Replacement cost for a laying hen?

[BirdBrain]

I was doing the dishes this evening and was thinking about what it would cost to replace a hen if one was killed by a neighbor dog. Of course, since I am only doing meat birds these days, it is purely theoretical.

So if you have a bird that is at laying age and she is producing eggs at a rate of 5-6 eggs per week and she gets taken out by the neighbor dog, what would be a suggested replacement cost? Do you figure in the cost of the eggs that you would lose until you had another similar bird up to laying as well as the initial cost of the bird and what you will have to pay in feed for the new bird? I was just wondering what would be considered reasonable.

 

[Lazy J Farms Feed & Hay]

Based on my chick costs and current feed costs it will cost me about $6 to get a chick to POL. This is on the high side since I have a lower feed conversion in my calculations to give a very conservative value.

Jim

 

[Buckguy20]

About all you can figure to recoup is whatever the market price is for a laying hen. That would be $10 to $$15 here depending on the breed.

 

[wynedot55]

$8 or $9 a hen.because if you buy pol the seller has to make some profit.

 

[GwenFarms]

A good laying hen is a valuable animal. If we were talking about a chick than I would only charge $5-$10, but if we are talking about an adult laying hen I would charge no less that $50 to replace her. That still wouldn't cover the cost of buying a new chick, raising if for 6-8 months, then having to do it all over again with a new chick. Not to mention the loss of eggs waiting for the new pullet to begin producing. As I said, a good laying hen is a valuable animal and while I know a neighbor would balk at having to pay this much, but that is mostly because they are not knowlegable about raising chickens. Not to mention charging $5-$20 won't leave the impression that charging $50 + will and this will teach them, hopefully, enough of a lesson that in the future they would be more careful with their dogs.

 

[BirdBrain]

Gwen,
I think you are right about what should be requested in repayment because, as you say, a good laying hen is a valuable animal. But I think there would be some serious sticker shock and perhaps refusal to pay more than the other posters suggest. I have to say, I was thinking more along the lines of $50 myself. I guess it would be fair to forewarn possible "problem dog" owners what you have in mind as a replacement value as well as a breakdown of why (chick cost, feed and lost egg production). If they know ahead of time it might be a bit of a deterent (sp?) but then maybe am kidding myself. Thanks for you thoughts, everyone!!

 

[speckledhen]

The feedstore regularly sells pullets close to lay for $20 apiece and laying hens sometimes for $25. If they're a rare breed, they get more for them.

 

[65browneyes]

I just paid $20 for a year old Ameracauna here in Arizona.



edited to add that I got this hen from a private seller, via the feed store.

 

[Rte.66_chicks]

The court awarded me $25 for each of the twelve hens that a neighbor's dog killed. That's what I requested; I don't know if they there is any chart or formula for lost livestock.