why I come out ahead

[rhoda_bruce]

Very good follow ups. I wasn't lucky enough to ever get a recycled building, but I did 'inherit' a few items over the years. I had thought of using a 2 gallon bleach bottle for a killing cone and purchased 2 of them, instructing my family not to throw them out and gave my reason, but I think one of them did disappear, leaving me with one. I hang my chickens by the feet, but would like to try using the cones, because my current way is messy, because of a flapping, moving bird.
There is so much more I want to do, but I would have to either have to clean my house for a garage sale, sell my riding lawnmower (which I almost don't need now), or go to work as a nurse (my feet hurt), to pay for it. I have a lot of yard I could utilize as coops/runs. I would rather look at my property as potential food rather than a liability. One day.

 

[Mrs. K]

7. Find out where you can obtain your grains in bulk. You will never be able to make the profits with feed from a feed store that you could make if you were able to purchase from a more direct source. This means an occasional road trip and large bins for food storage. (I personally but 700LBs at a time).

What is your recipe for this? What kinds of grains, what proportion do you mix them? I have read here that scratch is not sufficient feed. Although, right now, mine are eating so much grasshoppers, I am wondering if it would not be?

MrsK​

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I suppose I would have to admit that my recipe varies according to what is available. I once was only able to buy corn, but fortunately my RIRs and geese can eat corn, so I just supplemented with table scraps, dogfood and freedom.
Currently I have a mixture of corn, soybean, milet, wheat and rice. We dump a sack of this and a sack of that and then mix it with an oar. We save everything in a 96 gallon garbage bin, we indulged in, plus a few 50gal drums we happened to have around the place.
a 70dollar investment in grain will last me 7 to 8 weeks for about 80 birds, half of which are already laying, but molting. The other half is about to start laying. I was getting about 40 to 47 eggs a day, before the molt and I should exceed that very soon when my young pullets are all in full gear, but even not.......I would get at least 3 dozen eggs a day, which would sell for 3 dollars each, unless I bartered. We are looking at over 400 dollars in egg money for 49 days for a 70 dollar investment, plus a bit of work here and there, minus a few BBQ chickens and fried eggs in my house. Even though most have been molting, I am still picking up between a dozen to 17 or so eggs and I'm starting to see some very tiny eggs, meaning some of my earlybird pullets are going to start paying their way too.
I am super tired and have an crampy back, because I just tended to 9 young roos. I sometimes forget to subtract the amount of feed that goes to the birds after I put some in the fridge.
There is one more thing I do from time to time, when I can and it will sound disgusting to some of you, but when I have had coon problems in the past, I would use my problem to suppliment my diet. They are really good served over rice with a few sweetpotatoes browned in the pot with a side of mustard greens. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. But I haven't had a problem this go round with chickens. DH made a really good coop.

 

[savingdogs]

What a great thread, so many new ideas! Briteday I have plans for the future that sound a lot like what you are doing now! So great to find this thread.

My chickens are self supporting at this point with egg sales. We do free range them when we are home and they have a large pen and we have a lot of bugs, living in somewhat of a rain forest type area. So in the summer at least and for most of the spring and fall we are coming out ahead simply because we are not going through much food and we are selling the eggs at three a dozen. Co-workers and neighbors buy them so there is no added expense involved in marketing them, people return the cartons to me.

Some of them we are not selling but rather using as gifts. They are always extremely well recieved as presents, housewarming, etc. I cannot remember when I have brought someone a gift valued at three dollars that brought so much interest, praise, and requests for more! Usually I have had to spend much more than three dollars to buy anything resembling a gift. Sometimes I get real generous and give folks an 18 pack or two dozen! And since they are so good, they really are something special. For a special occasion, I do a little artwork on the carton.

I also always bring deviled eggs to pot luck affairs and this is always a huge hit. I always giggle when people ask for the recipe because I make them very plain, I just use fresh eggs. This is where I generated my first egg sales, giving away deviled eggs.

Both gifts and pot luck supplies could have cost a lot more than a bag of Layena. This on top of eating more eggs than we can possibly imagine we ever would.
We have found, alas, that we simply are not hungry for chicken whenever one of our own is on the table. I hope to use Craigs list to get rid of extra cockerels. If someone else eats them I am okay. I just can't eat one I knew.

Another thing I love about chickens is how they adore any of the meals I make even if they are three days old or didn't come out just right. Therapy for the bad cook's soul. Recoup of wasted money.

