Raising chickens can be fun...and profitable. Here's how...
Keeping chickens and other poultry can be a wonderful way to supply yourself with fresh chicken and the best tasting eggs around but you'll find but chickens can also be a great source of revenue. We've broken down some of the top ways to take your chicken business to the next level.
Here are a few ways to turn a profit with chicken or other types of poultry.
Raising Chickens for Meat
Broiler Chickens
First up on our list is raising meat birds. These birds are raised quickly, sometimes as fast as 8 weeks. Things to think about are where are you going to keep them, how long do you need to keep them before they're ready and when/how are you going to process them. All of these steps need to be thought out a head of time to make sure that you are going to find profit in this venture. Check with the laws in your area to see if you are able to butcher the birds which will keep your costs low.
Raising Stewing hens
When your hens get a little older and stop producing eggs as regularly you might choose to sell them as stewing hens. Depending on your area and the regulations, you might sell them live or if your area allows, butchered for a higher price.
You might also sell hens that are a bit older to locals for their backyard flock. These hens are still laying, just maybe not at the rate you are looking for. You can re-home those hens to a local coop as a layer.
Raising Chickens for Eggs
Layer Chickens
This is an easy one. Many people eat eggs every day and fresh eggs from a flock of chickens with a good diet are some of the best tasting eggs you can find. This is kind of a numbers game with the amount of chickens you need (1 egg per chicken per day). It goes without saying that your stock will need to be good layers-Red Star or Leghorns are good bet. Also, you will also need to keep your light at 14 hours during the winter months to keep the eggs coming. Keeping your flock healthy and in good living conditions are important to your investment as well as the animal's welfare.
Chicken Eggs for Incubating
AKA chicken eggs for hatching
Selling eggs for breeding can make you top dollar. When selling eggs for breading you are going to want to have a flock (or 3) that are hard to find poultry types. You could also choose a breed that are hard to get a hold of in your area. Pick your stock from a breeder with a good reputation. You can either sell the fertilized eggs or the hatched chicks. Expect some that won't hatch though. Keep about 12 hens and 1 rooster in each flock. You can sell these eggs locally or ship them out. I've even seen eggs on Ebay and craigslist.
Check out this post if you're interested in learning how to incubate chicken eggs.
Chicks for sale?
Selling Pullets and Chicks
You can also raise the chicks for a bit of time and sell them either right before they're laying or when they are laying. Some people don't want to mess with raising chicks. You can sell these chickens at a premium because you have invested the time in raising them for them.
Other types of poultry to think about adding
There are many specialty chicken breeds that people will pay extra for to add to their flocks. Alternatively you might sell ducks, turkeys, quail, guinea foul, or peaco*cks.
Alternative sources of revenue from chickens
A few other things to think about selling associated with chickens and poultry are; selling well aged compost to local gardeners, and feathers to crafters. Bone broth is another item that can be a source of local income.
How to market and sell chickens
Let me take a minute to add that not only do you need to raise the product but you have to put your business hat on and sell the product. Be prepared before you spend one dollar on this venture to get the word out, to be prepared and professional when people call you about your product (call them back) and work on your marketing.
Learn about ways to market and sell your farm products online.As you can see there are many ways to make money with poultry. I'm sure there are more that aren't listed here as well. The most important things to recognize as you begin is that there will be some mistakes but you can also learn from the mistakes others have already made.
Here are some additional resources on raising chickens for profit
Wishing you much success!
FAQs
Raising chickens is profitable - if you can control your losses (we'll show you how later) you can expect to net 40-50% of your sale price. In other words you can just about double your money in 10 weeks. Beats the stock market, eh?
Can raising chickens be profitable? ›
Raising chickens is profitable - if you can control your losses (we'll show you how later) you can expect to net 40-50% of your sale price. In other words you can just about double your money in 10 weeks. Beats the stock market, eh?
