Does Elevating Chickens Save Cash? (Ought to You Do It??)

My spouse loves the concept of being sustainable (and wholesome). Chickens have been the dialog as of late… “What if the economic system imploded and there have been instantly no jobs out there? What if the greenback instantly turned nugatory? How would we purchase something? What would we eat?” Right here we go – chickens to the rescue! 😉 Critically although…In all of this, my predominant query is, “Does elevating chickens lower your expenses?” Is it truly well worth the problem of getting chickens on our property? I’m not satisfied, however I figured I ought to no less than do the mathematics earlier than I upset my partner after which additionally notice that I value myself a bunch of cash by not investing in chickens.

Are you questioning the identical factor?

Will having chickens truly prevent cash?

Let’s determine this out collectively.

Both I’m going to arm you with info so you’ll be able to evade these feathered fiends from coming into your property…or I’d simply discover out that proudly owning chickens will prevent tons of cash! (If that is so and you actually simply hate the concept of getting chickens, I offer you permission to clear your Web historical past, get rid of this web page, and simply faux like this submit by no means existed! I gained’t blame you, and my emotions gained’t be damage, don’t fear! Lol! :))

However we’d higher get to it. Let’s work out the prices of chickens, the ways in which chickens will prevent cash, and stroll by way of some other advantages proudly owning chickens may need on you and your property.

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Is It a Lot of Work to Elevate Chickens?

I’m at the moment studying an article put collectively by TheHappyChickenCoop.com, and I’m actually getting wired with all of the issues it is best to learn about chickens:

• Hen coops can value $200+, and also you seemingly want an even bigger coop than you suppose (ie. extra pricey as properly!)
• Chickens can get sick and require a separate area to roam
• In the event that they get sick, they’ll seemingly want drugs as properly
• Chickens will entice mice and plenty of predators (possums, racoons, hawks, coyotes, and so forth.)
• Chickens are cussed and can usually escape
• They could must be groomed
• Chickens get larger than you suppose and poop greater than you suppose
• There’s starter feed, grower feed, and layer feed…relying on the age of your chickens
• And, there are like 40 different belongings you may wish to know, YIKES!

So, is it loads of work to lift chickens?

It takes a bit of labor to begin (you’ll want a coop and a fenced in space), and you then’ll want to verify your birds are protected. And, you’ll in fact must feed them twice a day. Past this although, you actually simply want to depart your chickens alone. Don’t crowd them and so they’ll do exactly wonderful. (At the least…that is what I do know from my quarter-hour of analysis up to now. Don’t take into account me the professional but! Perhaps by the top of this text…however not but! ;))

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Is It Cheaper to Elevate Your Personal Chickens?

Let’s simply discuss hen feed and the associated fee advantage of the eggs for a second. Between simply the easy variable of feeding chickens vs. what you save by not having to purchase eggs anymore, is it cheaper to lift your personal chickens?

The price of hen feed per thirty days

In accordance with MrAnimalFarm.com, it prices between $0.07 and $0.15 to feed a single hen per day. For easy math, let’s simply say it prices $0.10 per hen per day. That’s simply $0.70 per week.

What number of eggs can one hen lay per day?

Does elevating chickens lower your expenses?

To determine this out, we have to hold digging into this math equation…

Now that we all know how a lot it prices to feed a hen every week, the subsequent factor we have to know is what number of eggs we are able to get from every hen!

At their peak, chickens can lay one egg per day. On common although, chickens lay roughly 100 eggs a 12 months, which is one egg each 3 days. So, we’ll say roughly 2 eggs per week.

Is it cheaper to lift your personal chickens? Or simply purchase eggs from the shop?

If I pop over to our native Aldi proper now, I should purchase eggs for roughly $2.50 per dozen. That’s simply 21 cents per egg.

If one hen prices $0.10 a day to feed and that hen produces only one egg each 3 days. That egg is costing you $0.30.

So, with out factoring in the price of a coop or medical care to your chickens, it’s already extra pricey to have chickens for egg laying vs. simply sauntering over to the shop and grabbing just a few cartons for the week.

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Is It Financially Helpful to Elevate Chickens For Eggs?

Alright, we simply discovered that it prices extra to feed a hen than it does to simply purchase hen eggs from the shop. However…I didn’t actually host a good battle right here. 

For all of you which might be at the moment yelling at your telephones or laptop computer screens, you’ll be able to cease. It’s time to think about the price of free-range natural eggs (not a budget white eggs that had been a part of my cost-comparison above). In any case, that’s most likely why you’re contemplating shopping for a bunch of chickens anyway – so you’ll be able to feed your self and your loved ones with healthful meals, and doubtlessly at a decrease value.

So, what’s the price of natural free vary eggs? 

Primarily based on my semi-consistent runs to the grocery store, these eggs can usually value you $6 per dozen.

Figuring out this, is it financially helpful to lift chickens for eggs?

Does elevating chickens lower your expenses…?

For a $6 carton of a dozen eggs, the associated fee per egg is $0.50. And keep in mind the price of hen feed per egg in case you do all of it your self? $0.30 per egg.

