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 In A Box in
Cheney, Washington
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Cheney Washington,
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. Cheney
Washington also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Cheney Washington, 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 Cheney WA.
Baby Chicks Online in
Cheney, Washington
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Cheney Washington
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
Cheney Washington * 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 Cheney
Washington * 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 Coop in
Cheney, Washington
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
Cheney Washington 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 Cheney,
Washington Baby chicks are quite
adorable as well as
challenging to withstand,
but it's best to prepare for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare initially
by collecting not just the
proper materials, but
also the correct
expertise to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
basic, you simply need
to provide them with the following: A
clean and cozy
habitat A lot of food and water Focus and
love Habitat Your environment could be a straightforward box, fish tank,
feline provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (without loose
strings!) to begin, and after a
couple of weeks use straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid making use of just
newspaper or various other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can grow
misshapen. You also need
something to serve up food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
meal from the feed store, or a pickle jar
cover for food as well as a pet dog bird water dispenser from a
pet dog store. Likewise, as the chicks get
older you can introduce a perch
right into the habitat to obtain them
trained on perching. Warmth To
maintain your chicks warm you have to
give them with a warmth source.
This could be as straightforward as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb additionally work very
well (my
suggestion). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which could occupy to 2 months). The freshly
hatched require a temperature
between 90 and 100 degrees,
and also every week this can
be minimized by
roughly 5 levels or
so. The warmth source must get on simply one side of the cage
to enable chicks a variety of
temperature levels. The chicks are your ideal
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
opposite edge of your warmth
lamp, you need to
decrease the temperature level. If
they are smothering each various other under the
heat (not merely snuggling),
you should add some heat.
Housekeeping
Cleanliness is vital and also it keeps your chicks healthy. Make sure to transform
the bedding
typically as well as
always give clean
food as well as water Food and water.
Chicks expand quite quickly
which calls for a lot of tidy
food and water. Provide
enough at all times and also inspect
usually to avoid dehydrated as well as
starving chicks. Chick food is different compared
to grown-up chicken food, and it is available in both medicated as well as non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
first two months, then
change to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for one more 2 months,
then to a somewhat
lower protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks like to get a head start on taking
dirt bathrooms, while others won't take
up that activity up until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
dirt for them to bathe in.
Focus and love There are a
few advantages to spending time with your chicks. First of all, they will certainly more than likely bond with you and also
not escape as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
enjoy their behavior, you could
capture ailment or various
other troubles previously. Watch out for hissing, limping, or
other undesirable
indicators. Make sure to
likewise take a look at
their poop, as diarrhea could bring about matted feathers and obstructed cloaca.
Lastly, it is very
important to look out
for social concerns, such as the
smallest chick getting badgered. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are currently totally feathery
and its time for them to leave the
safety of your house
and move outside right into a cage. Look into our
area on chicken coops for more information
regarding cages and also
proper coop environments.
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