is it really cost effective raising your own chickens?

[patandchickens]

whether it's cost-effective depends a whole lot on how much you have to (and choose to) spend up front on "capital improvements" like the coop and run. Someone fortunate enough to have bldgs they can convert, or willing to scrounge most or all of their materials rather than buying them retail, will be way ahead on the balance-sheet.

If you need it to be a profitable business, then you'll have trouble unless you've approached it from the start as such and calculated your expenses to not exceed your likely profits. Notice that most (tho not absolutely all) those who make a regular profit are doing it from pretty ramshackle-looking coops

VERY cute kid

Have fun and good luck,

Pat

 

[AngieChick]

I concur, not really cost effective. But, they are definitely more cost effective than my stupid dogs. Don't even get me going on the "free" rescued cat with his $2500 vet bill last year

 

[patandchickens]

Honestly, I raised 10 CornishX broilers for significantly less than I'd have paid for supermarket chickens -- and yes, that is taking into account EVERYTHING I spent. However, note that I did not have to do any constructing whatsoever - they went into a preexisting pen, a former dog run - and supermarket chicken is more expensive up here than in the States (in the States I think it would have been about the same price -- for better happier chicken of course).

Egg wise, I figured that my ISA Browns were giving me eggs at a lower price than I'd have paid in the supermarket *if* you ignore the couple hundred dollars I spent on the tractor. Of course if I'd scrounged for the tractor, you *could* ignore that

The campine chicks I bought this spring to try out, which turned out to be 5 boys and only 1 girl

, actually made me about a 100% profit over their expenses, as I lucked into finding someone who wanted to buy the cockerels.

However, the sussexes and buff chanteclers are nothin' but money pits. Which is fine with me, they are a hobby.

Pat

 

[Wolf Creek Farms]

I'm new to the website but have been around chikens for a long time, you can definately make money in poultry if that is your goal, it would take a lot more chick's though

Good Luck

 

[k0xxx]

For most of us, whether it is cost effective doesn't enter into the equation. However, I believe that it can be. Look at the cost of organic, or free range chicken and eggs, if you can even find it locally.

Yes, we can always buy eggs and chicken produced in factory farms, that are fed massive amounts of steroids and antibiotics, cheaply. But, having the chance to grow our own, and to know that residual chemicals are not ending up in our families, why would we want to do otherwise?

I believe that when you factor in all of the benefits from raising your own, even the most pampered chickens are more that cost effective. All costs and benefits are not monetary. But, YMMV.

 

[onthespot]

Maybe you can get ahead $ wise if you have a bed and breakfast and charge people a hundred dollars a night to sleep in a featherbed and hear a rooster crow in the morning and go gather the eggs, cook them up a world class breakfast featuring those eggs, and give each patron a dozen eggs of all different colors to take home with them and show their friends and tell them what a great place yours is.

 

[halo]

Definitely cost effective when you consider the therapy they provide and the free Chicken TV.

 

[newchickenfamily]

I definitely didn't go into getting chickens thinking I would break even.... They are entertaining, good recyclers of our food waste, make poop for the compost and give us eggs! Good education for our kiddos too.

 

[MissPrissy]

is it really cost effective raising your own chickens?

No.​

 

[mtnhomechick]

For me it's a hobby. My DH hunts and fishes. We don't make out on that. Can't imagine the money we've put into those sports. Plus golfing and bowling for both of us ( in the past ).

We put about 1500.00 into this when I started. It's MY hobby........but HE loves it too. We enjoy it and it's a learning process.

We know retired ppl down here that sit in a bar EVERY day. We don't. But, we could be found having a cocktail on the deck while cooking out and watching C vision.

I think it depends what your looking for. I just wanted some pets and some good fresh eggs. I sell a few dozen a week, but if I have any left either we eat them or they go into pet food.

I wouldn't go into chickens for a profit tho. But it sure is a great hobby.