Ashley's chickens!!

Moderator Age : 28 Joined : 12 Oct 2006 Posts : 2058

Ash left the door to her chicken coop open after her morning chores yesterday! We had chickens everywhere! We caught all but 3...we had to call my MIL for back-up as the little buggers would zip under the coop when we would try to catch them...they are quick too!! So, we finally got all the hens back in and all is well in the chicken coop...lol...

Subject: Re: Ashley's chickens!! Wed 09 Jan 2008, 5:36 am

Is it hard to raise chickens?
Do you use them for eggs?

With prices of eggs, I have been thinking about a chicken coop, myself.
Todd says no, but we'll see if I can talk him into it.
He does not want a farm. The way I see it, we've got a pig, we're already half-way there! :-)

~M
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"It is not how much money you make - it is how you spend it."

Subject: Re: Ashley's chickens!! Wed 09 Jan 2008, 7:23 am

I want a chicken coop also. Everyone keeps telling me that it's not worth it for the eggs. So Kim I want to know also
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Vicki

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Moderator Age : 28 Joined : 12 Oct 2006 Posts : 2058

Well, it is just a LITTLE cheaper to raise chickens for eggs than it is to just buy the eggs as the price of grain and shell corn almost equals out. BUT...to just be able to walk to the coop daily and get eggs...that is worth it to me! I'm not sure though...we have not re-evaluated the price comparison since the recent price hike in food..so probly eggs cost more than they did when we figured it all out. Either way it's fun Smile

It would also take a long time to get your money back in savings from eggs to make up for the cost of building a coop. We got all our supplies for free for our coop...but STILL...I'd say go for it! Chickens are very relaxing to watch ad be around Smile

Subject: Re: Ashley's chickens!! Wed 09 Jan 2008, 9:03 am

What a chicken chasing adventure! A new form of exercise? Laughing

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MARY

Moderator Age : 28 Joined : 12 Oct 2006 Posts : 2058

LOL...

Subject: Re: Ashley's chickens!! Wed 09 Jan 2008, 12:12 pm

Lol Mary...reminds me of the movie...'Chicken Run'

Another question Kim...I've wondered if they'd be noisy, especially for anyone who may have neighbours close-by?
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Subject: Re: Ashley's chickens!! Wed 09 Jan 2008, 12:46 pm

I love Chicken Run!

Good question skin. Are they noisy? I do have neighbors however I could put them further back so as not to bother them because our house sits back further than the others. Also what about other animals trying to kill them? We have lots of foxes, raccoons etc...
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Vicki

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Subject: Re: Ashley's chickens!! Wed 09 Jan 2008, 1:17 pm

Another question: how many eggs do you get?
How much is feed?

I know pig feed for little Squiggy Maroo (his new name) is aboue $9.00/25 lb bag. That bag lasts a little over 2 months.

~M
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"It is not how much money you make - it is how you spend it."

Moderator Age : 28 Joined : 12 Oct 2006 Posts : 2058

Yes they make noise...the hens make noise when they lay...but not that loud, but if you have a rooster it will be loud! You only need a rooster if you want your eggs to be fertile...you don't need a rooster to have eggs...In warm weather we get anywhere from 4-6 eggs daily...and in cold weather anywhere from 2-5 eggs...we have a light on in the coop to trick them into thinking they have more daylight. We have 6 hens. The grain is $20 for 100 lbs and shell corn in $5 for 50 lbs...now that is ata small mom & pop mill in our small town...like at a feed store, it would be a bit more. The food last almost a month.

Subject: Re: Ashley's chickens!! Wed 09 Jan 2008, 4:48 pm

It seems to me that you are just about breaking even (as you said).

Assuming 6 eggs a day, 30 days in a month = 180 eggs
180 eggs / 12 = 15 dozen eggs
1 dozen eggs at a store = $1.99 (or more!)
$1.99 x 15=$29.85

With feed being $25/month, and the cost of electricity, you would be breaking even.

I would have never thought they would eat that much.
Piggy gets 1/2 cup grain in the morning, and 1/2 grain in the evening. And he's a big piggy!

~M
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"It is not how much money you make - it is how you spend it."

Subject: Re: Ashley's chickens!! Wed 09 Jan 2008, 5:53 pm

We have chickens we have them and then dispatch .. I keep about 35 to 40 chickens for eggs it kind of nice to have really fresh eggs
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Gayla

"They take great pride in making their dinner cost much; I take my pride in making my dinner cost so little."

---Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

Subject: Re: Ashley's chickens!! Wed 09 Jan 2008, 10:20 pm

Not sure if I will be having chickens. I really like the idea of fresh eggs but it just doesn't seem to be worth it but not sure. The most eggs we use in a week is 15 but we do pay over $3.00 for those 15 eggs. I don't know. Maybe if we could build the coop free or cheap. I will have to do some research
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Vicki

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Moderator Age : 28 Joined : 12 Oct 2006 Posts : 2058

We mainly have animals so the kids learn the responsibility of taking acre of them and for fun Smile

We are going to teach Ash how to raise chicks in the spring Smile

...Those little buggers will eat and eat and eat...we also feed them bread 2c a day! LOL...

Subject: Re: Ashley's chickens!! Thu 10 Jan 2008, 12:36 pm

Wow, I didn't know some of you raised chickens. You all amaze me. I wouldn't even know where to begin to take care of chickens, goats, cows, horses, etc.

I bet having fresh eggs are so much better tasting than what's in the stores.