Im a little bummed. I thought by buying chickens, building my coop and so forth, down the line we would save on it, or at least be even. I have 3 hens, and 1 rooster. should I be in the hole by owning chickens? I keep getting told, its a hobby, not a money saving, or money earning thing. That we will always be in the hole regarding money, because feed costs more than the eggs we will ever get, and so on.
I got a buzz kill. Is this true?
How can I save on having them. We are already a low income family, Im a mom with 3 sons....not married, and cant afford a hobby really. I thought this would work out.
If you have a lot of kitchen scraps it can be a money saver- or if you grow some of your own grains, etc.
However, make sure you don't cut their protein too much- they need the 16% protein feed to make eggs. It takes a LOT of protein to make eggs and feathers.
But if they are dependent on feed that you buy, really it is cheaper to go buy the cheapest of the cheap dozen eggs they sell at the grocery store. But they don't taste the same.
In the summer if they are able to graze grass and hunt for bugs on your land, the feed bill will be less. In winter there isn't much for them - even here where we have green grass in winter, the bugs aren't there and the grass really stops growing.
Three hens and a rooster should only be eating maybe 40 lbs a month (a lighter weight hen supposedly eats about 4 oz. a day). I am guessing but your feed bill should be not too bad (under $20 a month).
The key here is that hens don't give consistent egglaying all through their lives. So they stop laying when they go broody, molt, or become stressed (or if they get too hot, for example). So eggs are not a guarantee, especially with a very small flock.
It is best to replace your layers every couple of years for optimal egg production. Older hens continue to lay, but at a slower rate.
There is a benefit to having hens and a cock, as you can hatch out your own replacements. So it would be best for you to always have a hen or two growing up to be the replacement (otherwise you may end up with all of your chickens being too young to give you eggs). The chick growing up will be a natural part of the flock, and should not be bullied like a new hen would introduced as an adult.
Will it be difficult to get the feed, when they take a break in laying (they always do at some point, like when they molt)? Don't answer me, but ask yourself and you will know if you should keep them.
It needs to be eggs on the table for you and your children, and if you can't buy the eggs and the chicken feed both, then I'd not have the chickens. Many chicken owners end up
buying eggs too sometimes!
I hope this helps.
