Natashal, feed cost + chick cost X2.5 for labor, overhead and profits. So about $25 per bird for me. That's about $4/lb.
Don't underestimate your labor and overhead. You'll be spending months raising these birds to high standards. And your equipment needs HAVE to be factored in. That's got to be worth something or it's not worth doing.
When people complain about the costs of my chickens, I show them the feed costs per lb of chicken (Usually it's $16/50lbs of feed, each bird will eat about 1/2 bag in their lifetime so $8), add the chick cost (About $2.50ea), then estimate how many hours of labor goes into it at minimum wage (about 1/2 hour a day for 10 weeks, so 35 hours across probably 20-25 birds where I like that's about $12-$15). Then point out that's minimum wage with no overhead costs factored in and ask again if they think it's a fair price.
If they think I should be making less than minimum wage for the work I do, I politely send them on their way.
I could probably charge less for my birds if I was doing them on a larger scale as my labor would only increase a bit if I was doing 40 not 20 birds. Feed might be cheaper on that scale too. But I'm not and everyone who buys my things knows that. I don't sell to groceries and my operation is small enough you can visit my home and see the exact bird you're going to eat. As long as this is the scale I'm limited to, those are my prices.
Don't underestimate your labor and overhead. You'll be spending months raising these birds to high standards. And your equipment needs HAVE to be factored in. That's got to be worth something or it's not worth doing.
When people complain about the costs of my chickens, I show them the feed costs per lb of chicken (Usually it's $16/50lbs of feed, each bird will eat about 1/2 bag in their lifetime so $8), add the chick cost (About $2.50ea), then estimate how many hours of labor goes into it at minimum wage (about 1/2 hour a day for 10 weeks, so 35 hours across probably 20-25 birds where I like that's about $12-$15). Then point out that's minimum wage with no overhead costs factored in and ask again if they think it's a fair price.
If they think I should be making less than minimum wage for the work I do, I politely send them on their way.
I could probably charge less for my birds if I was doing them on a larger scale as my labor would only increase a bit if I was doing 40 not 20 birds. Feed might be cheaper on that scale too. But I'm not and everyone who buys my things knows that. I don't sell to groceries and my operation is small enough you can visit my home and see the exact bird you're going to eat. As long as this is the scale I'm limited to, those are my prices.