Raising while also Profiting from Chickens??

[suebgbr]

Is that anyone with over 50 birds? Or just the ones that would rather be with their flock than their partner?!

 

[MrsBrooke]

Is that anyone with over 50 birds? Or just the ones that would rather be with their flock than their partner?!

50 Shades of ... Chicken?

MrsB

 

[Our Roost]

suebgbr, They dont call it OCD for nothin! Some days I catch more heck than others, especially if I decide to order more CHICKENS! Aaak!

 

[Bama1]

Selling chickens and procesing them for your buyer. There is a 1000 bird exemption from USDA inspection as long as you raise the chicken and you process it. Check with your state for any additional requirements. http://www.extension.org/sites/default/files/NMPAN State Poultry Regs Report 2August2012.pdf

 

[Our Roost]

Bama1, I want to thank you for sharing that site link and information. I house about 30 meat and egg birds yearly and although we sell eggs, we havent sold meat for consumption to local buyers as yet. Mostly because we consume what we raise. I have a few project meat birds in the works and truly wont have anything to market until 2017 if all goes well. I wouldnt sell anything to anyone that I wouldnt eat myself! I will definitely contact the Michigan Dept. of Agriculture to explore this further. The 1000 or less distribution guidelines have intrigued me as I would fall into that category. Thanks!!

 

[scflock]

This is a great thread, and it seems like I am in the same boat with many people on here. I'm in year 7 with backyard chickens. I started with 4 pullets, and now I have 60-70 full timers, 7 coops, and 5 breeds for breeding. This is only my first year hatching large batches of chicks, and I have tried selling fertile eggs, day old chicks, and started chicks. By far the biggest sellers are 5-7 week old pullets. They sell from $12-$25 depending on breed. This is all a hobby for me. I enjoy raising the chicks, so started chicks are great for me. By the time they feather out, I am ready for them to move on, and that is what my local market is demanding. Profit?

I don't even want to think about the money I spent the first 5 years. Lumber, fencing, heaters, feeders, feed, litter, incubators... You guys know the drill. If I can just break even from this point forward, I will consider myself extremely lucky. I know that someone with a business plan with clearly defined goals could probably figure out a way to turn a profit, but as your average backyard hobbyist, I'm just trying to supplement my addiction

 

[RonP]

This is a great thread, and it seems like I am in the same boat with many people on here. I'm in year 7 with backyard chickens. I started with 4 pullets, and now I have 60-70 full timers, 7 coops, and 5 breeds for breeding. This is only my first year hatching large batches of chicks, and I have tried selling fertile eggs, day old chicks, and started chicks. By far the biggest sellers are 5-7 week old pullets. They sell from $12-$25 depending on breed. This is all a hobby for me. I enjoy raising the chicks, so started chicks are great for me. By the time they feather out, I am ready for them to move on, and that is what my local market is demanding. Profit?

I don't even want to think about the money I spent the first 5 years. Lumber, fencing, heaters, feeders, feed, litter, incubators... You guys know the drill. If I can just break even from this point forward, I will consider myself extremely lucky. I know that someone with a business plan with clearly defined goals could probably figure out a way to turn a profit, but as your average backyard hobbyist, I'm just trying to supplement my addiction

You are much more than a backyard hobbyist with those numbers!

 

[scflock]

You are much more than a backyard hobbyist with those numbers!

It's a disease, I tell ya

 

[scflock]

I will say that a huge help to my comsumption egg selling was custom labels. Kathy Mormino (Chicken Chick, @ADozenGirlz ) has an awesome website. She makes beautiful custom carton labels, and my customers love them. I also get a good return rate on cartons, because people will return them to be refilled

 

[Bama1]

Glad the info was helpful! I raise Sulmtalers, which are a delicacy meat breed originally from Austria. Yummy !

Bama1, I want to thank you for sharing that site link and information. I house about 30 meat and egg birds yearly and although we sell eggs, we havent sold meat for consumption to local buyers as yet. Mostly because we consume what we raise. I have a few project meat birds in the works and truly wont have anything to market until 2017 if all goes well. I wouldnt sell anything to anyone that I wouldnt eat myself! I will definitely contact the Michigan Dept. of Agriculture to explore this further. The 1000 or less distribution guidelines have intrigued me as I would fall into that category. Thanks!!