If you sell eggs are the hens paying for themselves?

[Pineywoods Peepers]

I spoke to my husband's cousin this past weekend, and she was asking about my chickens and what I plan to do with the eggs. She told me she was paying $5 a dozen for eggs! I asked if they were organic, and she told me no, but they were free ranged. And they buy 6 dozen a week! If I weren't so worried about hawks carrying my chickens off I'd probably start free ranging them and getting her to buy eggs from me instead! That would definitely pay my feed bill (and then some)...

 

[woodmort]

Define "paying for themselves". If you mean covering their feed bill, right now yes and then some, but if you figure lodging and equipment plus time to care for them then it'll take a long time for that to be paid off. That first egg cost a couple of grand, after that they're free.

 

[TrystInn]

They pay for their own feed and often for additional purchases/trades for new chickens.

 

[Karrie13]

I sell eggs and I do break even during the summer months with the girls free-ranging, sometimes I earn a small profit. But during the winter when it is cold and snowy, I lose money. I have 52 birds and am getting 3- 6 eggs a day. Of course some of them are young pullets that haven't started laying yet and 14 are roosters (at least 7 waiting for freezer camp as soon as they are big enough).

 

[duckfat]

Then when you get a little bigger, you are going to need something like this:

 

[trunkman]

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I was afraid to let mine free range in a very large open run at first, but over time I let them out from time to time and still have had no problems since they are full size. But I have to say that when they were just about 12 weeks old I did lose one pullet to a hawk that is still in the neighborhood. I'm not sure if the hawk doesn't want to try because of the number of chickens I have or if he is afraid of their size, anyway I haven't had any problems with predators getting to them in their run. At 5 dollars a dozen I would take a chance, but that is just me.

 

[trunkman]

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Wow, what kind of chicken is that, and how much does it cost to feed!!

 

[duckfat]

Quote:
It's an 1986 Agri-Power 5000. I use it to move the trailered hen houses when on pasture. Also use it to haul out the water and feed, and to brush cut the field when it gets too high. In the winter I move snow for extra income.

 

[PepsNick]

I know how ya feel... I have over 40 customers and only four hens.

Time to upsize! And my he s get ALL my earnings.

 

[trunkman]

Quote:
It's an 1986 Agri-Power 5000. I use it to move the trailered hen houses when on pasture. Also use it to haul out the water and feed, and to brush cut the field when it gets too high. In the winter I move snow for extra income.

Seriously, I'd love to have one of those, Nice!