Posted: 3/14/2008 12:17:55 PM EDT
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I'm thinking of building a chicken tractor for about eight birds....for eggs and the occassional roaster. I'm wondering if its worthwhile to go this route, considering the price of things at the supermarket, if I take into consideration the cost of feed etc.? I've never rasied a few chickens, just wondering if its worthwhile to raise some egg layers, if so, does anyone have a favorite breed? |
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here's a link to the same discussion we had here a day or so ago. link |
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And from the weekend: www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=10&f=17&t=610052 |
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Is it worthwhile on a purrely cost basis? No. Not even close. Figure $2.50 each for chicks, $30 for a water fount, $30 for a feeder, $20 for a heat lamp, $20 for chick gorw mash. Add $50-100 for the tractor. You are now in for about $150-200 and you have not seen an egg yet. Feed 'em for 4-5 months before you see an egg. Keep feeding them while they lay, and you get (depending on breed) 40 eggs a week for those 8 birds. They lay for several months and then moult. The end result is relatively expensive eggs. Its cheaper to buy them, for $1.50 a dozen at the supermarket. On an economic basis it is not worthwhile. However its fun. And the eggs are amazingly fresh and very high quality. It provides some independence and self reliance. If eggs are unavailable or increase in price the home raised egg can become viable. I have kep layers for four or five years now. I used to order too many birds, meaning too much feed and too much chicken shit. I am now happy with three to four birds. Egg laying capacity depends on the breed. I have kept Buff orpingtons and they are a nice sedate quiet bird with good cold hardiness (important here at -40). With artificial light they lay right through winter. four birds gives me about 3 eggs a day. I am trying birds that supposedly have a better egg laying rate. I'm ording wyandottes, rocks, and delawares (each with an expecte ave of about 4-5 eggs a week vs a little less for teh buff orps). Gold comets/red stars are a better layer yet but are not quite hardy enough for my climate. I don;t care what the books say these barnyard dual purpose breeds are NOT dual purpose. THese layers are scrawny and have lousy food to meat conversion. I've plucked a couple and won't bother again. Even a full sized, fully mature 16 month old Buff Orpington is all damned feathers and bone. If you want meat, you need cornish cross. a White, fast growing, psychotic bir bred for one reason: To convert food to meat, and do so fast. They grow quick, put on a lot of meat. Mixing them with layers isn;t a great idea, Expect larger losses with these damned birds. There are some intangible benefits. Chicken shit , once composted, is good high nitrogen fertilizer. I will also be using a chicken tractor over my garden to utilize the 'free weeding' characteristics before planting this year.) Do I save money raising and keeping layers? Nope. But I still do it every year.... |
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frozenny, you guys stuff is twice what it cost down south. I pay $10 for a 50lb bag of feed and the waterer and feed bins are way cheaper. Build your own tractor for less than half of a store bought one. I built a 900 sqft chicken yard including the chicken house for less than $150 bucks. Brown eggs bring $2 a dozen here. |
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Yea, that pricing seems a bit high. 3-5 birds is the right cost to benefit ratio for a single family. I have 5, and they really don't cost that much to run. A 50# bag of layer feed is $12.50 here and that's a 2 month supply for 5 birds. I've averaged 4 eggs a day through the winter, thats 28 a week, or lets say about 2 dozen a week. That's 8 dozen eggs a month. I let them free range the backyard during the day, so they get worms and bugs and grass as well as all the table scraps. A dozen free range eggs around here goes for $3.5 and up. At 8 dozen a month and $3.50 a dozen, that's $28.00 a month in eggs... All for about $7 in feed. But there are other reasons. In SHTF, they could free range and eat table scraps and provide eggs for eating or barter. They remove my need to cut the grass in the back yard, and they provide a serious input to the garden compost. If you are careful, the benefits way outweigh any costs. Stuff like waterers and feeders are long term investments, and so is building a decent coup and run. But once done, it's just one more feather in your quill of preparedness and a lot of fun too. They are a blast to watch, though I still can't figure out why? |
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Being a scrounger, I rarely spend much on ANYTHING! Wood, wire,etc Have had chickens for most of my life. NOTHING beats a fresh egg. Around here, eggs are $2 dozen, and were only $1 until the last year or two.(Lots of folks selling,so price is low) Asd far as meat birds,cheaper to buy on sale. Used to always get 25-100 Cornish Rock crosses every year, but with the cost of the chicks,feed,and effort, cheaper to buy chicken on sale. But everyone ought to do it a time or two. I usually whack my layers after their second year, and nowadays just breast them out and pop the legs/thighs thru.(same as a with a goose) Only takes a few seconds and you're still getting 90% of the edible meat. Rabbits are the answer, no matter what the question! |