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 Chickens Sale in
Mountain View, Missouri
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Mountain View Missouri,
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. Mountain View
Missouri also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Mountain View Missouri, 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 Mountain View MO.
Feeding Baby Quail Chicks in
Mountain View, Missouri
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Mountain View Missouri
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
Mountain View Missouri * 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 Mountain View
Missouri * 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 Not Eating in
Mountain View, Missouri
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
Mountain View Missouri 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 Mountain View,
Missouri Baby chicks are extremely
adorable and
challenging to resist,
however it's ideal to plan for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare initially
by compiling not just the
appropriate products, yet
also the correct
understanding to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
basic, you simply should give them with the following: A tidy and warm
habitat A lot of food and water Attention and
love Habitat Your environment could be an easy box, fish tank,
pet cat provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (with no loose
strings!) to start, and after a few weeks make use of straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid using only
paper or other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could expand
misshapen. You also need
something to dish out food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
recipe from the feed store, or a pickle container
cover for food and also a family
pet bird water dispenser from a
pet dog shop. Additionally, as the chicks get
older you can introduce a perch
right into the habitat to get them
trained on perching. Warmth To
maintain your chicks warm you need to
offer them with a heat resource.
This could be as straightforward as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb also work extremely well (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 till their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which could occupy to 2 months). The recently
hatched out require a temperature
between 90 and also 100 levels,
and also each week this could
be reduced by
approximately 5 levels or
so. The heat resource need to get on merely one side of the cage
to permit chicks a range of
temperatures. The chicks are your best
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
contrary corner of your heat
light, you need to
decrease the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each other under the
warmth (not just cuddling),
you should put some warmth.
Home cleaning
Cleanliness is key and also it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to change
the bed linen
frequently and also
always give tidy
food and also water Food and also water.
Chicks grow extremely fast
which calls for plenty of clean
food as well as water. Offer
enough in any way times as well
as check
typically to prevent parched as well as
hungry chicks. Chick food is different than grown-up chicken food, and also it can be found in both medicated and non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, after that
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for another 2 months,
and afterwards to a slightly
reduced protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks prefer to get a head start on taking
filth baths, while others won't take
up that activity up until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
unit, present a tray of sand or
filth for them to bathe in.
Interest as well as love There are a
few benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. Firstly, they will certainly most
likely bond with you and also
not run away as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
see their habits, you can
capture disease or other issues previously. Keep an
eye out for wheezing, hopping, or
other unhealthy
indicators. Make sure to
also consider
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can cause matted feathers and obstructed cloaca.
Finally, it is essential to watch out for social problems, such as the
tiniest chick getting teased. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are currently fully feathery
and its time for them to leave the
safety of your home
and move outside into a
coop. Check out our
area on chicken cages for more information
regarding coops and
appropriate cage environments.
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