Would like to start raising poultry for profit

[BigBlueHen53]

I'm mostly shooting for $1000 year profit. Do you think breeding or meat would be most profitable? With my current which is the size of yours. I break even on their feed and that's it.

How do you break even on their feed? Are you selling eggs already? How much are you feeding them and how much are you selling the eggs for? If you decide to go organic, compare the cost of organic feed with regular feed, it's much more expensive.

 

[BillJoeseph]

How do you break even on their feed? Are you selling eggs already? How much are you feeding them and how much are you selling the eggs for? If you decide to go organic, compare the cost of organic feed with regular feed, it's much more expensive.

I'm already selling eggs. At $13 dozen. I sell 2 dozen a week and my hens go through a bag a week that is $17. I'm making a $6 profit. Which goes to a bag of treats a week.

 

[BillJoeseph]

If you already work 12 hrs a day with you job, how will you find the time for any larger operation.... especially if your solo?
Doing anything on a larger scale will require WAY more time to put into action.

I'm more or less talking about 100-200 birds.

 

[BillJoeseph]

Meat birds: CX or ranger type? Does your market want large and familiar (CX) or meaty but more “heritage” like (not all breast like a CX)?

another thought: duck eggs. Often prized for their superior performance in baking. Also larger than chicken eggs, I think. Might have a niche market? I don’t raise ducks so I don’t know their lay rate or anything about that.

Another possible niche- Quail: quick growth, many eggs.

I think Ranger type. Yeah, I do like the idea of selling duck eggs. Ill have to look around for a market.

 

[chickengr]

I'm planning on making 6 or so mini hoop houses for selling hatching eggs or to at least grow my flock. Thinking of doing Turkeys. Because a lot of people want only 2-3 hatching eggs. Most hatcheries have quite a large minimum. Or doing pasture-raised meat birds. What do you think?

what about pasture-raised turkeys? with 7 acres grass you wouldn't need to spend a lot of money for their feed. hatching eggs would be a good idea, no broodies, no incubator, no brooder - very easy if you want to do it part time.

muscovie ducks or geese would be another option. any animal that feed on grass would be good.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

CA. I want to raise all year. Which do you think Breeding, meat or eggs is more lucrative. I will call them.

Hi there.. let me share with you my take..

Get the right breed(s), select hard for quality and sell chicks and hatching eggs.. locally until you get NPIP certified and can legally ship across state lines. Meanwhile building your local reputation.. just word of mouth can go pretty far when you're doing something right!

I'm in California also..
I can sell Silkie chicks ALL day long as fast as I can hatch them for $10-15 EACH.. and hatching eggs sell EASILY for $65/dozen PLUS shipping.

You might have a secondary market for your grow out cockerel cull as meat..

Eating eggs.. leave that to big chicken.. too much competition without much room for profit.

Looks at the website for Feather lover farms.. see how they select only high dollar breeds.. Well, they also are scammers.. good luck getting what you order or a refund.. but you can get the idea! Don't go with all Greenfire breeds.. they're a bit over rated.. but identify what might be popular in YOUR location..

Couple that are easy to sell it seems.. Silkies, Marans, Lav Orps, cream Legbar.

For ME.. strictly as a hobbyist.. it was key to work with breeds I love.

Decide if you would vaccinate YOUR breeding stock against Marek's so you never realize the disease is at your place as much as anywhere else.. and will you offer the chicks as vaccinated or only un-vaccinated? For me.. vaccinated birds NOT welcome here to HIDE the disease and I don't offer vaccinated chicks either.. I actively breed for resistance and consider it part of my quality control program.. maybe even ONE of MY personal LINE qualities.. selling eggs, chicks, mature birds that have SHOWN and proven a natural resistance to disease including Marek's.

I'm still at page one.. sorry for anything that's not relevant or already been answered.

Best wishes on your adventure!

 

[hysop]

How many chickens do you have now?

When I went from 20 to 50 I learned real quick that in order to keep them healthy they required a lot of work.

Needless to say I cut down back to 20 and I’m happy with the workload.

You seem to be doing well with selling chicken eggs. I would stick with that, but if you’re breaking even then I guess you’d need something more.

I like what someone suggested on selling point of lay pullets.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I'm already selling eggs. At $13 dozen. I sell 2 dozen a week and my hens go through a bag a week that is $17. I'm making a $6 profit. Which goes to a bag of treats a week.

You are selling eggs at THIRTEEN DOLLARS A DOZEN??? Are you selling to the same customers each week or to different ones? Are eggs really going for that much in your area? That is amazing. That is over a dollar an egg. Wish I could get that much for my eggs!

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I think if you can breed a rare or at least uncommon dual-purpose breed you’d make the most money, which likely won’t be much as others have said.
But in that way you’re checking all of your boxes: you can breed for profit, you’re offering a unique breed, the breed is a good layer but could be used as meat. For yourself you could sell the byproduct males as meat depending on local and state laws, sell straight run chicks OT point of lay pullets, sell hatching eggs, And/or sell eggs to eat. There are plenty of unique dual purpose chickens. i think you should factor in feed costs to plan to have enough chickens being raised/bought/sold to warrant buying feed in bulk which would lower costs. Also get npip certified.

 

[SulkyBantam]

Yeah gosh. Its a couple euros ('bout the same as a dollar) here!