Raising your own CAN be cheaper than store-bought!

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

I just processed a batch of 6 Cornish X today.

I ran the numbers and between the cost of buying the chicks and their feed, I spent about $9.93 per bird! It may have even been a little less. They averaged in at 4.5 lbs. each.

I've always been told raising your own is more expensive, but with the price of food lately, that's not necessarily true. I can't buy a bird of that size for that price at my local grocery store. And even if I could, I know it would have been an unhappy, factory-raised bird. Mine were raised on grass, bugs, sunshine, (and commercial feed). "Pasture raised" or "free range" chickens go for as much as $~25 each around here, and even their quality of life can be questionable.

I just wanted to share this. I'm glad we raise our own!

 

[Debbie292d]

That's pretty awesome and great to know!

For those of us that don't process birds but just raise them for pets and eggs, we don't really want to know what each egg costs.

For here, after now two coops, three growout pens, feed, brooders, incubators, etc. Probably $20 per egg.

Honestly, though, we breed silkies and sell hundreds of chicks in the spring/summer. Last year they paid for half of one of the Amish garden sheds we have, so maybe in a few years, they'll pay off the rest. We're not about that though. It's fun for both of us.

 

[Shadrach]

I've always been told raising your own is more expensive

That's because it is.
While you were running the numbers it seems a few numbers ran off.
You haven't included your capital costs, coops, tools, feeders, waterers etc.
It seems you don't want paying for your time either so if you're looking for work, give me a shout.

 

[Down Under]

That's because it is.
While you were running the numbers it seems a few numbers ran off.
You haven't included your capital costs, coops, tools, feeders, waterers etc.
It seems you don't want paying for your time either so if you're looking for work, give me a shout.

Not necessarily, I know people that scrounged around and built their coops for free and found free bits and pieces to repurpose for tools, feeders, waterers, etc. and also people that have been given free baby chicks... which got me wondering if it is possible to raise chickens for next to nothing.
After looking into it and running through a few different scenarios I came to the conclusion that it is possible with a bit of planning, knowing where to scrounge and being very frugal about it all.
As far as paying for your time do people bill themselves for the hours that they spend growing their own veggies ??

So it is possible, is it worth it... that is for the individual to decide.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

That's because it is.
While you were running the numbers it seems a few numbers ran off.
You haven't included your capital costs, coops, tools, feeders, waterers etc.
It seems you don't want paying for your time either so if you're looking for work, give me a shout.

That's a good point. But, all the equipment I have has been used fot years. If I spread out the cost of the coop, feeders, and waterers over all of the batches of meat birds I've raised, I don't think it would add much. And it certainly wouldn't put me over $25 per bird.

As for paying for labor, why would I factor that in? That would be like thinking of how much I should be getting paid to do my own dishes. It's all part of my daily chores.

In my case, I believe it was cheaper to raise these than to buy a grocery store or "pasture raised" chicken. Even if there could some costs I missed, the fact that it's comparable for me makes it worth it because it's both affordable and I know the quality of life of my chickens.

 

[Molpet]

One year I figured out feed costs to keep 8 chicken hens and a rooster for a year vs how many eggs I collected. Came out to 33 cents an egg or $4 USA a DZ eggs in feed costs.
Later I figured To raise meat mutts cockerels $7 a lb in winter. In spring and summer when there is green and bugs, I go through a third as much feed , so I guess at 5 a lb.

 

[Shadrach]

That's a good point. But, all the equipment I have has been used fot years. If I spread out the cost of the coop, feeders, and waterers over all of the batches of meat birds I've raised, I don't think it would add much. And it certainly wouldn't put me over $25 per bird.

As for paying for labor, why would I factor that in? That would be like thinking of how much I should be getting paid to do my own dishes. It's all part of my daily chores.

In my case, I believe it was cheaper to raise these than to buy a grocery store or "pasture raised" chicken. Even if there could some costs I missed, the fact that it's comparable for me makes it worth it because it's both affordable and I know the quality of life of my chickens.

It takes me at least an hour to process a chicken. I don't kill and eat many so I'm not very efficient at the processing part. Even expecting a modest return for my labour I would expect to get paid fifteen UK pounds an hour.
That's any profit gone just from the processing.

 

[Morrigan]

10 years ago I tracked the soft costs of raising a batch of CX and came to $1.7/lb excluding feet, necks and giblets (which I do use). It was less than I would have paid for an on-sale supermarket chicken or Costco chicken, but cheaper for a pastured/free-range chicken.

But, I agree, it not so much about cost savings for me, it's about raising meat in a manner I feel good about.

 

[Down Under]

It takes me at least an hour to process a chicken. I don't kill and eat many so I'm not very efficient at the processing part. Even expecting a modest return for my labour I would expect to get paid fifteen UK pounds an hour.
That's any profit gone just from the processing.

Good point but I don't think that they are selling them, they are eating them.

 

[Shadrach]

do people bill themselves for the hours that they spend growing their own veggies ??

Most people probely don't. I try to make a rough estimate.
There are lots of reasons for keeping chickens, whatever their purpose, but making money from them isn't realistic if one is going to provide a reasonable standard of care in a back yard keeping arrangement.
For the chickens I care for now they would have to start laying diamond encrusted eggs to break even; two eggs a day to go into profit.