Aha…that is instantly getting fascinating! With this calculation, you’re beginning to save cash together with your new homesteader life-style!

Nonetheless, we do nonetheless must consider the price of the coop and the medical wants of your chickens. If we take into account these prices, does elevating chickens lower your expenses in any respect? What number of years does it take to interrupt even elevating chickens for eggs?

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Is It Cheaper to Elevate Your Personal Chickens?

Does elevating chickens lower your expenses? Is it cheaper to lift your personal chickens vs. simply getting a dozen eggs from the shop each week?

First, we have to issue within the preliminary fastened value — the hen coop. 

Then, we have to issue within the variable prices — hen feed and medical wants.

From there, we are able to precisely estimate if elevating chickens will truly prevent cash. And, in the event that they do, we are able to forecast how lengthy it’ll truly take to breakeven on that preliminary value of the hen coop.

The Value of a Hen Coop

Let’s say you’re seeking to get roughly 10 egg-laying hens. You’re going to wish a reasonably sizable hen coop and run. In accordance with Dwelling Advisor, the common value of a hen coop is $650, and you then nonetheless want a run. All-in, you’ll be able to fairly simply spend $1,000 on a home to your chickens. Actually, you’ll be able to spend much more, however let’s say you discover a cut price and you may restrict it to simply $1,000.

And keep in mind, if you need extra chickens, you’re going to need to spend extra on the pen.

Vet Prices for Chickens

What about vet prices? Have you ever even thought-about this? I wouldn’t have, however apparently it could possibly value $100 to nurse a sick hen again to well being! Let’s simply assume that your flock wants a kind of vet visits per 12 months, which implies $100 for yearly you may have these egg-laying beauties.

The Value of Hen Feed Per Egg Produced

And, keep in mind the price of feed? We found that it prices roughly $0.10 to feed one hen per day, and {that a} single hen produces roughly 1 egg each 3 days.

Which means every egg prices you roughly $0.30 when you think about solely the feed. That is roughly $0.20 cheaper than the natural free-range brown eggs that you simply purchase on the retailer.

• With 1 hen, you’ll get roughly 2.5 eggs per week
• With 10 chickens, you’ll get about 25 eggs per week
• At $0.20 saved per egg, you’ll save roughly $5 per week vs. the pricey eggs on the retailer
• That’s $260 in financial savings per 12 months!

How Lengthy Does It Take To Break Even With Chickens?

So what does this imply if you put all of it collectively?

Does elevating chickens lower your expenses?

It’s time to search out out!

• The preliminary value of the hen coop = $1,000
• Annual medical prices for the hens = $100
• Annual financial savings vs. the natural brown eggs on the retailer = -$260

Time for some algebra right here:

• $1,000 coop = ($160 financial savings) x (# years to interrupt even)
• $1,000/$160 = # years to interrupt even
• # years to interrupt even = 6.25 years

So, on common, it’ll take simply over 6 years to interrupt even on elevating chickens for eggs if in case you have 10 hens. After that, you’ll save roughly $160 a 12 months out of your at-home egg manufacturing middle. 🙂

Soooo…it’s positively not a slam-dunk determination to go for the chickens if you wish to lower your expenses. It’ll prevent nothing for six years, after which after that, the financial savings are actually nonetheless fairly minimal.

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How Many Chickens Do I Have to Make a Revenue?

What in case you wished to ramp up your financial savings with egg-laying chickens? Effectively, you’d want extra chickens in fact!

Let’s say that as an alternative of 10 hens, you get 50. Positive, you’ll want a bigger coop and hen run, however your annual financial savings can be a lot larger!

• With 50 hens, you’d most likely must spend $3,000 on hen housing
• Additionally, these hens would value you roughly $500 a 12 months in vet prices
• The financial savings on eggs would nonetheless be $260 a 12 months
• BUT, you’d be capable of promote the surplus eggs at say $0.30 an egg…which equates to $1,560 a 12 months

NOW this math is definitely beginning to work in your favor! Primarily based on the above numbers, you’ll be capable of breakeven in your hen investments in simply 2 years. AND, after that, you’d save/earn roughly $1,300 a 12 months in your hen operation! Not dangerous! 

(Spoiler alert – remember to hold studying to find the BEST strategy to make a revenue with chickens!)

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What are 3 Disadvantages of Elevating Yard Chickens?

Alright, so we found that there are some financial benefits of elevating yard chickens. There’s additionally the advantage of companionship together with your chickens, and the sense of accomplishment by having your personal egg-producing operation! However, are there disadvantages of elevating chickens? And in that case, what are they?

In accordance with the Yard Hen Venture, there are literally 7 downsides to elevating chickens. We’ll give attention to simply the highest 3 disadvantages of elevating yard chickens right here.

