how to make more funds from my chickens

[mama dixie]

we are running into a serious problem with food prices going up and such. chicken food prices I mean not to say people food has also gone way up, but I am hoping some of you have some good ways to help the birds pay more of there own bills... redoing our budget my hubby says some of the hungry beaks may need to go..

many of our birds are not really meaties just kinda pets and egg birds but we need to change our farming ways if we are going to get this small small farm up and running.

 

[CarolJ]

I'll be interested in reading the responses to this. My chickens provide eggs - but the eggs don't even touch the cost of the coop(s), runs, food, equipment, etc.

 

[Duramaxgirl]

One way is to sell eggs useing craigslist as advertisement. $2-$3 a dozen is what I get in my area.
Also if you can't sell eating eggs and you have to sell some the recomended number of birds is 2 per family member. So if you have a 4 member family that's 8 birds. I read that somewhere on here

Selling hatching eggs, if you have pure breeds, can also help pay for feed. Or chicks if you have a incubator.

 

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

You could sell eggs. Those for hatching, and those for eating. Could sell chicks. Or you could sell their feathers to crafty people when they go through a molt? Which they most likely are this time of year.

 

[Okla-doodle-doo]

Unfortunately it seems to be happening to a lot of people this year. The "buyers" I have talked to say they are covered up with people selling out. I had to drastically cut back myself. Every trip to the feed store gets worse. And if you get some sick ones its like paying for human drugs! Hard times,they are here!

 

[spish]

this winter ive had to cut my flock down from 120 birds to just 40..food prices rocketed last month and the month before so we just couldnt keep them all through winter. it was heartbreaking. but i cant seem to give the ducks away...i still have 26 scovies that need to go before the snow comes next mmonth but no one wants them....if i had the heart to do it id slaughter and stock the freezer......but i just cant get to grips with the actual killing part

((((

 

[Mattemma]

Might be worth it to hire someone to process.I heard amish women do it for cheap. I just got 2 bags of layer pellets and 2 pine shavings and spent about $45. Maybe add some scrap foods like rice,noodles,cracked corn.Anything cheap. I just have 8 hens but the cost adds up. I know my friend would pay $8 for chicken meat,but our hens are pets.We haven't even had ANY eggs to sell for the past month! Darn molting and worming.

 

[Fred's Hens]

To make the numbers come out, there are some things that must be/can be done. I'll list them, but all are important for a viable egg business.

1. Much of the flock MUST be top notch, young, laying breeds, especially the commercial breeds sold to backyarders, such as the red sex links, ISA Browns, Leghorns, etc.
2. First year pullets must constantly coming on stream, and less productive older birds must be exiting the flock.
3. Feed costs must be cut. Begin with locating a local mill that grinds their own feed. 50 lbs of Purina at TSC is $16, while 50 lbs of layer mash at local mill, here, is $10.
4. Eggs must be sold retail at a $1.50 per dozen profit margin. Through social networking, develop and maintain a solid customer base.
5. "Pets" and/or other less productive birds can be kept, but can not dominate the flock percentage.


Without this "business" side of flock keeping, my sheer "enjoyment" flock would be very, very small indeed.

 

[aoxa]

Fred's Hens :

To make the numbers come out, there are some things that must be/can be done. I'll list them, but all are important for a viable egg business.

1. Much of the flock MUST be top notch, young, laying breeds, especially the commercial breeds sold to backyarders, such as the red sex links, ISA Browns, Leghorns, etc.
2. First year pullets must constantly coming on stream, and less productive older birds must be exiting the flock.
3. Feed costs must be cut. Begin with locating a local mill that grinds their own feed. 50 lbs of Purina at TSC is $16, while 50 lbs of layer mash at local mill, here, is $10.
4. Eggs must be sold retail at a $1.50 per dozen profit margin. Through social networking, develop and maintain a solid customer base.
5. "Pets" and/or other less productive birds can be kept, but can not dominate the flock percentage.


Without this "business" side of flock keeping, my sheer "enjoyment" flock would be very, very small indeed.

This is really good advice. I'm not going to have to worry about it this year, as I only have one hen who is going through her second winter. The rest are still just beginning to lay.

Sooo #5.. That means I have to get 20 ISA's when my flock now reaches older age...

I am so going to tell that to my fiancée! She will never forgive you! hahah​

 

[bakerjw]

Here is what I do.

$2.00 a dozen for eating eggs.
$10.00 a dozen for White Rock hatching eggs. White Rocks are good layers and get large enough to eat although they are not a true meat bird like a Cornish Cross. I stress that these come from my personal flock with non aggressive roosters. All of my boys are very well behaved.
$24.00 a dozen for straight run chicks from my personal flock. The incubator paid for itself rather quickly.

I'd recommend building a flock of dual purpose birds.