Raising chickens v. buying eggs: which is cheaper?
Raising chickens v. buying eggs: which is cheaper?
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Some friends in Portland, OR have four pet chickens that lay about as many fresh eggs as poops in their backyard. I was curious if raising chickens saved them money so I asked them to break it down for me.
On a monthly basis they pay…
Pine shavings for litter: $5
Organic feed: $10
Total cost for four chickens: $15
Monthly egg yield: 78 eggs
Cost of 78 organic eggs in the store at $3/dozen: $19.50
Monthly savings: $4.50
But the monthly cost analysis does not take into account all the expenses so let’s look at the yearly investment.
Buying the birds: approx. $5 per chick x 4 chicks = $20
Cost of chicken coop: $500 (They made a very impressive coop themselves. One could be made for much less.)
Yearly upkeep (12 x monthly cost): $180
Yearly cost of chickens: $700
Yearly egg savings (12 x monthly egg costs): $234
Yearly savings: -$466
By this analysis, our friends are going broke raising chickens. However, there are other factors that have an intangible cost benefit. These are impossible to put a dollar figure on because each person values them differently.
These factors include the time spent tending the chickens, the money saved from eating less meat because you are getting more protein from eggs, the value of a constant source of fertilizer, pride in raising your own chickens, enjoyment gained from having perky pets, and the value of fresh eggs.
There is also the WOW factor when you show guests your chickens, which is generally offset by the poop everywhere factor.
Depending on how you value these factors, raising your own chickens could be just the thing for you. Just don’t hold chickens too close to your face. Peck!
A great resource for anyone interested in pet chickens is .
Thanks Alisa!
Baby Chicks Baby
Chickens in
Crook, Colorado
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Crook Colorado,
including Sussex Chickens, Welsummer Chickens, Turken Chickens and more.
Be sure to check out the Bargain Specials, as you can combine different
egg layers in smaller amounts and buy as an assortment. Crook
Colorado also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Crook Colorado, bantams for sale, ducks for sale, geese for sale,
turkeys for sale, guinea for sale, peafowl for sale, pheasant for sale,
chukar partridge for sale, bobwhite for sale, many different breeds of
baby chicks for sale in Crook CO.
Baby Chicks In The Mail in
Crook, Colorado
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Crook Colorado
catalog is a yearly traditions in many houses. My kids and I eagerly await
the Murray McMurray Hatchery catalog. We love looking at all the cool and
different chicken breeds available. Catalogs are free so head on over to
their site and request one if you are interested.
Typically hatcheries online offer both standard breeds
and bantams. Bantams are fun hardy little chickens, they lay tiny eggs
that kids especially love collecting. Bantams typically weigh less than 2
pounds when full grown. Just like ordering anything online there are pros
and cons to ordering baby chicks online. Pros of buying baby chicks in
Crook Colorado * Big Selection - If you are wanting a large
variety of different chicken breeds and egg colors, you will find the best
selection at an online hatchery. * Both Bantams and full sized chickens
available * You get to choose what sex you want. If you want a mixture of
both male and female then choosing a "straight run" will save you money
and you will get a mixture of male and female chicks. You can also choose
all males or all females too. * Weekly specials. Hatcheries have sales on
chicks, you are likely to get a good deal if you are flexible with the
breeds you are wanting. Cons of buying baby chicks in Crook
Colorado * Order early to get the best selection. Certain breeds sell
out fast, sometimes as early as 6 months in advance of shipping! If you
are wanting a certain breed it's best to order your chicks in the fall
before their orders sell out.
Baby Chicks To Buy in
Crook, Colorado
Quantity - you must order a certain number of chicks. Typically hatcheries
will require you buy a minimum of 25 chicks at a time. The number is
necessary for the chicks survival during shipping. All 25 chicks are put
in one small box without heat. They are crowded in the box and produce
enough body heat to arrive in good shape. * The wait - If you choose to
buy chicks from a feed store you will have them the same day but if you
choose to go with a hatchery you have to wait until they are ready to ship
and then wait for the chicks to arrive. Ordering baby chicks online in
Crook Colorado is easy and has always been a very pleasant
experience of me. It can be a little frustrating waiting for the chicks
but it's so worth the wait. When the post office calls and you hear all
those little "cheeps" or "chirps" in the background you'll know the wait
was worth it! How to Care for your new baby chickens in Crook,
Colorado Baby chicks are quite
adorable as well as
tough to resist,
yet it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare first
by compiling not only the
correct materials, but
additionally the correct
understanding to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
simple, you merely should offer them with the following: A tidy as well as warm
habitat Plenty of food and water Interest and
love Habitat Your habitat could be a straightforward box, aquarium,
cat carrier, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (with no loose
strings!) to start, and after a
couple of weeks use straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid making use of just
paper or various other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can grow
malformed. You additionally need
something to dish out food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
dish from the feed store, or a pickle container
lid for food and also a family
pet bird water dispenser from a pet store. Likewise, as the chicks age you could present a perch
right into the environment to get them
trained on setting down. Heat To
keep your chicks warm you need to
offer them with a warmth resource.
This could be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb additionally function effectively (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 till their downy fluff is
replaced with feathers (which could take up to two months). The recently
hatched out require a temperature
between 90 and 100 degrees,
and each week this can
be reduced by
about 5 degrees approximately. The warmth resource should be on merely one side of the cage
to enable chicks a variety of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
opposite corner of your warmth
light, you need to
reduce the temperature. If
they are surrounding each other under the
warmth (not merely curling up),
you need to include some heat.
House cleaning
Tidiness is key and also it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make sure to transform
the bedding
often as well as
constantly supply tidy
food and water Food and also water.
Chicks expand very fast
which calls for lots of clean
food and also water. Offer
sufficient at all times and also check
usually to
stop dehydrated and also
hungry chicks. Chick food is various compared
to adult chicken food, and also it comes
in both medicated as well as non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, after that
change to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for another 2 months,
and after that to a somewhat
reduced protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks like to obtain a head start on taking
filth bathrooms, while others won't use up that task till they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
enclosure, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to shower in.
Attention and love There are a couple of advantages to hanging
out with your chicks. Firstly, they will certainly probably bond with you as well as
not run away as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
view their behavior, you can
capture disease or various
other issues previously. Keep an
eye out for hissing, limping, or
various other undesirable
signs. Be sure to
also check out
their poop, as diarrhea can lead
to matted plumes and also clogged cloaca.
Lastly, it is very
important to keep an eye out for social problems, such as the
smallest chick getting teased. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are currently fully feathered
as well as its time for them to leave the
security of your home
and also move outside right into a
coop. Have a look at our
part on chicken coops for more information
concerning cages and
proper coop habitats.
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