Eggs

[Vitamin c]

Yes
But with the info you have given I'm leaning towards no.
But early day see how the thread goes.

[jansman]

Yes
But with the info you have given I'm leaning towards no.
But early day see how the thread goes.

The initial outlay, along with ongoing expense can buy a lot of eggs, a lot! I have always kept fowls - and birds generally, as I like them. No profit in them though.

[diamond lil]

If you're taking up bodybuilding and need 3 doz eggs a day then you're going to need at least 36 hens

[Vitamin c]

I took that up many years back now just living with the injuries...

[grenfell]

The current flock is a year old,so this Winter,eggs should be 75% ,going back to 100% next Spring. Winter 23/24 ,they will drop,so the Spring of 24 is when - sorry - stock has to be replaced ! I can’t feed holiday makers.

Yes if one is looking at this from an economical veiwpoint then a degree of ruthless pragmatism is needed. That might be the downfall for some as it is easy to get attached to animals. When we kept rabbits there were a couple that we really liked and couldn't bring ourselves to eat. The buck had a couple of visits to the vets which may have all but negated his financial worth.

The initial outlay, along with ongoing expense can buy a lot of eggs, a lot! I have always kept fowls - and birds generally, as I like them. No profit in them though.

Would rearing "specialty" birds see more option for profit? Quail for instance or perhaps ducks or geese.

[diamond lil]

Quail are nice wee things but I've never kept them myself.

[jansman]

The current flock is a year old,so this Winter,eggs should be 75% ,going back to 100% next Spring. Winter 23/24 ,they will drop,so the Spring of 24 is when - sorry - stock has to be replaced ! I can’t feed holiday makers.

Yes if one is looking at this from an economical veiwpoint then a degree of ruthless pragmatism is needed. That might be the downfall for some as it is easy to get attached to animals. When we kept rabbits there were a couple that we really liked and couldn't bring ourselves to eat. The buck had a couple of visits to the vets which may have all but negated his financial worth.

The initial outlay, along with ongoing expense can buy a lot of eggs, a lot! I have always kept fowls - and birds generally, as I like them. No profit in them though.

Would rearing "specialty" birds see more option for profit? Quail for instance or perhaps ducks or geese.

I would say ( now) - No. We have wealthy customers at work,and we are seeing,let’s say,more economical shopping habits. Up until July,we were selling 10 dozen duck eggs a week. We are now selling 3 dozen. Roy, the supplier ,told me his sales have taken a huge drop recently all over Nottinghamshire,Derbyshire and Leicestershire.

Regarding birds,geese particularly,they are a Christmas only sale. And always expensive. Even as ‘posh’ butchers we only sell four birds at that time.Been the same wherever I’ve been. A top notch goose will cost 70 quid,and will only feed four. Even turkeys- whole- are nowhere near the volume they used to be. Folks just want souless turkey breast.In fact we sell so many that week,it takes 20 hours ( two days) to complete orders.

The whole food game is hitting the economical road where customers are concerned.

[ForgeCorvus]

As I see it (from the outside, as I've never really done either) backyard chickens for eggs are a bit like growing your own potatoes.... Unreliable and expensive for your yield unless you go for a croft/market garden sized setup.

That doesn't mean don't do it, just know what the limits are.

[jansman]

As I see it (from the outside, as I've never really done either) backyard chickens for eggs are a bit like growing your own potatoes.... Unreliable and expensive for your yield unless you go for a croft/market garden sized setup.

That doesn't mean don't do it, just know what the limits are.

A perfect way of looking at it.

[grenfell]

Not that it really helps anyone make up their minds but a little story.
Going back probably 25 years my father had a friend he worked for and one day they went to the auction. It was a livestock action and my father's friend had his eyes on a small flock ( brood?) of chickens. He'd already built the run so just needed the birds. Well he won the auction but at some point must have been distracted or else he wasn't paying attention because it wasn't the chickens he brought . He ended up coming back with three golden pheasents. Nice looking birds but not exactly good for laying...