Laying flock to help fund show birds.... good idea? bad idea?

[TK Poultry]

Ok this might not be the correct place. Please tell me if it isn't.

I was thinking of starting a laying flock of 10-15 hens just to sell their eggs to put the money into my show birds. Do others do this? I was thinking it over and I thought it would be a good idea. I could also show the hens in the county fair commercial classes. I was wondering how others went about things like this. Any information about how to manage this would be great!

 

[Fred's Hens]

10-15 layers, after you've bought them, brooded them, fed them, purchased bedding, water them, fed them some more, clean the coop, then continue to feed them while they lay eggs.... OK, you get the idea. When you finally sell eggs, $1 a dozen "profit" is good. Sell seven dozen a week and that's $7 a week. Out of that $7, you have to deduct all the expenses incurred before point of lay. You're in the hole $100, typically, before point of lay. You make about 9 cents an hour

Fuss with the numbers, shoot, double the "profit margin" and still, as you can see, making a bunch of money off a dozen hens just isn't there. A part time minimum wage job would pay much, much more.

Keep hens for the enjoyment. That's the best payback.

 

[Mrs. K]

well, I would be hoping that your show birds would be laying eggs too.

I have never made a dime off my girls, but in my reasoning, it would not cost more to keep show birds than it would to keep commercial birds, other than the purchase price.

so if you start up with commercial birds - have the coop/run ect... then gradually replace them with show birds. Well your hobby should not break the bank. And a dozen hens is a hobby.

This is what I am thinking of doing, had commercial hens for years, might just start getting some show birds..... however, that might be a pipe dream, as I just yesterday ordered ordinary chicks.

MrsK