getting my moneys worth?

[CatDaddyAlbert]

SORRY

, but the math does not work on the eggs, or a chicken for eats for that matter.

In ALL the years I have been doing this I finally figured it out. Chickens are not about making money...they are about spending it

, but by is it FUN for the most part.

I just finally put my accounting pencil in the drawer and just started enjoying the birds.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

We are not experts, having eight 4 week old chicks, and we don't really expect to "break even" on the cost. We started with chickens because my 15 year old daughter became educated on the horrific conditions that most farm animals live and die under. She isn't wanting to become a strict vegetarian, she just wants to know that what she's eating didn't live a horrible life and die a frightening, painful death. I'd already made an effort to buy local produce from farmers markets as an attempt to eat more "ethically". We have a small but prolific vegetable garden and now the chickens for eggs. If this experiment is successful (we have lots of foxes and coyotes and even bears around here) we might consider meat chickens next year. In the meanwhile I can't believe how much I'm enjoying these babies.

 

[silkie101]

well those are breeds you can find in feed stores exept for maybe the red star for like $2.99 each as chicks

 

[Memphisjourney2seramas]

I calculate my eggs at what I would pay for the cage free eggs at the store. Years ago when I would by them I would pay 4-5 dollars a dozen. The money was worth the peice of mind about the more humane conditions. I heard aweful stories from a friend that use to work at an eggs farm/ factory. I dont sell mine fore $4.00, but there are people on here that do.

 

[toby1959]

If you raise your own baby chickens, supplement the feed with whatever grains you can find cheap, allow free range and use vegetables from your garden (or the local dumpster), money can be made for $2 a dozen. I have 30 laying hens (red star and leghorn) and another 60 or so chickens that I just like. 60 dozen eggs times $2 a dozen gives me $120 to put toward feed for a given month. At $10 a bag for flock raiser, I could buy 12 bags but I don't need that many. I have wheat and corn from the farmers that sell it for market price as well as what I raise in the gardens. Chickens will also eat meat scraps and lay quite well on deer remnants in the Fall. The rumor that chickens have to have perfectly balanced feed is highly overrated. Feed what is at hand. All part of the lifestyle you choose.

 

[Stoney22]

I guess what I meant and what I consider my moneys worth is after I get 10 or 12 dollars worth of eggs out of each hen. What are heritage breeds, I thought barred rocks produce alot of eggs and so do wyandottes? I have barred rocks wyandottesbthe red star, and leg horn araucana crosses and leghorn orpington crosses

 

[Stoney22]

So basically I would need probably three dozen eggs from each hen .... so after two months id have my moneys worth

 

[Pele]

The way that you are approaching chickens is the hobby route. Hobbies are all about experience and gratification, not about saving money (in fact, 'hobby' in the dictionary should just have 'expensive' right next to it).

If you are serious about having chickens in a manner that saves you money, I'd definitely change your approach. There are many commercial egg facilities in each state, and all of them have a nasty habit of throwing out their hens after just 13 months of laying. There are rescues that have cropped up to take in these abused hens, and give them homes. A good idea would be to adopt one of these hens, since they still lay perfectly well.

This way you do not have to go through the expense of raising chicks, and you do a good deed for a mistreated animal.

Hope that helps a bit!

 

[Stoney22]

Ok firstly I do not care if it costs me 6000 I love my hens just to clarify that and enjoying letting them out to free range whenever I can actively watch them. That being said the purpose of the post was to determine about how long it will take to get 12 dollars worth of eggs from each hen which was the approximate. Cost of each hen. I didn't mean I got hens do save money I sas just curios in the terms of sole egg production when each hen would pay for her cost in producing eggs for me to eat, I never figured in nor desire to figure in up keep or feed costs. I hope nobody thinks this is rude because I love this site I just wanted to clarify my purpose of the post. So basically what it sounds like is cage free eggs around me go for about four dollars a dozen so after two. Months a hen should have paid for her own initial purchase cost.

 

[Stoney22]

Also no Ody seemed to answer but what ix a heritage breed, and also somebody made it out like they wont lay alot...is this true?