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 Order in
Beatty, Nevada
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Beatty Nevada,
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. Beatty
Nevada also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Beatty Nevada, 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 Beatty NV.
Baby Chicks Male Or Female in
Beatty, Nevada
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Beatty Nevada
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
Beatty Nevada * 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 Beatty
Nevada * 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 And Ducks For Sale in
Beatty, Nevada
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
Beatty Nevada 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 Beatty,
Nevada Baby chicks are quite
charming and also
difficult to resist,
however it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare initially
by compiling not only the
correct materials, but
also the appropriate
expertise to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
straightforward, you simply have to offer them with the following: A tidy and also warm
environment Plenty of food and water Attention and also
love Habitat Your environment could be a straightforward box, fish tank,
feline provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as
coverings (without any loosened
strings!) to begin, and after a
couple of weeks utilize straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid using only
newspaper or various other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could expand
misshapen. You likewise require
something to provide food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
meal from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
lid for food as well as a pet bird water dispenser from a family pet store. Additionally, as the chicks age you could introduce a perch
right into the environment to get them
educated on setting down. Heat To
maintain your chicks warm you should
give them with a warmth source.
This could be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb also function very
well (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 till their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which can take up to 2 months). The newly
hatched out need a temperature level
in between 90 and 100 degrees,
and also every week this can
be decreased by
around 5 levels approximately. The warmth resource must get on just one side of the cage
to enable chicks a variety of
temperature levels. The chicks are your best
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
contrary corner of your warmth
lamp, you should
lower the temperature level. If
they are smothering each various other under the
heat (not simply curling up),
you should put some warmth.
Housekeeping
Sanitation is vital as
well as it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make sure to change
the bed linens
often as well as
constantly offer tidy
food and also water Food and water.
Chicks grow extremely quickly
which calls for lots of clean
food and water. Supply
sufficient at all times and check
usually to prevent dehydrated as well as
hungry chicks. Chick food is various than adult chicken food, and also it can be found in both medicated as well as non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
first two months, after that
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for one more 2 months,
and then to a slightly
reduced protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks want
to get a running start on taking
dust baths, while others will not use up that activity till they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
dirt for them to wash in.
Interest and love There are a couple of benefits to spending time with your chicks. First off, they will most
likely bond with you and also
not run away as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily as well as
watch their actions, you could
catch health problem or other issues previously. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or
other harmful
signs. Make sure to
likewise look at
their poop, as diarrhea could result in matted feathers and also clogged cloaca.
Last but not least, it is very
important to keep an eye out for social concerns, such as the
littlest chick obtaining badgered. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently completely feathery
and its time for them to leave the
safety of your house
as well as move outside into a cage. Look into our
area on chicken cages to get more information
about coops and also
appropriate cage environments.
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