NY chicken lover!!!!

[myfivegirls]

Thank you to the few of you who have offered up chicks or roos. After a lot of talking, I think we are going to change gears from more colorful eggs to trying a few birds we can put in the freezer to see if we want to raise our own meat birds. We are thinking of dual purpose types like red rangers, delaware, or dark cornish, but aren't 100% sure yet.

It's tough to decide what direction to take our flock!

Perhaps try a few of each breed to see which one suits you best. I know I've read reviews of the dark cornish taking longer than other dual-purpose breeds to fully mature.
And I'd recommend buying from a breeder or someone who's been breeding them for their meat traits, as most "hatchery" versions of the dual-purpose breeds have lost their "meaty" frame.

I've been working the past several years on getting my own flock to be more dual-purpose using different breeds, even with a dose of the "Freedom Rangers". This fall, I've processed young cockerels (don't rememeber their exact age) that "looked small" compared to Cornish and Rangers that I've raised before. But, they ended up being 3.5 to 4 lbs dressed weight. So, it wasn't too bad considering some roosters in the past were that weight live. They could use more improvement, but they're still all edible.

 

[Gramma Chick]

I just tallied my year. I spent 3x what I made on chickens. I have 18 great hens. My roo is great and his 2 sons are ok. Now to come up with 2017 goals based on what I've learned from 2016.

I Dont think I have ever totally made money on chickens
Cost of building..., Fences , medicine , cages .
I do try to get free when I can
That is the difference between a Hobby and a Business...<-- based on a tax return ..LOL
If their egg money pays for their food ...I am Happy..

 

[tao chick]

I Dont think I have ever totally made money on chickens
Cost of building..., Fences  , medicine , cages .
I do try to get free when I can
That is the difference between a Hobby and a Business...<-- based on a tax return ..LOL
If their egg money pays for their food ...I am Happy..

Lol, wow that's devotion!

I'm afraid to do my final tally. If it's not better than the 2015 set I'm in trouble.

In 2016 my flock paid for their food and bedding, building my two cabinet "coolerbators", but I still had to pay for other things I purchased to "improve" or repair things, more fencing I haven't used yet.
But, I did built quite a few pasture pens out of hardware cloth/ rabbit cage wire that I'd purchased a few years ago when I was definitely running "in the red" - yet it helped that the wood was all free/recycled.
But overall, my chickens are my biggest "expense" currently! LOL

I started with chickens in 2015. I had some start up expenses. In 2016 I expanded to the rare Brabanter breed and that was expensive to start. Now that I have a good start I should be closer to even on them. The garden expansion and potential expansion to turkeys will be my expenses that grow this year. My hobby is growing but didn't reach business levels this year and likely won't for a while. I'm trying to do lots of free things and not grow beyond my ability. I didn't realize at the beginning of 2016 how much I'd prefer keeping it small, slow, steady. 2017 should be easier to control expenses because of that lesson.

 

[rooster58]

People actually make money doing this????? I'd have to sell my eggs at $6 a dozen for me to get eggs and just pay for feed. I'll never recoupe my start up expenses. Lol. I'm sure glad I love chickens.

 

[Beer can]

Thank you to the few of you who have offered up chicks or roos. After a lot of talking, I think we are going to change gears from more colorful eggs to trying a few birds we can put in the freezer to see if we want to raise our own meat birds. We are thinking of dual purpose types like red rangers, delaware, or dark cornish, but aren't 100% sure yet.

It's tough to decide what direction to take our flock!

If your looking for hatching eggs, or chicks, colorful egg layers and meaty birds Eight Acres Farm in Gainesville Fl has some nice one's and breeder quality. She's cpartist I think? on BYC. Those who have her birds highly recommend them. German New Hampshire's, Delaware's, Barred Rock's from good stock, black and blue copper Marans, Wellsummers that lay as dark as Marans, Wheaten/Blue Wheaten Ameraucanas, Olive eggers, Blue Laced Red Wyandotte.
I've seen pics on here of her new hampshires and delawares hatched out by different BYC members, hatchery birds don't even compare, complete different ball league. Massive quicker growing beautiful birds.

 

[Beer can]

On another note, I never told you all what happened on Nov 20th when we had that "big" snowstorm. It had rained, so turned to ice on the aviary netting, causing the wet, heavy snow to cling to the aviary netting (2 inch holes) that I have over my chicken yard. It collapsed, so I couldn't access my chicken coops without removing the snow from the netting! I finally had time to write & upload photos of the "event" to my blog, if anyone is interested.

The netting on my 14'x50' run was fine all last winter, not this yr. Came down and ripped. Plan on moving the coop/run in the spring and put it back up. Hope the hawks leave them alone till then...

 

[Chicken girl 15]

After all expenses for 2016 I was only $400+/- in the red. And that was after a lot of repairs and improvements to coops, runs, and feeders. To me that's doing great!! As long as I don't do worse for this year I'm happy.

 

[Beer can]

Saw a ad on Craig's List, Mt Vision near Oneonta, small farm with many rare breeds, hatching eggs and chicks. They don't have a website and they are not on BYC.
Legbars, Rhodebars, BC Marans, Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiners,
Gold and Lemon Frisian Gulls,
Swedish Flower Hens, Isbars,
Wheaten Sulmtalers,Partridge Brahmas, Peal Guinea Hens.
I inquired about their Rhodebars and they linked their pinterest pics. Looks like they have some nice birds, and they didn't mention them but I see they have a small flock of Svart Hona also.

 

[Beer can]

I don't sell so I can't be in the red can I? :-D
Plenty of eggs and meat last yr, I do not want to know the cost per dzn eggs or lb of meat... Just try to be efficient as we can and cut cost when and where possible.
Same with the garden, might be able to buy some stuff cheaper if you include the work for sure, but we have plenty of it and know what's in it, no chemicals in our food.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

I don't sell so I can't be in the red can I? :-D
Plenty of eggs and meat last yr, I do not want to know the cost per dzn eggs or lb of meat... Just try to be efficient as we can and cut cost when and where possible.
Same with the garden, might be able to buy some stuff cheaper if you include the work for sure, but we have plenty of it and know what's in it, no chemicals in our food.

in your case your "profit" would be what you saved in overall groceries. We saved on chicken meat but spent on feed so we took the amount spent on feed and subtracted it from the amount saved/earned on meat. Same theory with eggs, -cost of feed from savings and sells of eggs and you have your numbers.