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 Hatchery in
Langley, Oklahoma
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Langley Oklahoma,
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. Langley
Oklahoma also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Langley Oklahoma, 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 Langley OK.
Baby Chickens By Mail in
Langley, Oklahoma
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Langley Oklahoma
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
Langley Oklahoma * 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 Langley
Oklahoma * 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 Care in
Langley, Oklahoma
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
Langley Oklahoma 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 Langley,
Oklahoma Baby chicks are very
charming and also
tough to resist,
but it's best to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially
by gathering not only the
correct products, however
also the appropriate
expertise to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
simple, you merely need
to offer them with the following: A
clean and cozy
habitat Lots of food and water Attention and also
love Environment Your habitat could be a
simple box, aquarium,
feline service provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and
blankets (without any loose
strings!) to begin, and also after a
couple of weeks make use of straw over paper.
Note: Avoid making use of just
newspaper or various other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs could grow
malformed. You likewise need
something to dish out food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
recipe from the feed shop, or a pickle container
lid for food and an animal bird water dispenser from a pet shop. Likewise, as the chicks grow older you could introduce a perch
into the environment to get them
educated on perching. Heat To
keep your chicks heat you have to
give them with a warmth source.
This can be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb additionally function effectively (my
suggestion). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
replaced with feathers (which could occupy to 2 months). The freshly
hatched need a temperature
between 90 and 100 levels,
and weekly this can
be lowered by
around 5 degrees or
so. The heat resource need to be on simply one side of the cage
to permit chicks an array of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
contrary corner of your warmth
lamp, you should
reduce the temperature. If
they are surrounding each other under the
warmth (not simply curling up),
you should add some heat.
House cleaning
Tidiness is vital as
well as it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to change
the bed linen
frequently and also
always supply tidy
food as well as water Food and water.
Chicks expand extremely quick
which calls for a lot of tidy
food and water. Offer
enough whatsoever times and also check
often to avoid thirsty and also
hungry chicks. Chick food is various than adult chicken food, as well as it is available in both medicated and non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
initial 2 months, then
change to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for an additional 2 months,
and then to a slightly
reduced protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks prefer to get a head start on taking
dust baths, while others will not occupy that task until they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
room, present a tray of sand or
dust for them to bathe in.
Interest and love There are a
few advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. First of all, they will certainly more than likely bond with you and
not run away as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and
view their behavior, you can
catch disease or various
other troubles earlier. Watch out for hissing, limping, or
various other unhealthy
indicators. Make certain to
also look at
their poop, as diarrhea can result in matted feathers as well
as clogged up cloaca.
Lastly, it is very
important to watch out for social concerns, such as the
tiniest chick getting teased. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are now totally feathery
and also its time for them to leave the
security of your house
and also move outside into a cage. Check out our
area on chicken coops to get more information
about coops as well as
appropriate coop habitats.
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