Selling meat birds or eggs?

[BYCforlife]

i don't really know much of the quota, (i could be wrong about the quota so take what a say with a grain of salt) but as far as i gathered if you have one, you have to sell to a market/company instead of direct consumers and you have to buy into the quota.

I think that sounds right.... I forgot! Of course you make less money, the government needs some.

I will probably own about 50 types of animals on my farm, all about 5 short of the quota.

 

[junebuggena]

Hello! I was figuring out the profit for layers vs broilers.

If I had 45 layers, and sold every egg they laid for only 25 cents, I would make way more (in a year) that I would with 70 broilers, sold at $5-6 a pound.

Why do people choose to sell meat instead of eggs? I really like broilers, but it seems like they don't give you much of a profit.



Also, on a slightly different topic, how many broilers do you keep in your coop? I read that people put way more broilers in a coop than layers, because they won't stay there for long.

Thanks!

45 hens, if they lay all year long (no breaks for brooding or molting), would produce about 11,700 eggs. Selling at .25 each, would gross you about $2,925 in a year. This is assuming you start calculating the 'year' at onset of lay, not factoring in the time of raising to maturity.
The average broiler is about 4 pounds after slaughter. You would gross about $1,400 for one batch of birds. If you time it right, you could easily raise 3 groups of meaties a year, grossing you about $4,200 total.
That means meat birds can give you a higher return, simply because they only take 2 months to raise to slaughter age. Layers take 5 to 6 months of feeding before you can start earning money with them, and you have to feed them all year long. With meaties, once processed, you don't have to continually spend money on feed.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

how did you get started selling? we can sell here but only from our homes. I see prices all over the boards, one proclaims GMO/range free hens for 4.00 a dozen, others 3-3.75. I sold 2 1/2 dozen for 5.00 but none since then, everyone wants you to just give them to them for free as if they are doing you a favor by taking your eggs off your hands

Farmers markets/swaps and mostly craigslist. Our county is a retirement hot spot. We have several long time buyer who come and get 10 to 20 dozen at a time, for their neighbors and friends. those are my favorite buyers. The ones who but only 1 0r 2 are fine too.. The big buyers help keep them fresh...
You phone rings a lot though. If you don't feel like answering a call them back, they will buy them somewhere else real quick. Small price to pay to feed for free.

 

[Taylorbrood]

I know what you mean! I was thinking of doing mine about $4.00, but I'll probably match other egg sellers at the market so I don't take their business. (Too much. )

I can't match the others around here, I see GMO free, range free, organic, etc., I don't care about all the gmo organic, I want to know if the hens are healthy.. We have a local farm that sells their eggs and their hens look like crap, and rough. they claim to free range and non-gmo feed I won't buy from them. in fact I would like to buy the hens they are selling but not one has had any vaccines or vet care. maybe over kill on my attitude, but having dealt with Mareks I don't ever want to go through that again.