Where’s the money!? Chicks? Eggs? Pullets?

Mamma Hen Hanna

In the Brooder
Mar 14, 2018
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Has the money mystery ever been solved!? What does better? ...selling hatching eggs, eating eggs, chicks, adult birds, specializing in one breed vs a hodgepodge, using an incubator vs broody hens, etc... so many angles with chickens! I’m talking about backyard/homestead/hobbyist here, no large scale production. I don’t intend to get rich with my chickens, but I don’t want to waste my time/money either. What are some of yall’s business plans? (p.s. I have ameracaunas, silkies, blue copper Marans, calico Cochins, olive Eggers, jubilee and buff orpingtons, and a few mutts)
 
I have several regular egg customers who buy eggs from me for $3 a dozen. This helps pay for feed when the hens are laying good. But the only way I come close to breaking even is by hatching some of those eggs and selling babies. I get $3 each straight run for chicks and $10 for fully feathered pullets. My guineas only lay eggs in the spring and summer but I hatch a lot of those eggs and get $5 each for keets. There isn't any profit in having a barnyard flock. I just have them for the pleasure of having them. ;)
 
I think you will find selling extra eggs at market value, a bit underwhelming.

My flock is strictly a hobby. I don't sell anything.

That said, my research leads me to believe the best way to make money with my hobby would be to have a flock of decisively desirable, and or rare, unusual birds.

My suggestion… Ayam Cemani.

Selling fertile eggs to other hobbyists at $50 per dozen…

Breeding pairs could bring in thousands, even culls will fetch around $100…

If you have an ordinary backyard flock, be thankful if you can beat your hard expenses, not including all your time.
 
(Money comes from not having chickens... :))
X2!!

As in real estate: location, location, location. In general, hatching eggs often fetch the best prices for your work. I would suggest keeping only a few breeds, otherwise you can't work on the quality of your birds nearly as well and you will find people unhappy with your stock. I've spent at least 8k (at a minimum) on my birds and made... well.. I don't want to know. Maybe $30 from bird sales, and $100 to $300 from eggs? To be fair, I could break even if I sold eggs instead of eating them all myself. 3 dozen duck eggs sold per week could keep my feed bill paid.
 
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I think you will find selling extra eggs at market value, a bit underwhelming.

My flock is strictly a hobby. I don't sell anything.

That said, my research leads me to believe the best way to make money with my hobby would be to have a flock of decisively desirable, and or rare, unusual birds.

My suggestion… Ayam Cemani.

Selling fertile eggs to other hobbyists at $50 per dozen…

Breeding pairs could bring in thousands, even culls will fetch around $100…

If you have an ordinary backyard flock, be thankful if you can beat your hard expenses, not including all your time.
Unless you live where I do, in which case you can't sell a Svarthona rooster for thirty bucks. :duc I put $20 into him for feed alone. I think I need to go peddle my birds in silicon valley or something.
 
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As for broodies vs incubators: I think the latter is more economical if you're looking to get the most bang for your buck. Say the hen, not being a high production breed, lays an average of 4 eggs a week. She stops laying for at least 3 months to be a mom. That's $16 worth of possible income—if you sell eggs at $4 a dozen—down the drain. Multiply that by however many broodies you would need and that pays for a lot of incubator electricity. Just a thought on the matter—broodies are still probably the best way to raise chicks, though.
 
Unless you are planning on only selling locally, don't forget to figure in NPIP certification and testing costs.

I only sell locally and I cover my feed costs and that is all. Of course, I don't sell any eggs. I give them away when I am not hatching them. Day old chicks, poults and keets bring the best return because I have the least amount of feed and electric costs in them. I cannot get a high enough return to even break even on ones that I have to grow out due to the amount of feed consumed.
 
Thanks for the input y’all! I live in rural Arkansas so I don’t think there will be a market for extra fancy/expensive birds. People around here just want “farm chickens.” I was considering focusing on one of my slightly more expensive breeds like the jubilee orpingtons (chicks here go for around $15) or silkie or blue CM chicks ($6 locally). And selling them for a little less than most people do around here. That way I figure I’d do a little better than just selling barnyard mixed, but people would actually buy them. What do y’all think about that idea?

And thanks BantyChooks for the hen/incubator suggestion. I think I’ll take advantage of a broody hen when I have one (just because it’s less work on my part, and they’re so darn cute!) but mostly rely on the Bator.
 

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