Free Run Chicken Eggs or Meat for Profit

14 years ago

I ran into it somewhere on the internet the past few days. It said you can expect to use about 50 hens per acre free run on grass and not have it run down and kill the grass. You do have to move the hen house frequently around the land and do some other things so as not to kill off the grass. although you might want to rest the land at times to avoid disease getting into the land and back at the chickens.

It said you can get about 1000 dozen eggs per year but this was out in CA with year around good weather and laying. It said you can get about a dollar extra per dozen on free run chickens. So if you can manage $2 a doz on any eggs then maybe get $3 a doz on good free range eggs. So you can pick up maybe an extra $1000 per year profit per acre on free run eggs. Not really very much for all the work and expense.

I am in New England and it is warm here only about 4 to 5 months max per year. the other 7 or 8 months are cold.

It said you will only save about 5% to 15% on feed costs. So not much there.

Can anyone comment on their experience with selling eggs.

It seems to me you can sell meat or eggs from the chickens. It seems to me that eggs would be less work and better profits. Well maybe more profit on meat but a lot more work having to butcher say a hundred or thousand birds a year.

Let say you do meat birds for income. You do 10 batches of 100 birds for 1000 birds over the year. This is all hypothetical and not practical.

It seems to me butchering 1000 birds is almost impossible. But having a huge building with 1000 egg layers is more possible.

What experience do people have trying to make a profit. Maybe growing tomatoes and sweet corn is smarter. or strawberries. etc.

I am not trying to be lazy but a one man operation has to figure the labor carefully. I can only work say 100 hours a week. I need some sleep and time off etc. so If one man gets into something that is too labor intensive he is sunk.

What do you say. Does anyone have any practical experience..

Thank you all

I will be here responding to your posts.

Comments (2)

nelda1234
14 years ago
Hi Gardendawgie,

I have 104 chickens.

Making a profit-no just breaking even really. My girls are free range from full daylight until dusk. They are supplimented by organic feed- only when needed, more so in the winter time. I do cook and bake for them, they eat nothing that has any chemical, antibotics etc....

I have a good customer base and am busy everyday, I also deliver eggs to some customers. Everything I make selling eggs goes right back into "the business". feed,supplies,bedding,straw, I always have enough to cover my expenses but really that is all.

As far as selling (meat)birds, I have been listening to my customers and feel that by next year I will be able to sell the chickens that I butcher. I do all the butchering myself, usually 25 at a time-but they have been only for my family and extended family. Next year I have a good enough customer base (based on survey's) that I will be able to sell meat birds next year-I have not worked out all the costs yet--but what I have worked out (rough draft)I will make a profit. I will be getting Colored Rangers for butchering next year-have been reading about them and they will make a fine bird to butcher at 11 weeks.

My DH and I do this together, if we didn't I am not sure I could do it all. I have 2 coops, 3 gardens and 2 very young kids.

maybe just doing it to sell meat birds would be less time and quicker turn around.

You might ask why I do it with little or no profit? I do it for me because I enjoy what I do and second, I want my kids to eat as healthy as possible and they are getting good work ethics and learning so much about everything-I hope that it will make them a more rounded adult.

I do not know if this answers your questions-but I always do very well with eggs even in the winter time--sometimes I have to take orders and call the customer when it is time for pick up. They do not mind the wait-and it is never more than two or three days.
gardendawgie
Original Author
14 years ago
nelda1234

Thank YOU
thank you.

I would like to ask you some questions about the birds. Can you email to me. Your email is not listed. IF you click on my name you will get to my email and we can talk a little more. I have been doing a lot of research on the internet.

I wonder if the birds you talk about are really the Cobb 150.

http://www.cobb-vantress.com/Products/CobbSasso150.aspx

but maybe sold by someone else under a different name.

CobbSasso150Â
The natural choice

The CobbSasso150Â is the natural choice for consumers interested in slower growing, colored chicken. The broilerÂs robust health and well being are ideally suited to traditional, free range and organic farming as well as less intensive indoor production. The mating of a rustic brown female and white male give the broiler a distinctive look and excellent growth performance. The CobbSasso150 conforms to the genetic growth requirements of many established welfare accredited growing programs.

The CobbSasso150Â offers:

Â Maximum average growth rate of 45gm/day
Â Ideal for certified, free range and organic systems
Â Excellent livability
Â Superior feed conversion
Â Carcass uniformity
Â Succulent taste

http://www.cobb-vantress.com/Products/CobbSasso150Literature.aspx

for more literature on the 150.

Here is a link that might be useful: cobb 150
Related Professionals
Fort Lee Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Panama City Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Wheeling Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Amesbury Landscape Contractors · Hilo Landscape Contractors · Kaneohe Landscape Contractors · Kearny Landscape Contractors · Madera Landscape Contractors · Mendota Heights Landscape Contractors · Mequon Landscape Contractors · Mesa Fence Contractors · Alhambra Fence Contractors · Hackensack Fence Contractors · Monrovia Fence Contractors · Boynton Beach Decks, Patios & Outdoor Enclosures