The true cost of backyard eggs!

[cluck-addict]

henny,
You make a great point about the spectrum of pet owners and for profit business owners. There are a vast spectrum of us and we all have a place

 

[cluck-addict]

vet bills. honestly, how many of us, you..... whoever, would call the vet for a chicken.

I FULLY respect the "pet owner" and have NO ill will. I do NOT think you are crazy for calling the vet.

That said, I am a city girl gone country. I married a dairy farmer and have developed a MUCH changed viewpoint regarding livestock. Not to mention that both Vets who service our area laughed hysterically at me when I asked if they treat chickens.

I can't honestly say I'd call out a vet for $75 service call AND pay for services. Maybe if I had really expensive show chickens or something, I'd look at it differently. But for the average flock owner who is using chickens as a food source. Which of us here would really use a vet?

Remember, I'm sorta hijacking this a little bit in the overall cost of eggs. Where is the Vet line in the pet v livestock debate?

 

[lighthawk]

Quote:
light hawk, I didn't mean to offend you and appologize if I came off as flippant. My point was that value can be more than just pure money. I would suspect that you probably feel the same way. If finaces were the ultimate factor I guess at some point one may just be better off not having a backyard flock.
There is a joy and passion that runs true with us chicken owners that goes far beyond the money.

As far as cost savings, look for food manufacturers in your area. Many frozen food facilities have vegetables and food that doesn't meet the standards for human consuption but are suitable for animal feed. They may even give it away for free. Someone was talking about breweries and graineries allowing folks to come in and clean up the spills for free. Search out local farmers who grind their own corn feed. There are 100lbs of pounds of corn around the dryers and grain bins that are suitable and you can take for the labor. There is a high concentration of calcium in broccoli. Feed your scraps to the chickens. There is NO need to through out old rice, oatmeal, ham bones, vegetable cuttings, ect.

I hope this helps a little. Best of luck in your retirement.

No Offence taken, it is just that the tread title "The true cost of backyard eggs" (and forgive me now ) has nothing to do with how much we love our chickens. I am planning as best I can and making do as are millions of others who have fallen on hard economic times. Budget is important and emotional attachment, although it plays a part with any animal we raise is not the topic of the thread. Please don't feel scolded as that is not my intention. I just really would like to know the true cost of backyard eggs. Have you ever taken a favorite bird to a Vet? What did you spend? Those type of things are my curiosity. Do you buy saddles? there are so many variables that it seems almost impossible to keep track of without an Excel program as some have suggested. To me that is High Maintenance and I am too old for that. Thank you for your suggestions as to reducing costs but I live in a farming community that has fallen on hard times and I don't think I will the first in line for the dumpster. Especially since my coop is not built yet. I truly take no offence. I'm just here to learn.

 

[lighthawk]

Quote:
Thank you very much I will definately check it out.

 

[lighthawk]

Quote:
In my frame of mind it is not about making or saving money. Using KIM_NC's detailed plan I determined that over the first two years It would cost me approximately $2.56 per dozen. Currently as of today Brown eggs (not farm fresh not free range not organic) are priced @ $1,75 a Doz) I can live with that. I know that with inflation knocking at the door feed prices are not going down. After the first two years as my initial costs are ammortized feed will be going up in price. My cost for a dozen eggs may still be $2.56 per dozen but in two years the price for brown eggs in the grocery store will probably be $4.00 per dozen. Do you see where I'm going here?

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Search you local Craigslist for free chickens. Scavenge supplies and building materials the same way, and cost to start should be minimal. It was for us...until we got goats too

and bunnies, and turkeys, and quail....yeah that's everything..

 

[Kim_NC]

I mean no offense to pet owners as well.

Our chickens are livestock, like the cattle and pigs. But I won't call a Vet for a chicken. That would likely run $75 or more. For that cost I could raise another 11 POL pullets!

IF I had several birds die in a short time and was uncertain of the illness/cause, then I would pay for a necropsy (about $35) on one dead bird to determine the cause and hopefully save the rest of my flock. That would be about protecting my total investment though, not about saving a pet or single bird.

For an individual pig or cow, I would definitely call a Vet and pay well over $100. But a cow or pig is worth much more than a chicken. And that's why so many Vets do not treat chickens. They know a chicken isn't worth the expense to most farmers.

Medications? Sure, I keep a few things on hand - blu kote, sulmet, duramycin. In a year's time, I might spend a total $50 on them. When you consider we have 75-80 resident chickens at any gven time, plus another 50-75 chicks moving through on a monthly basis, that $50 is minuscule.

Henny - good suggestion to read Robert Plamondon's articles. He's very knowledgeable and brings a strong viewpoint to 'chickenry'. Joel Salatin is another good, knowledgeable source.

There is no reason why anyone can't be cost effective and make backyard chickens worthwhile financially. But it does require something beyond the 'raising and having pets' approach.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

I'm actually glad to see the different aspect of chicken raising for profitability. Most folks on here do tend to raise them for pets, which is great, we have our picks too

but, I like to know I'm not going broke in this economic mess. I will turn more of a profit this year. I did not see much last year, but I was just getting started then, and there are up front costs. I can't wait to see positive cash flow!!!!

 

[Kait27]

I'm not sure if I want to do the math out like this and know, but let's see...

Est. Cost of building supplies to partition part of the shed and construct exterior enclosed run: $350
5lb. Bag of chick starter: $5 (i think? Yes, I know i got ripped off, because you'll see below
20 Lb. Bag of chick starter: $8
Aluminum Waterer, 2 gal: $20
7lb Feeder: $11
Chick feeder and waterer with mason jar: ~$8
Extra plastic waterer for outside in run: $4
50 Lb. Bag Chick Grower: $12
50 Lb. Bag Layer Crumbles: $12
50 Lb. Bag Layer Pellets: $12
2 Bags Pine Shavings: $15
2 Bags of grit (chick and adult) $15
50 lb. Bag of Scratch Grains $10
Red Light Bulb: $10
I'm going to throw in an extra $25, for all the whats-its and whos-its that have been picked up along the way, like the hardware for the lightbulb-water-heater, etc.

Total: $517. My four Buff Orp chicks were a birthday present, so I wont count the cost of them, although its negligable. I also wont add in the cost of added electricity that goes into the coop.
I've been getting about 2 dozen eggs/week for 5 weeks, that's 120 eggs.... I'll call it about 135 eggs, because there was a sizable gap between the first layer and the last one.

$3.83/egg! or about $46/dozen. Crap, wish I hadn't done this out! Haha. Good thing I'm dooing this for fun and not for profit. I don't sell the eggs.

 

[lighthawk]

Everyone has been very helpful. I don't doubt that while raising chickens I will develop an attachment to certain birds and they will achieve pet status, But I must admit the perspective that Cindyloohoo and Kim_NC have shared have allowed me to see not just the business aspect but the practical aspect of taking on this venture. Don't get me wrong I NEVER expect to profit in the long run. I only intend to hold inflation at bay. That is why I feel so grateful to have so many coming forth with such a diverse point of view. Now I actually kind of feel as though I have hijacked the thread so my apologies to the OP. Seems we can never put an actual "price" on the true cost of backyard eggs as there are lots of variables to consider and circumstances unforseen.
FYI I am planning ten birds long term 15 to start with. Wish me luck as I have never been one who excelled at chores.