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!