post your chicken coop pictures here!

[Latestarter]

For many of us, the terms "break even" and "chickens" should never even be spoken in the same paragraph, let alone sentence... I have ~ 8 grand invested just in coops. with ongoing costs, I will never break even...

But they're "fun" to have and they do provide me eggs.

trade offs I guess.

The other day I was carrying some eggs in my shirt tail (rolled up in front to carry them in) and the bucket of feed in the other when I came back in the house... My dogs distracted me and instead of putting the bucket down, I let go of the front of my shirt

half a dozen eggs discovered gravity... right over the kitchen heat register in the floor

The dogs were pretty excited... I picked up the shells and then let them clean up the mess. So it's not just kids who break eggs

But boy, didn't I feel stupid...

 

[perchie.girl]

LOL.... 70 dollars per 6x6 kennel panel.... 130 dollars per 6x12 kennel panel.... 400 linear feet of Kennel panel approximately 4500 dollars.... Aviary panels 100 dollars each six by six.... 200 linear feet 3000 dollars. .... so I am neck and neck with you @Latestarter given all the other materials required for assemblage of Cage and Kennel.

Never mind the poultry that has gone to feed coyotes.... and Eggs to feed the ravens. I have gotten a grand total of about 12 eggs to eat......

At one point I was going through 50 pounds of feed every two weeks. Like horses You will never break even but the side effects of humor and entertainment and physical activity are priceless.

deb

 

[YaYa27889]

We [send an existing pump house and remodeled the inside.. Then built a 40 ft enclosed run for our flock of 14. Hubby insulated the bldg, added a window at the back and two vents in the front for ventilation. We have hawks here so it was necessary to totally enclose the coop. Our motor home used to sit here so I made a "viewing" area with seating. Finished this yesterday

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

Well yesterday I was coming up the highway heading home and I got to strodes mills there I know you don't know where that probably is but anyways I seen a coop in someones backyard wih about maybe 14 plus hens in it, with one chainlink dog kennel and they could barley move hot he next time I am down there I am going to see if I can get some pics from the road and report them to rescue our furry friends. And they can come and take them to get them into a better home, it's a non kill animal shelter and they take pretty much all animals. But that's if I cans get pics of them cause she won't come and take them unless she can see if they are in need of help. And if she wants to see them for her self she will go and drive by and see. So what do you think I should do report the people or just let them go I just hate to see them barely able to move. And they look Ike large fowl hens, fully grown

 

[MeepBeep]

Well yesterday I was coming up the highway heading home and I got to strodes mills there I know you don't know where that probably is but anyways I seen a coop in someones backyard wih about maybe 14 plus hens in it, with one chainlink dog kennel and they could barley move hot he next time I am down there I am going to see if I can get some pics from the road and report them to rescue our furry friends. And they can come and take them to get them into a better home, it's a non kill animal shelter and they take pretty much all animals. But that's if I cans get pics of them cause she won't come and take them unless she can see if they are in need of help. And if she wants to see them for her self she will go and drive by and see. So what do you think I should do report the people or just let them go I just hate to see them barely able to move. And they look Ike large fowl hens, fully grown

Unless there is a law mandating space requirements or they are violating some other law (pet laws don't generally apply to livestock) what are you going to report them for?

I understand you might not like the way they are being cared for and believe they should have more space, but that doesn't make it illegal or give a shelter any rights to intervene...

 

[MeepBeep]

We [send an existing pump house and remodeled the inside.. Then built a 40 ft enclosed run for our flock of 14. Hubby insulated the bldg, added a window at the back and two vents in the front for ventilation. We have hawks here so it was necessary to totally enclose the coop. Our motor home used to sit here so I made a "viewing" area with seating. Finished this yesterday

Nice use of a pump house, I have been considering turning our old pump house into a playhouse for the kids since it's just sitting there doing nothing...

 

[MeepBeep]

There is really no break even point with chickens until you get 1000s of them and become a full out business, or if you breed exotics with a high price tag...

I'm just happy to 'break even' on feed cost by selling some eggs and chicks... And I'm at that point now as long as I continue to supplement their feed with free stuff, if I was forced to feed commercial feed solely I would still be digging a hole quite fast...

I had very little startup expenses, the building already existed and I remodeled it with mostly stuff I already had on hand... If I had to build a new 2 story 1800 sq/ft building I would never recover the cost They share the pasture/paddock with the goats and llamas so no cost to setup a run... I have considered flight netting a large portion of the pasture to contain the 'flyers' but right now trimming the flight feathers of those I'm most worried about like the peafowl seems to keep them inside the fenced area for now...

 

[YaYa27889]

] agree. You do not know that if the hens were put out of their normal run so it could be cleaned. Perhaps the kennel is simply a makeshift arrangement.
Before you get involved in the situation investigate thoroughly or stay out of it.

 

[FarmerPhronc]

There is really no break even point with chickens until you get 1000s of them and become a full out business, or if you breed exotics with a high price tag...

I'm just happy to 'break even' on feed cost by selling some eggs and chicks... And I'm at that point now as long as I continue to supplement their feed with free stuff, if I was forced to feed commercial feed solely I would still be digging a hole quite fast...

I had very little startup expenses, the building already existed and I remodeled it with mostly stuff I already had on hand... If I had to build a new 2 story 1800 sq/ft building I would never recover the cost

They share the pasture/paddock with the goats and llamas so no cost to setup a run... I have considered flight netting a large portion of the pasture to contain the 'flyers' but right now trimming the flight feathers of those I'm most worried about like the peafowl seems to keep them inside the fenced area for now...

I have to

. A break even point. I'm happy to get $3 to $4 a dozen to help off set the cost of the organic feed I give them. I got into having my own after I retired from the farm/ranch I worked at because I got spoiled having fresh eggs available. I only have 5 hens. They lay more eggs than my wife and I can eat. So I attempt to sell them or just give them away.

 

[MeepBeep]

I have to  . A break even point. I'm happy to get $3 to $4 a dozen to help off set the cost of the organic feed I give them.

If I didn't heavily supplement my feed with alternative freebies, my birds would polish off 50lbs of commercial feed a day, no way I could afford organic feed and hope to even come close to breaking even...

As it stands with freebie supplementation I can get feed cost down to about 2-3 bags of commercial feed a week, or about $30 out of pocket a week and currently I sell about $50/week in eggs and I'm getting my breeding programs in order so I hope to sell some chicks or eggs shorty to help even further...