well, that was depressing

[carriehelene]

So I found a link on here for a program called chicken-trackin. It keeps track of your expenses/income for your chickens. I have to say, I didn't realize just how much those darn chickens are costing me. Holy cow.

Of course, if I'd stop buying hatching eggs, and building coops, the cost would cut dramatically. Yeah, like that's gonna happen anytime soon. So, even though I have shown some income, I certainly can't call it a profit. Oh well, maybe this year will be a little better. Hah! Good thing I love them, even if they don't pay for themselves.

 

[teach1rusl]

Ignorance is bliss for me...

 

[Slywoody]

There's some things, a guy don't wanna know.

 

[Scoop]

Keep track of my chicken costs???

That sounds like zero fun, seriously!

 

[carriehelene]

You are all entirely correct. Ignorance was bliss, my bf definately doesn't need to know (haha) and it was absolutely no fun towards the end, when the expenses kept going up, and up, and up....

 

[HEChicken]

I use Steve's chicken tracker, an Excel spreadsheet developed by another BYC member. I love keeping track of this stuff. My goal right from the beginning was that this be a hobby that pays for itself and I'm on track so far. Of course, buying chicks and having to feed them for 5 months before the first egg certainly means it will be a few months before I've broken even but keeping track of the expenses also keeps me aware of factors that I would otherwise conveniently ignore. The other day I went to TSC for chicken feed and while walking in the door, saw a cart with a "Half Price" sign on it, containing about 10 bags of different types of feed - horse, sheep, dog and ..... TWO bags of Flock Raiser. These were bags that had broken open, and TSC had taped them up and put them on the half price cart. Well, I picked up each bag of Flock Raiser and realized that while one had lost some of the feed (maybe lost 20lbs), the other had not lost much weight, so I bought them both. Together I paid as much as for one bag, but I ended up with at least 80lbs of food for the the price of 50. The same day I was browsing Craigslist and saw an ad for "poultry feed" - 28lbs for $5. I called the number and long story short, the woman had bought the bag of Flock Raiser for her pet duck which had been rehomed and she was selling the remainder of the bag. She had weighed it so was confident of the amount and $5 made it cheaper than retail so....I bought that as well. So this week I brought home about 110 lbs of feed for the price of about 70lbs and my spreadsheet is going to be so pleased with me LOL.

What I love about the spreadsheet is that in addition to tracking income, it actually tells you how much each egg gathered costs. So even if I am using all the eggs for my own purposes, and not selling any, I still am able to keep track of how much they are costing me.

 

[Dixiedoodle]

I use the same method of 'tracking' my chicken expense as my husband uses for our dogs..

We have ten dogs, 4 rescued/adopted Dachshunds, 2 lab mixes, 2 hound mixes, 2 med size.. None of them do anything but sleep, eat, waggle their tails, bark and poo.... Someone asked my husband: "how much does it cost to have 10 dogs"... to which my dear husband answered " I don't know, there are some things, a fellow just doesn't really want to know"...

I love my chickens, like I love my dogs...at least the chickens give me eggs!!!!

 

[nsanywhere]

HeChicken - is there a link to this spreadsheet? I'd be curious to see what my costs are per egg.

 

[TM Chickens]

Quote:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=124260

 

[StupidBird]

$278 total 2009 expenditures (includes 5 chicks, coop, feed, feeders, waterers, dusts, chips, bedding...)
5 pullets started laying mid June....
2009 eggs cost about 38 cents each.

BUT if I factor in the following:
- best anti-depressant EVER!
- bug catching, FIRST ever effective fire ant control starting late August, when the hens suddenly discovered how to eat ants.
- Showing off to friends and family that we're "trendsetters" with our garden and chickens
- spending more time outdoors
- improved appetite, improving health and wellbeing

THEN they're PRICELESS!!!!