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

[BantyChooks]

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.

That's about what I do. If anyone doesn't think a hen with chicks is the cutest thing ever, they're lying or stone hearted.

 

[Birdinhand]

there's no money in it for me, I do it for a hobby but I do pay some attention to returns. I buy mostly organic when it comes to food for the family or at least try and support humane producers. for comparison my cheapest source of organic eggs is costco at $3.50 a dozen but my eggs are more comparable in quality to farmers market $6-8/dozen. I have not recently done the numbers but I beat costco prices as far as cost of feed goes and it adds up for a family of 4, I'm probably producing somewhere around 1,500 eggs a year with my flock of 6. we'd be paying a lot more $ if were weren't growing some of our own food. the eggs are probably the most consistent return for the effort. I also grow out about 70 meat birds a year, or roughly 350 lbs of meat, I've got that down to around $2 a lb when I take all expenses into account for organic feed. I figure my quality is comparable to farmers market which is more like $5-6lb. If I tried to value my time my pay back per hour of input would not look good except that I take a lot of pride in growing food for my family and I think my kids get a lot out of knowing where there food comes from.

 

[Mamma Hen Hanna]

also grow out about 70 meat birds a year, or roughly 350 lbs of meat, I've got that down to around $2 a lb when I take all expenses into account for organic feed. I figure my quality is comparable to farmers market which is more like $5-6lb. If I tried to value my time my pay back per hour of input would not look good except that I take a lot of pride in growing food for my family and I think my kids get a lot out of knowing where there food comes from.

Not to go off of a different tangent here, but could you elaborate on you feeder bird plan please BirdinHand? We are a family of 6 and feel the same way about the sources of our food. Sounds like you’ve got most of the kinks worked out if you can do it for $2 a pound. What breed, slaughter time, etc? I’m interested!

 

[Birdinhand]

Not to go off of a different tangent here, but could you elaborate on you feeder bird plan please BirdinHand? We are a family of 6 and feel the same way about the sources of our food. Sounds like you’ve got most of the kinks worked out if you can do it for $2 a pound. What breed, slaughter time, etc? I’m interested!

for some reason, the threads in the meat bird section don't show up in the "new Posts" feed. here is a link to my thread on the subject that methodically spells out what I have learned. it's an ongoing learning process for me: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ons-of-suburban-meat-bird-production.1115689/

I use a starter for about the first 10 days, CHS payback organic feed for the grow out, harvest at 8-9 weeks, I go with the Cornish Cross strain called COBB 500 (most lively I've found), I use a yard bird chicken plucker which goes on sale at tractor supply on line periodically, it's cheaper than building your own.

 

[wcbpolish]

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! /QUOTE]


As in real estate: location, location, location.

• Diversify and see what works in your area. But don't do something just for the money- you have to like the breeds you choose too!
• Try to track your expenses/incomes to see where you are making it work
• Try to work all the angles
• For me, white eggs don't sell, brown do. I keep polish... they lay white eggs :-(
  • So... I keep a few brown egg hens around that I like... but they are a "side item" and I don't invest anything special into them. They are also supposed to be my broody hens
• For me, duck eggs sell well, and for a good price, if I take them to the local population center. Luckily enough, I work in the city, so I commute to my buyers daily. I'd get $3 a dozen selling them out my door, but I get $5 a dozen in the city
• Sell hatching eggs. I sell my "hatching eggs" locally at 2x the price I sell my eating eggs. Same eggs, just not washed.
  
• When I have too many eggs, I hatch them and try to sell chicks. Sometimes this works great, sometimes I end up feeding too many chicks (like right now). But I am willing to butcher, so they don't go to waste. I also use my culls to supplement our dog and cat food. Dogs get extra meat (cooked in crock pot with extra carrots from garden) and cats get carcasses - they eat them bones and all.
• When I have REALLY too many eggs, I scramble them up and feed them back to the birds to save on feed
• Don't raise extra roosters. Turn them into meat as soon as you can tell they are boys. Not everyone can do this. But if they are eating food, you are eating the cost, and you only need a few boys around. Save the best, eat the rest, and if they are too small to eat... find someone who will (barn cats, someone who has a monitor lizard/predatory pet, bird of prey rehab center
  • I don't sell meat. I'm not proficient enough at butchering for that, and I think you might need inspections, etc.
  • Some ethnic groups have different preferences. At a local sale, there is a family who buys all roosters that are below $5 and are young. No questions asked. They eat them.
  • Muslim families might want them live to butcher themselves (halal/kosher rules to follow).
  • Give them away if you have to. But recognize that if you are giving birds away, that might cut into your buying customers. Weigh that out.
• Someone locally "rents out" incubator space. I'm not sure what the stipulations are, but he has big incubators and hatches eggs for people. If you have a big incubator and are not paranoid about bringing an egg-born disease onto your property, something to consider

For myself last year:

• I "lost" $250 on birds, but I built a lot of new infrastructure/pens
  • not counting hidden expenses like electric
• My ducks were an earner SO I AM HATCHING AND KEEPING A FEW MORE FEMALES THIS SEASON
• Turkeys were a losing venture (ended up raising more than I wanted because they did not sell) :-( SO I AM HATCHING LESS THIS YEAR
• Chickens were a break even or slight earner
  • Brown eggs were an earner
  • White eggs were a break even or loser
  • Changing nothing this season except to hatch a few extra "brown eggers"
• Guineas were a break even or slight earner No change needed
• Geese were a break even (because I bought new goslings, but I should not ever have to do that again, as I am now happy with flock size) No change needed

 

[Mamma Hen Hanna]

Wow! So much good info! Thanks y’all!

 

[Foster's Freehold]

While I am working on getting the chicken I want by breeding, I am also working on additional income because raising the chicks to cull age for breeder choosing is gonna cost feed.

I'll be selling eggs, chicks, hatching eggs and compost. I'm building a hoop coop with solid 2 ft sides, attached to the main coop. Chickens will have a free hand to go and come on bad days. Gives a bit more room during bad weather. But, it also gives me a closed compost system. Put compostables in one end, let the chooks work it over, move that pile down a bit. Put fresh in one end. They will turn and work it, I'll just have to add and move it down the length. Fresh compost should come out the other end. Age it three months because of fresh poo, bag it up and take it to the swap meet and farmer's market. It should help cover chick feed cost. Well, I hope lol.

 

[Mamma Hen Hanna]

How ironic... I’m in the process of building a hoop coop too! Spent all day yesterday on it and got a bad sunburn! I hadn’t thought of the compost idea though... good idea making the chickens do the work! I like it!

 

[aart]

Try to track your expenses/incomes to see where you are making it work

This!^^^
But don't just 'try'....do it!
Write down every single penny you spend and every single penny you collect.
I use a spreadsheet file to record all data and other info/notes.
Then I can rearrange data and maybe create new sheets set up to do the calculations for ongoing and annual reviews.

 

[wcbpolish]

This!^^^
But don't just 'try'....do it!
Write down every single penny you spend and every single penny you collect.
I use a spreadsheet file to record all data and other info/notes.
Then I can rearrange data and maybe create new sheets set up to do the calculations for ongoing and annual reviews.

My issue is that I scoop all the feed out of the same bucket... and even keep some birds in the same pen. How do I tease out how much food the turkeys are eating vs. the chickens vs. the guinea fowl when they all run in the same pen for part of the season?
But I agree, the better your records, the more you will be able to track.