I never think one makes out even when trying to sell eggs to feeding them. I my self am sticking with 12 ( have eight right now) no more and no less because the food is expensive ( I buy scratch and peck, that gets me 40 pounds for I believe 28.00 I love fresh eggs, and feed my family and my parents and even give each of my elderly neighbors a dozen when I have them. Yu know if you grow the food you can freeze it for winter time, also you can freeze grass. I buy a giant bag of alfalfa pellets ( pure alfalfa) and add this to yogert , buy a huge 50 pound bag of wheat and sprout all winter. The wheat is organic, cheat and lasts me 2 years. There are many ways to make your feed go farther, sprouting, running an aquarium and growing duck weed ( the best food out there ! ) growing veggies like broccoli and freezing it, and squash. Did you know you can grow squash and it lasts all winter and pumpkins, etc.