Would like to start raising poultry for profit

[aart]

I'm already selling eggs. At $13 dozen.

You are selling eggs at THIRTEEN DOLLARS A DOZEN??? Are you selling to the same customers each week or to different ones?

Wondering if that $13 was a typo.....or just pure BS.

 

[SulkyBantam]

or just pure BS.

?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

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.

HUH?!!!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

The math is not adding up. $13 x 2= 26.
$26 - $17 = $9, not $6 profit.
I am very confused.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Wondering if that $13 was a typo.....or just pure BS.

I live in Redneckville PA and there’s some local “Amish” folks that sell soy-free free range eggs for around $10 a dozen. My good friend only buys from them. He says their chickens are more free range than mine

They sell other products too. Their prices make my butt pucker. I couldn’t imagine paying that much for food items that I can make and grow myself.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

No offense, but you are going to have to get much better at math and keeping books and records to run a profitable business.

 

[BillJoeseph]

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!

Thanks very much for your input

 

[BillJoeseph]

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.

I will be looking into that

 

[EggSighted4Life]

No offense, but you are going to have to get much better at math and keeping books and records to run a profitable business.

Maybe other costs are calculated in despite not being named.

 

[BillJoeseph]

Wondering if that $13 was a typo.....or just pure BS.

I do sell them at $13 a dozen. Mostly to neighbors. I let the buyer choose. It's always above $10 but sometimes up to 17.