How to raise chickens and make money? ›
Here are a few ways to earn money from poultry farming: Sell eggs: One of the most common ways to earn money from poultry farming is by selling eggs. You can sell them to individuals, grocery stores, restaurants, or other local businesses. Sell meat: If you have a large enough flock, you can also sell chicken meat.
How many chickens do you need to make a profit selling eggs? ›
Figure that during her prime, a laying hen will, on average, produce three to five eggs a week. 4 If you plan to sell 10 dozen eggs a week, or 120 eggs, you can do the math to determine that 25 or 30 chicks will be a good number to start with.
Do chicken farmers make good money? ›
Chicken Farm Salary in California. $40,000 is the 25th percentile. Salaries below this are outliers. $67,600 is the 75th percentile.
How many chickens do you need to make it worth it? ›
Chickens are sociable creatures, so plan to keep three to six birds. With this amount, you'll always have a steady supply of eggs, since an adult hen lays about two eggs every three days, on average.
Are chickens financially worth it? ›
The answer is… it depends. If you're looking to become more self-sufficient and enjoy the process of raising chickens, then it may be worth the investment for you. Additionally, if you have a large family or use a lot of eggs in your cooking, then the cost savings may be more significant.
Which breed of chicken is most profitable? ›
The Rhode Island Red is perhaps the world's best-known fowl. It is the most successful dual-purpose bird, and remains an excellent farm chicken. The Rhode Island Red is known for its hardiness and its ability to handle marginal conditions while still producing eggs.
Can you make a living off chickens? ›
Sell Chicken Meat
If you're looking to make money from your flock of chickens, selling meat can be a profitable option. It can also be a profitable way to handle roosters that your breed and were unable to sell.
Which poultry is most profitable? ›
According to the study 66% of traders considered local chickens as most profitable of the other types of chickens (Table 6). This was followed by broilers (16%) while spent layers and aged broiler breeders earned the least profits. ...
If the sky-high cost of eggs has you considering a DIY solution—specifically, establishing your own backyard chicken coop—allow us to recalibrate your great eggspectations: Even with today's inflated prices, raising your own flock of egg-laying hens is not going to be cheaper than buying eggs at the store.
Is it cheaper to raise your own chickens for eggs? ›
The simple answer is, initially, no. Raising chickens for eggs won't really save you money. There's almost no way that you can possibly raise chickens on a small scale as economically as the large commercial farms can.
How many chickens do I need to get 2 dozen eggs a week? ›
Planning for Egg Production Per Week
If you wanted to get about a dozen eggs per week, you would need between 3 to 5 laying hens. For two dozen eggs a week, you would need to double those numbers for a flock size of between 6 to 10 laying hens.
How much does it cost to start a chicken farm? ›
Generally speaking, you will need to invest at least $20,000-50,000 in capital expenditures depending on your chosen farming methods and goals. These costs include purchasing a plot of land (or leasing it if available) for raising birds as well as constructing housing units for them such as chicken coops or cages.
Is chicken farming hard work? ›
Being a contract poultry producer is tough, hands-on, 7-days-a-week work that requires a significant financial investment from the farmer (in many cases more than $1 million in loans). When done well, contract poultry farming can be personally, professionally and financially rewarding.
How much can you make owning a chicken farm? ›
Table 1. Pullet Farm Income Estimates*
| Pullet Farm Data | Farm A (older)** | Farm B (newer)** |
|---|
| Gross revenue per SF | $3.15 | $3.35 |
| Gross revenue | $132,300 | $140,700 |
| Variable expenses | $39,690 | $28,140 |
| Income before debt service | $92,610 | $112,560 |
4 more rowsMar 6, 2024
What Are the Most Profitable Livestock for Small Farms?
- Chickens. Raising chickens is a great way to start any small farm or homestead. ...
- Goats. ...
- Bees. ...
- Rabbits. ...
- Cattle. ...
- Pigs. ...
- Why raising livestock is good for small farms.
Sell Chicken Meat
If you're looking to make money from your flock of chickens, selling meat can be a profitable option. It can also be a profitable way to handle roosters that your breed and were unable to sell.
