When you search Google with the term “Make money from chickens,” 24,100,000 results are found. Every smallholder, small-scale farmer, and industrial farming organization has something to say. There is indeed money to make from chickens; however, it is a fiercely competitive market, and margins are always under pressure.
Your chickens can make money in several ways; however, controlling costs and keeping them as low as possible is the only way to make the venture profitable. Whether selling fresh eggs to your friends or fertile eggs, day-old chicks, and pullets, there are many opportunities.
If you are thinking about starting your chicken farming venture, ensure you fully understand the costs and invest time to find ways to reduce these. While it is possible to make a profit, it will only happen if you apply sound business principles.
Contents
The Cost Of Running A Chicken Coop
Making a little business out of selling chicken eggs is very rewarding and a great way to make the chickens pay for themselves.
It is not a maintenance-free business; depending on your goals and how you think about the chickens, you will have to make some difficult decisions.
- The chickens only lay after 12 – 20 weeks.
- Layers produce approximately 300 eggs per year. (This is possible if there is no problem).
- The June 2022 average retail egg price was $2.95 per dozen eggs.
- Layers will stop producing after approximately 130 weeks. (free range chickens can lay eggs for up to six years; however, egg quality will reduce after 2 – 3 years).
To make a small egg business work, you must think outside the box and save on as many expenses as possible. It includes
Reuse Old Egg Cartons
Ask all of your friends and families not to throw their old egg cartons away and instead give them to you for reuse.
Be Creative With The Chicken Food
The biggest cost when rearing chickens is the food you have to feed them. They need different foods as they age, as follows.
The following quantities are per chicken,
| Type Of Food | Quantity Needed | Estimated Cost |
| Starter food | The chickens will require 2.2lbs. (1.0kg) over six weeks | +-$5.50 per chicken |
| Grower per chicken | The chickens will require 3.3lbs. (1.5kg) over fourteen weeks | +- $4.30 per chicken |
| Layer Food | The chickens will require 50.0lbs. (22.0kg) over thirty-two weeks | +- $19.00 Per chicken |
| Total cost over 52 weeks | One year | +- $28.80 per chicken |
With the above figures, to cover food alone, the revenue per chicken over a year will have to exceed $30.80.
However, while the chickens need these foods, you can supplement them with greens from your garden and as much kitchen waste as possible.
Some grocery stores and produce markets are often willing to give away (or sell at a very reduced cost) food that is starting to deteriorate. Take as much as they are willing to provide.
The Total Cost Per Chicken
If you consider all of the first-year costs of a small new scale chicken farmer, the costs can be considerable.
Assuming you build nothing yourself and you have ten chickens the costs, the total per chicken cost in the first year could be
- The cost of an egg-producing chicken – $15.00
- Cost of the coop (purchased) – $22.50
- Costs of Feed – $28.80 per chicken
- Bedding – $12.00
- Feeders & Waterers – $ 0.50
- Other Items – $ 1.00
Based on the above figures, the annualized cost of a rearing chicken is $79.80
These figures can be reduced by hatching your chickens, making your coop, and changing the bedding requirements.
If you manage these costs, a more realistic annual cost per chicken is $45.00.
How To Make Money From Chickens
Chickens are generally only produced between week 15 and week 52. The examples of revenue production from chickens listed below take this into account.
Selling Fresh Eggs
In a productive year, and depending on the breed of chicken, you could expect it to lay 300 eggs.
The average retail price of one dozen eggs across America (July 2022) was $2.95. Home hatched, free-range eggs are generally nicer than the products in stores, so it is not unreasonable to try and sell them for a little more.
Assuming you can realize a sale price of $3.50 for a dozen eggs, the total revenue for the year per chicken would be $87.50.
Selling Fertile Or Hatching Eggs
If you have a rooster on-site, you can sell fertilized eggs to anyone with an incubator or a broody hen.
The income you earn from standard breed hens is normally the same price as fresh eggs; however, if you have one of the less common breeds, you may be able to earn as much as $4.00 per egg.
Some of the breeds which will command a higher egg price are.
- Black Penedesenca.
- Black Sumatra.
- Ameraucana: Wheaten and Lavender.
- Lavender Orpington.
- Partridge Chantecler.
- Wyandotte: Blue Laced Red and Silver Pencilled.
- Welsummer.
- Silver Grey Dorking.
Selling Day Old Chicks
Selling day-old chicks is a way to realize an immediate revenue stream without feed costs.
The average price of day-old chicks ranges between $3.00 to $5.00; however, some of the exotic breeds sell for approximately $18.00.
The difficulty with selling day-old chicks is finding a market that can take them. You will need to invest in an automated incubator* if you find a market that can take all three hundred eggs per annum.
Selling Pullets You Have Raised
Pullets are hens just about to start laying eggs and sell for between $15,00 to $30.00 in different states across the country.
They eat food and use infrastructure, so more costs are associated with an aged bird.
Selling Meat
There are two options available to the prospective chicken farmer.
- They raise broiler chickens for the sole purpose of meat production.
- To slaughter a non-producing bird at the end of its economically active life.
Small-scale farmers generally do not pursue broilers because they are very work intensive, and you need to grow large volumes to achieve the necessary economies of scale.
A bird that is slaughtered at the end of life is sold as a stewing hen which can be used for the dining room table or can be sold for approximately $5.00
Selling Chicken Manure Fertilizer
Chicken manure is praised for its organic qualities and will be quickly purchased by organic farmers.
The seasonal prices range from spring prices of $40.00 to $41.00 per ton and summer/fall manure fetching from $17.00 to $24.00 per ton.
Unfortunately, you need more than 2,200 pounds (+- 1 ton) to make this a viable opportunity.
The average layer will generate between 8 to 11 pounds (3.6 to 5.0 kg) of manure every month. Therefore, over twelve months, they produce 96 pounds to 132 pounds every year. They produce a ton; you will need between 16 to 23 hens. It will result in a revenue of (average across all seasons) of $30.00 (just over $1.00 per hen).
Selling Feathers
It sounds like a great idea to use the whole hen, but the reality is that if you don’t have an exotic breed with flashy feathers, there probably isn’t much of a market.
Summary Of Each Option
| Method | Feed Costs | Infrastructure Costs | Total Costs | Money Earned | Profit |
| Selling Fresh Eggs | $28.80 | $16.20 | $45.00 | $87.50 | $42.50 |
| Selling Fertile Or Hatching Eggs | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $4.00 | $4.00 |
| Selling Day Old Chicks | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $4.00 (Average) | $4.00 |
| Using a hen for day-old chick production | $28.80 | $41.20 | $70.00 | $900.00 | $830.00 |
| Selling Pullets (assume sale at 20 weeks) | $9.80 | $16.20 | $26.00 | $25.00 | ($1.00) |
Conclusion
If you have the facilities, selling day-old chicks will give you the best return on investment; however, it is a high-workload business and one that should only be entered with sufficient preparation. Finding a market may also be challenging in some parts of the country.
After that, selling fresh eggs still provides an acceptable return.
