros and cons, and some make money and some loose money.
My goal is to make sure I put eggs in OUR frig, meat in OUR freezer, and at the end of the year not have it cost me anything.
If I make a little money great... but not loosing money is the goal.
This goal is also true for the other livestock I raise.... primary goal is to feed us - then selling lamb, beef, and milk, in addition to breeding stock is simply a way to provide extra income for feeding those animals.

My husband handles the personal expenses, I handle the farm checkbook. At the end of the year the goal is to make sure I haven't had to take any money from personal funds to put in the farm checking account to feed any animals, pay a vet bill, or pay other farm related expenses.\

 

[TexasLisa]

I SO get this. When I'm with my kids, I accept any offers to help with grace (I think, heh). When I'm by myself and I'm aglow with energy thereby, it's kind of annoying when they don't want to accept NO as an answer. My husband tells me they are just trying to clone me with Jedi mind magic, 'cause they want one! (A woman who can fend for herself if the occasion presents)
I thought she appreciated the offer, just not being stared at! Move along, nothin' to see here cowboy!

I wasn't disagreeing with her, just telling her how it is with me now. I used to be (and still am to a certain extent) have the same attitude, 'I can do this'

In my younger days I lugged around bags of feed and bales of hay like it wasn't anything. Three hand surgeries later I usually ask for somebody to load mine. My grip is nothing like it use to be! A few years ago I ran across a small dolly for $10 and why in the world I didn't think to get one of those things YEARS before I don't know! It sure does come in handy for unloading feed and moving all kinds of things. Shoot, if something happened to this dolly I would probably pay a pretty penny for another one!

That is a great idea! We have Harbor Freight and Northern Tools around here. Shopping, here I come!!

I absolutely appreciated the offer! I love a man with such manners - especially since it does seem pretty rare to find one these days. The part that got me was the stare he had on his face, like I was worthy of being a zoo exhibit because I was choosing to load my own feed bags...

I'm trying desperately to raise such a gentleman. One that will open doors for ladies AND offer to load their feed bags. I'm just going to try to teach him to not act so surprised that sometimes a lady can take care of herself.

Good for you! I think I raised my son that way. He does watch out for others and he can be sympathetic to women's feeling. Score one for me!!

I had a car that sometimes wouldn't start. I was single at the time. My friends and I would be out having dinner and go to get in my car. It wouldn't start. I would pop the hood and that is the perfect magnet to draw guys! I had so many offers to help me. I would say, 'No thanks. I got it'. I would take out a LONG screwdriver and put it between two bolts on the solenoid. Ta-daaaaa the car starts. I get in my car and drive off. The looks are precious!!

Lisa

 

[Triple Willow]

Could be snow!! I was planning on building the ducks a proper coop today and it's yucky here too. 

I was just thinking that with all this rain I need ducks instead of chickens! LOL You're right, it could be snow or ice! It can always be worse.