But we did not spend a lot of money assembling our coop or flock so we are feeling very much like our chickens not only support themselves but save us money. Making money is a little different thing.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I also used to have problems eating my birds, but I got over it. In the days when I still did things like I had been raised......scalding the birds, I was always disgusted by the smell and couldn't bring myself to eat chicken for a few days and when I would thaw out the chicken, I would imagine that the smell came back to me. But I only dry pluck or skin now. Plus I find that my chickens are truly more tender if I hurry through and clean them, and keep them in the fridge a few days. They loosen up (muscles).
I did have a slow start getting my egg sales going, but I refused to go down to grocery store prices and in the end, I did get enough customers to eat my eggs on a regular basis.
One of my neighbors were throwing away some treated fence boards. I couldn't believe it. I asked why she was throwing them away and she said it is because they were rotten. She told me I could have them, but she didn't see what I would do with them, because they were no good......treated boards, mind you. So I sent the boys to fetch them with a few dozen eggs. She probably still can't believe it. Oh well, I used the rotten boards to make a couple of chicken tractors with. I keep my special projects away from my RIRs as much as I can.
Apparently I have a few cross breeds because before the separation, I did 2 big hatches and I have what would seem to be some RIR pullets, with no rumps. I don't know what or where to put those. Bet the eggs will be green. I'll know real soon.

 

[kidsnchicks]

Wow, there are some really great ideas on this thread! I may never make a profit from my birds but we mostly got them to cover eggs for ourselves and my kids for 4H, but all the little tips help and I may at some point be able to expand! lol

 

[rhoda_bruce]

If you think and execute it carefully, you should be able to expand. Don't let anyone fool you. It is possible to make a profit out of chickens, rather for eggs or meat. If not, then I'm a miracle worker.

 

[nop169]

My flocks also pay for themselves but I think you have to include more than feed & coop & stock prices. I use 10 x 10 dog kennels for coops - I think I paid $75.00 each for the used kennels - and they were not damaged. I like to use them because I move my flocks every 4 days or so onto fresh grass. Saves money in feed, negats the whole vermin issue (both mites & rats) by having minimal wood & no hiding places as the nests/feeder are all either hanging or attached to the side & I can move these by myself. I also keep a flock of about 12 pomeranian geese & currently about 45 muscovy ducks of all ages along with 17 guineas - all who free range the 24 acres. I do supplement feed these daily to keep them coming up for a head count daily. I use these guys for grass cutting in the yard - the geese & ducks are great keeping the grass "manicured" around the house & garden & poultry yards - honestly it looks mowed - not ragged & they only occaisionally get into the flower beds. The muscovies eat bugs & mosquitoes & the guineas keep fleas, ticks & fire ants under control. Seriously here in the south the insects are a big problem but thanks to the poultry I do not have to spray or broadcast (which is my choice - we live as organically as possible). I also only have to treat the dogs for fleas about 3 times per year when we have "surges". 7 dogs and only battle fleas at times in July & August. So I think you also have to add in the perceived cost of bug control that most people pay & the cost of flea control (we use Vectra 3d about $12.00 per dose) that we would have to use monthly for most of the year rather than only in July & August (and yes the dogs are all indoor/outdoor so we NOTICE the flea issues daily). I also sell chicks, hens, ducklings, ducks geese & turkeys yearly - not on a huge scale but usually about 50 to 100 chickens per year & a dozen or so geese & as many as 40 ducks. Not every year - not always for the best prices - just enough to keep my numbers where I want them but also to enjoy raising poultry yearly. The muscovies & geese are easiest as I always have a market for goslings & ducklings or pond poultry & since they are mother raised it costs me little. As for eggs - we have plenty but give them to neighbors & friends rather than selling (like the family with 10 adopted children down the road) - it is a southern thing of showing hospitality & not letting someone leave without eggs or garden produce.
So when I add it all up - time saved, pros of natural insect control & enjoyment - plus the money made yearly on sales - yeah mine pay for themselves & then some.

 

[kidsnchicks]

I think we are pretty much at capacity where we currently live, but a lot of things I didn't think about were listed and gave me ideas. We are hopeing to move and I will have more room and with a lot of ideas from here I can stream-line so to speak right from the begining! Lol, I almost can't wait to mow my yard, I have a bagger for 1 of the mowers, don't know why I didn't thik of it!

 

[nanawendy]

Nice info... Thank You... One thing we do besides much of what has been mentioned, is ... our neighbors cut hay for their 11 Pursuron (sp) horses. I rake up the excess after they bale and put in the barn. They drop a lot so I keep several old barrels to put about 6 mos worth in. I put it in the run for the rainy season and just for fun. The girls love to scratch around in it.