Topic of the Week - Managing Expenses and Saving/Making Money Keeping Poultry

[LMVB]

Humm. I like these ideas and may be able to fashion something myself. Hubby is DONE with chicken projects! What type of wiring do you suggest, and what diameter on the pvc or poling materials?

 

[lazy gardener]

I don't have the funds to purchase a tractor or even a riding lawn mower at this time. Add to that the fact that here in Central Texas the ground is pretty rocky and uneven...hard to safely maneuver in that terrain. I may try the idea of setting up just a circle of light wire as mentioned before. But my issue still remains: how to get them from the run area to the temp. fenced area. And yes, I'd be close to keep my eyes open. So, how to get them from point A to point B. Not sure they'd follow my lead at first to get to wherever, but may just try it. Would feel much better with some safer option, tho. Thanks!

The tractor that is being referred to here is a light weight covered structure either on wheels or skids that you can move around in your yard. A chicken tractor can be very light weight. (Called a tractor, cause when chickens are in it, they can actually be used to prepare the ground much the same way a tractor would). They till the soil if left in one place for a bit, while adding fertilizer and eliminating insect pests: something that even the most expensive tractors can't do without extra materials being added.

Depending on the size you want to build, it could be 2' tall (check out Joel Salatin style) or could be taller: possibly a cattle panel hoop structure.

Hardware cloth is the most predator proof. Chicken wire will not keep a determined predator out, and tractors are at risk of predators digging under them to get at the chicken nuggets inside unless you use a skirt around it, which kind of defeats the purpose of being able to easily move it.

 

[LMVB]

I'll check into that, but seriously, just don't have the funds to do any purchases like that now, unless it's next to free. But may try some of the things mentioned earlier. If I can connect the portable fencing to the gate opening, I may be able to slowly drag to various areas around the yard. Question and suggestion needed: here in Central Texas, we don't have dirt...we have limestone below about 1 inch. How to secure fencing posts??? You really need a jack hammer or a really good pick ax, which I physically cannot handle (5'1" petite woman in her late 50's--where did the time go??Don't feel that old but with a bad spine, don't want to tempt fate, KWIM?)

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

I don't have the funds to purchase a tractor or even a riding lawn mower at this time. Add to that the fact that here in Central Texas the ground is pretty rocky and uneven...hard to safely maneuver in that terrain. I may try the idea of setting up just a circle of light wire as mentioned before. But my issue still remains: how to get them from the run area to the temp. fenced area. And yes, I'd be close to keep my eyes open. So, how to get them from point A to point B. Not sure they'd follow my lead at first to get to wherever, but may just try it. Would feel much better with some safer option, tho. Thanks!

Not motor tractor, chicken tractor. I'm in Central Texas, too - I have some of them I've put together that act as permanent coops for small groups of chickens. Just be sure to protect the perimeter from digging predators at night.

I'll check into that, but seriously, just don't have the funds to do any purchases like that now, unless it's next to free. But may try some of the things mentioned earlier. If I can connect the portable fencing to the gate opening, I may be able to slowly drag to various areas around the yard. Question and suggestion needed: here in Central Texas, we don't have dirt...we have limestone below about 1 inch. How to secure fencing posts??? You really need a jack hammer or a really good pick ax, which I physically cannot handle (5'1" petite woman in her late 50's--where did the time go??Don't feel that old but with a bad spine, don't want to tempt fate, KWIM?)

You very well may be able to put one together for next to free if you have some of the right materials on hand. Lots of images and plans on the internet, give it a shot.

 

[lazy gardener]

You can get the lumber for free. I get "stickers" from Lowes all the time. Most of them are about 4' long, made of 2 x 3, or 2 x 4, odd variation of those sizes. It would be fairly easy to put together a frame, and then cover it with chicken wire or other fencing material. Hinges can be picked up at a local thrift store, or Habitat for Humanity store for a very reasonable price. Then, there's the free building materials being set out at curb side on trash day. You can also contact a local roofer or remodeler. They are more than happy to have you haul away some of their left over materials. The biggest expense in such a project is the screws and nails.

 

[Hermits Garden]

Another money saving tip I just remembered.....
If you want to feed mealworms, etc look into raising your own. No need to shell out $ each week, they're very easy to raise.

This is something I plan to do--I used to work at a mom & pop zoo in Texas and fed meal worms to certain of the monkeys. Where do you buy the live "starter" worms?

 

[Show Sebright]

Feed cost-
They chose to only eat out of the small container so we took away the main feeder. They don’t waist food now and I can keep track of how much they eat.

Other-
The dollar store is my friend. If I can get it there then you bet I am getting it there. Dust pans, small brooms for cobwebs in coop, scrub brush, and other stuff.

 

[Tclloyd0812]

Building costs:
Try to repurpose used lumber and building supplies, or buy cheap used lumber or pallets to help build. We got free lumber from our local Walmart after garden season because they through out the planting boxes, pallets, and crates that held lawn mowers. We also were blessed to have a family member give us cattle panels and all the supplies we needed for our new giant hoop coop that is 30ft long and 10ft wide.

Feed costs:
We buy from our local mill that makes their own feed. It's cheaper, good quality, and always fresh. I often mix different feeds together that they make right there at the mill. We feed once a day and free range all day long and give treats occasionally.


