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 Coop in
Morgan, South Carolina
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Morgan South Carolina,
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. Morgan
South Carolina also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Morgan South Carolina, 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 Morgan SC.
Baby Chickens How To Raise in
Morgan, South Carolina
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Morgan South Carolina
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
Morgan South Carolina * 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 Morgan
South Carolina * 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.
Feeding Baby Quail Chicks in
Morgan, South Carolina
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
Morgan South Carolina 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 Morgan,
South Carolina Baby chicks are quite
cute as well as
tough to resist,
yet it's ideal to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially
by compiling not just the
correct materials, but
additionally the appropriate
expertise to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
basic, you merely have to give them with the following: A
clean and also warm
environment A lot of food and water Interest and
love Habitat Your environment could be a
simple box, aquarium,
pet cat carrier, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and
coverings (with no loose
strings!) to begin, and after a few weeks make use of straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid making use of only
newspaper or various other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can expand
malformed. You also require
something to provide food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
dish from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
lid for food and an animal bird water dispenser from an animal shop. Also, as the chicks grow older you could introduce a perch
right into the environment to get them
educated on perching. Warmth To
keep your chicks heat you need to
offer them with a warmth source.
This could be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb additionally work very
well (my
suggestion). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which can use
up to 2 months). The recently
hatched out need a temperature level
in between 90 and also 100 degrees,
and also weekly this could
be lowered by
around 5 levels or
so. The heat source must be on merely one side of the cage
to allow chicks a variety of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
contrary corner of your warmth
lamp, you need to
reduce the temperature. If
they are surrounding each other under the
heat (not simply snuggling),
you need to add some warmth.
Housekeeping
Tidiness is crucial as
well as it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to change
the bedding
often as well as
constantly provide clean
food and water Food and water.
Chicks expand really fast
which requires plenty of tidy
food and also water. Supply
enough in any way times as well
as check
commonly to avoid thirsty as well as
hungry chicks. Chick food is various than grown-up chicken food, and also it can be found in both medicated and
also non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
first two months, after that
switch over to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for one more 2 months,
then to a slightly
reduced healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks want
to obtain a head start on taking
dirt baths, while others won't use up that activity up until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
unit, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to bathe in.
Attention as well as love There are a couple of benefits to hanging
out with your chicks. First of all, they will certainly more than likely bond with you as well as
not run away as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
view their behavior, you can
capture illness or various
other problems earlier. Keep an
eye out for wheezing, limping, or
other unhealthy
signs. Make sure to
also look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can cause matted plumes as well
as obstructed cloaca.
Last but not least, it is essential to look out
for social concerns, such as the
littlest chick getting badgered. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently fully feathery
and its time for them to leave the
safety of your home
and also relocate outside into a cage. Look into our
area on chicken cages for more information
regarding coops and also
proper coop environments.
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