TOO Homesteading
- Thread starter bowhunter1023
- Start date
the Lackster
Junior Member
Trying to piece this thing together a little at the time!
"Never let a crisis goes to waste" is an adage that, unfortunately, many people put to work in tough times. My wife was telling me last night there's someone locally selling "started" laying hens for $125 a piece!?! That's absolutely insane!
Assume a dozen eggs is $5.
If you're lucky, the hen lays 500 eggs in her lifetime.
$5/12 = $.42/egg
That's $210 in eggs, not counting your expenses. It's not a stretch to say it costs $20/year to raise a chicken. So knock $60 in overhead off that and you're monetary ROI is enough for a meal at Wendy's.
Conversely, I just bought 20 chicks for $100. Let's assume 12 live out their 500 egg lives. That's 6,000 eggs, or $2,460 in eggs. It'll cost $750 to raise them, netting enough to justify a nice coop and fencing.
Owning chickens is about more than the return on your $, but it doesn't need to be a terrible $ decision!
Assume a dozen eggs is $5.
If you're lucky, the hen lays 500 eggs in her lifetime.
$5/12 = $.42/egg
That's $210 in eggs, not counting your expenses. It's not a stretch to say it costs $20/year to raise a chicken. So knock $60 in overhead off that and you're monetary ROI is enough for a meal at Wendy's.
Conversely, I just bought 20 chicks for $100. Let's assume 12 live out their 500 egg lives. That's 6,000 eggs, or $2,460 in eggs. It'll cost $750 to raise them, netting enough to justify a nice coop and fencing.
Owning chickens is about more than the return on your $, but it doesn't need to be a terrible $ decision!
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There's a sucker born every minute.
Makes me feel pretty good about the $16 each I bought mine for in the fall! Lol
the Lackster
Junior Member
Got a freaking steal yesterday......lady down the road from me had four 18 month old golden comets layers. Told me to come get them! She told me to come get the other 5 when she sells her house!!! We are going to see more and more of this as the yuppies figure out the cost and labor to keep up chickens.
the Lackster
Junior Member
We can get feed down here for 10 cents a lb so that's not bad for us.
You using a feed mill of tractor suply type store? Notice anything different over the winter with laying?
In the last couple days I've had two layer chicks bite the dust... literally. It appears that at least one more is slowly on her way out, too. Not unexpected, but I was hoping that wouldn't happen. So for now it appears I'll net 29 out of the 30 chicks I paid for.
the Lackster
Junior Member
Big_Holla
Senior Member
The next generation of layers moved from the garage to the coop about 3 weeks ago. Last Sunday, I moved it off the patio and into a shaded section of the yard now that our maple tree has leafed out. Unfortunately, we lost one of our current layers to a hawk on Friday, so we're down to 6 and the rooster. I'll leave the juveniles in this pen for another 2 weeks, then they're moving into my soon-to-be-built "chicken tractor". Our egg supply is finally keeping up with demand and that's a welcome outcome!
Ohiosam
*Supporting Member*
triple_duece
Ragin Cajun.
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I came home from Ohio, 1 day after getting home and a coon got one of my chickens. Wife bitching at me like it’s my fault 
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Welcome too the world of the retired travelerI came home from Ohio, 1 day after getting home and a coon got one of my chickens. Wife bitching at me like it’s my fault
Big_Holla
Senior Member
Ducks, chickens and garden
Run is an old dog kennel I pieced together to connect the two coops. It runs behind old coop to give them plenty of area to move around. The new chicken hut is a custom ordered 8x12 with storage and whatever else she wanted. In 20 years I've never bought her any jewelry. So I got her a nice place to collect chicken shit. Lol
Run is an old dog kennel I pieced together to connect the two coops. It runs behind old coop to give them plenty of area to move around. The new chicken hut is a custom ordered 8x12 with storage and whatever else she wanted. In 20 years I've never bought her any jewelry. So I got her a nice place to collect chicken shit. Lol
Converting 1/2 of the shed into a coop, then will build an outdoor run. 1 wall built, 3 of 4 inside inside walls covered, roosting bars installed, and nesting boxes 50% complete (didnt get a pic of those 2). Just need to finish boxes, put up wire, build a walk thru door, and 2 small doors for them to access the run and one will lead to freedom outside the coop/run to free range while I'm home.
Picking up 6 Barred Rock and 4 Rhode Island Red pullets from a farm in Mansfield next weekend. They should be 16-17wks old., and for $10/ea. worth the gamble. Will see, fingers crossed
All scrap/left overs from the house build. Wife calls me a hoarder....pffftt, repurposed beautifully!
Picking up 6 Barred Rock and 4 Rhode Island Red pullets from a farm in Mansfield next weekend. They should be 16-17wks old., and for $10/ea. worth the gamble. Will see, fingers crossed
All scrap/left overs from the house build. Wife calls me a hoarder....pffftt, repurposed beautifully!
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Your interior wall going to be solid? I'm assuming so to cut down on the dust. That'll be a sweet little setup!
No that wall will be 1/3 door, 2/3 wire. Other half of the shed will just be bedding/feed/treat storage so dust n dirt is of no concern.