How we "break even" or make a profit off of the chickens:
We are still working on getting NPIP certified since covid has our appointment pushed back, but soon we will be selling eggs online (shipping) and possibly even chicks if we can learn from someone in our area about doing it the right way.

Right now we sell chicks once or 2 times a month, I sell them cheap for $1.50 a piece when they aren't pure bred (barnyard mixed) and $3-4 for my pure bred (so far its just been my polish and silkie that we separated) but we will be selling pure bred chicks for a bit more depending on the breed once we make better breeding pens.

We eat our eggs or hatch them out with either our incubator or who ever decides to be broody that month. Right now we are just breaking even on our feed costs by selling chicks, but we soon hope to start making a profit on all of our birds, we just want to do it the right way by being NPIP certified. It helps to have a variety of breeds and different animals like ducks, geese, turkeys, and emus. That way you always have different animals helping you make a profit or at least break even.

 

[Araucana Nest]

This thread needs current updates.....
So....
Coops - Well, let me just say that prefabs are not the devil. They can be rigged to work out for some things. As I've written exhaustively, I can't build stuff and can't afford custom builds and hiring people to help has been an expensive exercise in frustration. When you need a prefab to work, they can work. Perhaps I've gotten a little better at eyeing what will work in my situation and what won't. My LGDs patrol the property so there are no issues with common predators and I'm far more skilled at fixing and rigging up than I am at building (anything except for pallet "coops", read below). I've two TSC coops for broodies and growing out chicks with their mother hen, when that hen isn't the top hen in her coop. Top hens can raise their chicks in the flock without having to be moved for the safety of the chicks.

With three pallets, a couple of 2 x 3s ( or 4s), some screws and used tin and I made three humble "coops" for my hens in kennels. Because the pallets are all the same size, I could probably do a larger coop and will try next week when my son visits. This may be the answer to my building challenges. photos below.



Feed - I try to take advantage of sales since my feeds are Purina complete feeds and I try very hard to stay in stock at all times. Don't have any need to purchase treats, grit, or oyster shells with complete feeds and quality feeds support the health and production of my flocks which translates into savings. Observing how much they eat and what is left over is very helpful. I always monitor the amounts left over and adjust. They also have a garden and fruit trees where they either clean up when free-ranging or they receive their treats every evening inside their runs.

And other $ - I sell hatching eggs and feed my dogs scrambled eggs at least once if not twice weekly. It saves on a high dog food bill (7 dogs). I only sell hatching eggs half the year though, spring and fall, and want to stretch that out. It pays for the feed costs for the chickens during those months. I also sell chicks but no longer hatch most of those, the hens do the work. Trying to increase the marketability and quality of my lines to pay for my chicken feed costs year round. NPIP/AI testing twice a year helps with that. It doesn't pay for anything else and I've been searching for less expensive shipping methods so that I can keep costs down for my customers. Slaughtering my chickens is out of the equation and selling cockerels is also out now so these things add up. My goal is for the feed costs = sales. The value I receive far exceeds the costs but breaking even will be imperative in a couple of years.

Vet Bills: Though I've been here less than 6 years total, I've accumulated over 10k in vet bills more than all my years anywhere else combined except for one surgery for a dog over 20 years ago. I'm very distrustful of vets now. I was trusting and got fleeced. Finally found a farm vet that has very decent prices but I try not to call. My medicine cabinet is filled with antibiotics, pain meds, etc. I read voraciously to try to pinpoint what is going on with my chickens and then treat. Having so much on hand saves time and money but the quality of care is really the savings. Prevention. I do however, have a few chickens who would go to the nearest avian vet if there were any sign they were in trouble and I had not a clue.

 

[BuckMtn]

Buying or building a coop and how to save money there.

Buying a prefab coop is a waste of money. For almost all new chicken keepers, it will quickly become inadequate, and you will spend more money in the long run trying to bring it up to snarf.

A few years ago, I hired a carpenter to help me build a run between my two small coops that is a palace as far as coops and runs go. (See my avatar) It could have easily cost as much as a small cabin to build had I used new lumber and materials. Instead, I put out the word and people donated all sorts of used materials, such as nifty glass doors, and the end cost was a mere fraction of what it might have otherwise cost.

- Feed costs - how to keep the feed bill down.

Fermenting feed is the best way to boost efficiency and reduce the feed bill and waste. When I was using dry crumbles, I invented feed catchers that strapped onto my feeders, eliminating waste. But fermented feed actually increases the health and productivity of my layers and I get more eggs for a longer period and for a longer span of the life of the laying hens. My seven-year olds are all still producing.

I garden on a pretty large scale and grow veggies that I store over winter. This augments the feed bill and rounds out the nutrition of my flock.


- Recouping some of the expenses and making money through selling eggs, birds etc.

See above. Fermented feed maximizes egg production, and selling my eggs helps me break even on my expenses. This is crucial since I don't have any extra money to throw away on frivolous hobbies. I have regular egg customers, sell the eggs for $5 a dozen and I deliver them.

My chickens earn their keep, although I love them just as much when they decide to "retire".

How often do you feed fermented feed. I am planning to do the same and have read that no more than a few days per week to every day?? Got babes getting their first fermented feed tomorrow. Thanks, Darrell