1. Chickens require loads of area
2. You may get connected and inadvertently multiply your flock
3. Chickens can outlive your different pets

Chickens Require a Lot of Area

In accordance with Meredith (the proprietor of the Yard Hen Venture), chickens want roughly 3 sq. ft a chunk, and that is solely if in case you have a hen run as properly (they would want extra space in case you don’t). So, in case your coop is 4 ft by 4 ft, that’s 16 sq. ft, which implies you shouldn’t have any greater than 5 chickens in that area.

You May Get Hooked up

The second drawback leads you proper again to drawback #1. 

Chickens have distinctive personalities. You’ll get connected to them.

• You may really feel unhappy as a result of one in every of them doesn’t have a good friend…so that you get extra.
• Your egg-laying hens may get too previous…so that you get youthful ones
• Perhaps they get sick…and also you then get caught with an enormous invoice

Getting connected often doesn’t make life simpler…or cheaper!

Chickens Can Outlive Your Different Pets

Guess how lengthy chickens can stay?

The common lifespan of a hen is 12 years!

So, in case you get began with just a few chicks at age 39, you’ll most likely nonetheless have them in your 50s! Whoa. That’s fairly a dedication, and could be a actual drawback if in case you have a giant life change in there.

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How Can I Make $1000 a Month From 15 Chickens?

It is a query that’s been popping up these days. I do not know the place it got here from, however let’s see if it’s in any respect doable to determine the best way to make $1000 a month from 15 chickens.

In case you have 15 chickens that every produce 2.5 eggs per week, that’s roughly 38 eggs per week in complete, or roughly 150 eggs per thirty days. 

On the most worth of $0.50 per egg, you’ll earn $75 a month… That’s not even near $1,000!

So is that this even doable? Are you able to make $1000 a month from 15 chickens?

What in case you purchased chicks to lift and promote for meat? Then may you earn $1000 from 15 chickens?

They name this elevating broilers, and it’s one of many quickest methods to earn an revenue from chickens.

• You get little new child chicks,
• you increase them for 8 weeks,
• and you then promote them for meat.

How a lot are you able to earn from elevating broiler chickens?

In accordance with The Free Vary Life, you’ll be able to count on to earn between $3-$5 per pound, which equates to roughly $15-$25 per fowl. 

For those who had 15 birds, you might make a max quantity of $375. It’s fast and pretty simple, nevertheless it’s nonetheless not $1000 a month. 

The Actual Method to Make $1000 a Month From 15 Chickens

Lisa from MuranoChickenFarm.com has our reply. She has been within the hen biz since 2008 and has stumbled upon the best possible strategy to earn a living with chickens.

• It’s not by promoting the eggs
• It’s not by promoting the meat
• As a substitute, you promote the chicks!

Lisa explains that it you may have two teams of hens (6-7 hens per group), every with a rooster, you’ll be able to produce roughly 65 eggs per week, or 260 eggs per thirty days. These eggs produce chicks and you may promote every chick for about $5. After which ta-da!! You earn your $1000 a month with 15 chickens.

It’s definitely not simple, nevertheless it seems that it IS doable!

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Does Elevating Chickens Save Cash? The Remaining Verdict!

My spouse impressed this text along with her curiosity in elevating broiler chickens to butcher. I’m not in love with the concept of elevating chickens to cut their heads off, so I hoped to find that egg-laying chickens had been the best way to go. However, I’m not so certain I landed there both. 

Right here’s a fast abstract of what we discovered on this submit. After which in fact the reply to the query: “Does elevating chickens lower your expenses?” 

• Elevating chickens takes a good quantity of planning, and fairly a little bit of up-front money for a coop, a hen run, and the chicks (seemingly $1,000+ to get began)
• It’s enjoyable to have chickens since every one has a character of their very own AND producing your personal eggs is kind of satisfying and rewarding as properly! However, there are pricey downsides as properly (medical payments, the urge to purchase extra, oh…and all of the poop).
• In case you have 10 egg laying hens, you might save $160 a 12 months, however it’ll take over 6 years to interrupt even in your preliminary $1,000 funding
• For those who increase chickens for meat, you might earn roughly $187 a month with 15 of them. That’s $375 over the course of 8 weeks.
• And, in case you increase chickens to supply and promote little chicks, you might earn $1,000 a month with simply 15 chickens!

That just about sums up this submit. 

So, in spite of everything that, can we positively say that elevating chickens saves cash? Or not? 

For those who’re simply shopping for chickens to be somewhat passion farmer (with say, 4-5 chickens), then no, it’s not going to save lots of you any cash. You’ll get the satisfaction of elevating chickens and consuming your home-grown eggs, however in case you’re simply trying on the financial advantage of chickens, you’re higher off going to the shop and shopping for your eggs there.

However, if in case you have a gaggle of fifty chickens or so, then sure, there’s cash to be saved AND earned! With an elevated amount of birds, your break-even timeframe is roughly 2 years as an alternative of 6!

So what do you have to do? Must you increase chickens to save cash?

My vote is not any. Not to save cash. BUT, if you wish to increase chickens for the expertise, for the self-sustainability, and maybe to show your youngsters about duty, then certain, get some chickens!

What is going to you do? Will you be shopping for any chickens within the close to future? Inform us within the feedback under!

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