Ideas on how to make a little cash off of what I got on my farm...

[Moochie]

I've never been in this situation before but I am really eager to learn and to see what I can do.

So basically I live in a small desert town and because of issues with certain things mom said that I need a job so we can live. I'M NOT TRYING TO SOUND DESPERATE!! I think this could be a lot of fun if I had the right knowledge. I am only 17 and I guess my best experience is with my animals, can't do checking or even work at a public place because of my anxiety. Anyways I click pretty good with other animal people and animals so when I'm doing something critter related I feel totally in the zone!
Now.. How to make money.. I don't like to use my birds for killing/slaughter, it would have to be with broilers because my pet mutt birds are special. I can't do eggs for consumption because you need a license for that and I honestly don't want to risk some buttface pulling a lawsuit on us because of a meat spot in the egg or something of the sort.. You know how people are. Do you need a license to sell hatching eggs though? I wouldn't say I have excellent quality birds worth $100,000 but in my small town I think organized hatches could be made, even with my LF mutts and pet quality bantams. I can also do duck hatches and possibly turkey hatches, they are mutts too but really if the person is going to have them for pets or for eating it's not that big of a deal. I won't be asking a lot either, maybe $15 for a 7 egg chicken hatch, $20 for ducks, and $25 for turkeys. I think that is reasonable and I always get awesome results with my bator. It's a small amount of money for each hatch but that's okay, better than nothing
I only have 2 wethers so I can't rely on my goats for money unless I can do "mini brush control" but I'm not sure if that requires a license. Not interested in risking it!
I can do pet sitting.. Does that require a license too?
What other things can I do at my age that is animal related?

I can't do anything with shows, sorry. No time for them and I am too in love with my mutts.

 

[jersey178]

What state do you live in?

 

[what did I do]

You can sell eggs as long as you label them as NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION. once the person buys them you do not need to know what they do with them.

You could sell chicks or even brooded birds.

Pet sitting is a good option. How about garden care or pulling weeds. You could do some of all of these things if you like.

 

[mdnees]

Not sure on how "desert" your town is, but what about selling fresh produce? Chickens offer excellent fertilizer. I know its not exactly "animal related" but to me they go hand in hand.

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

In most cases, it would be really hard to make money with chickens. I sell eggs off the farm so I'm legal (I'm not state inspected) and I'm selling meat chickens this year too. The only way I really make a decent amount of money is raising chicks and selling them as started pullets, there's a big demand in my area for them and I'm getting people as far as 1/2 hr to 45 mins away coming to buy them.

Honestly though, I don't think you could ever make a substantial amount of money in the chicken business, feed prices just seem to keep getting higher.

I just do it because I love it.

 

[Spifflove]

Don't ever let anyone tell you you can't do something. Find out for yourself that you can't do it.

 

[humphrey farms]

Don't ever let anyone tell you you can't do something. Find out for yourself that you can't do it.

selling older started pullets gets y more $ than baby chicks, raising meat rabbits for resturaunts is good business, selling bags of chicken poop for fertilizer, gardening, pickleing eggs and selling them in jars at local farm markets,natural fed chickens already plucked are going for $3 per lb and more at farmers markets here in the Northeast, raise grapes? Also we can sell eggs for human comsumption as long as the cartons are marked with our name ,tel#, Non Graded, and size, and dont exceed a egg limit, check with your agriculture agency. Dont let anyone shatter your dream!!!

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

Don't ever let anyone tell you you can't do something. Find out for yourself that you can't do it.

Sorry if I came across that way, I was NOT meaning to bash anyone's dream

I just wanted to say that there's a substantial initial cost in starting up with chickens and if money is really short, well it might be really hard to come up with enough funds. I am really sorry if I hurt your feelings Moochie.

 

[Moochie]

I don't want to make a business off of it. I need spare cash though.
Right now I don't even want money, I'm looking for roughage for my goats. The stuff behind my backyard fence isn't going to be there forever. Since my goats are not on a pasture, I have to bring the roughage to them. I've posted on Facebook groups saying that I am in need of any weeds like crab grasses or tree clippings.. I don't think anyone is taking it seriously.
Oh but if it's a dog or a cat needing a new home or a shelter needing donations everyone jumps right on that. Goats are living creatures too >:c

 

[Moochie]

If I run out of roughage before summer I might actually have to walk around my neighborhood and town looking for wild growing crab grass or anything of the like. I would bring my heelers with me for protection though.. They always stick right by me.
I could do weed pulling however it's hard for me to trust people, you know.. creepy people these days.. However I'm sure when I start scouting the area for crab grass I will be called a creeper lol. I won't go into anyone's yards.. There's an alleyway and there's random empty lots here and there. Creeper or not my goats need roughage.