Starting a business....

[joerogrz]

Slowly starting a business I should say. I ordered 25 Black Australorp chickens a few months ago and they arrived the first week of October. I don't know how well chicken farmers do, but I've got to try it. Since the job market leaves a lot to be desired and with the layoffs (I'm one of them) and such happening, I thought this could possibly be the right thing to do.

So far this investment has cost me very little, as compared to what you could spend to start up a different business. I'm hoping to sell eggs, broilers, hackle, or whatever eventually. Right now I'm sticking with eggs until I know I can do it. Actually I can't stick with eggs right now considering that they are only 8 weeks old. With the way people charge for eggs and chicken right now that are free-range or yard birds, I'm almost certain that I can do it cheaper.

I saw a man close to where I live recently sitting out in front of a store, selling chickens. I thought I would stop to take a look. When I first saw the chickens up close, I thought they looked scraggly, sick, and very unhappy. When I asked what he was charging for them, it was 10 bucks for a rooster and 11 bucks for a hen. These weren't rare breeds or show quality either. Rhode Island Reds, New Hampshire Reds, Barred Rocks, and some mutts.

Now I know a dressed chicken from a store doesn't cost that much. The Amish communities here charge about 10 bucks for a dressed chicken. What is this guy thinking?

Well, I guess I may be turning into a farmer because I am considering growing vegetables also. Why not? I already have fertilizer machines. You wouldn't think 25 chicks (actually it's 27, they sent some extras) could produce so much fertilizer, but they can.

Hopefully this will work out. I'm almost finished with my computer information systems degree, and I have a funny feeling it won't do me a bit of good.

[Marco]

Hey there Joerogrz,
"Chicken Farmer", just doesn't sound like the road to riches but who knows?. Sombody probably said that exact same thing to Mr. Tyson

Mark

[Gringo]

Hey good luck, I wish you well. We have had lots of chickens on the farm here until we gave up trying to keep the foxes at bay. The only advice I will offer is to watch what you spend on feed... I just noticed sometimes that the feed bills can get to be as much as the egg sales if you don't watch out.

[J Castwell]

Long story shortened. I like eating duck but not lead shot. Bought baby ducks. Made duck house and big pen with pond. Hatched new eggs they laid, in the house, then put out into the 'duck yard'. Fell in love with baby ducks; and in fact,,, all ducks. Couldn't kill any. Don't ask. ... (did trade some eggs for a ham,,,

[joerogrz]

Long story shortened. I like eating duck but not lead shot. Bought baby ducks. Made duck house and big pen with pond. Hatched new eggs they laid, in the house, then put out into the 'duck yard'. Fell in love with baby ducks; and in fact,,, all ducks. Couldn't kill any. Don't ask. ... (did trade some eggs for a ham,,,

Yea the chickens are cute when they're young and I may have a problem with that too. Until the roosters start attacking me. Then heads are gonna roll...

[Grubb]

Cool story JC ... My brother rases a chick or 2 every now and then, but just for the eggs, lets 'em out of the pin to run when hes out but other than that, they stay in the pin... Foxes get em if he don't. and dog's will get 'em too, and hawks...

[rainbowchaser]

My dad raised chickens for a while after he had to quit working from too many back surgeries. Most of the money came from butchering the birds which went for about twice what he got for a live one. I helped him butcher the first batch of one hundred by hand and then lent him enough money to buy a plucker. Neither of us could do anything the next day and I had a real rough couple of days at work before my wrist recovered. We butchered every Saturday all summer (1400 birds altogether). After he paid for building the cages, feed, chicks, and the plucker there was enough left for one trip to Idaho. We figured it paid about thirty cents an hour for feeding, watering, cleaning cages and butchering. We didn't fish together all that year because someone had to stay home and fill the water cans twice a day. The next year he did just one batch of 100 for ourselves and a few friends in the cages he all ready had. We tried the free range thing with those but the 'coons, 'possums, foxes, and coyotes were cutting the flock at an alarming rate so the remainder went in the cages. Good Luck Joe! you may need it!

[Ray]

Unless you raising chickens by the 1000's your wasting your time. You won't make enough selling 2 dozen eggs a day to buy feed. Your hens will produce 5 eggs a week. Even if you have 24 hens and 1 rooster you can produce 10 dozen eggs a week, at $1 a dozen you stand to make $10 a week. My guess is the 25 chickens will easily will eat more then $10 a week in feed. You can make more working for an hour at Walmart!

[TB Wannabe]

I'd rather watch chickens all day than work at Walmart for an hour.
But then that's just me..

[Kerry Stratton]

My grandfather raised chickens. I can't remember how many he had but he had two large chicken houses. I used to stay at his place during the summer break when I was a kid and help him. I would clean the houses, gather eggs, help grandma candle them, catch chickens fro butcher and help butcher them. All done by hand; a couple of chopping blocks, big tubs of boiling water for pluckin', etc. Never again. I wouldn't even eat chicken for years.