guess I need to look at things realistically and not just the ones I "Like."
Sigh... yes, unfortunately, if you don't want to simply have a expensive hobby, you do have to look at it realistically. Speaking of... have you found eager potential egg buyers, willing to pay $3.00 a dozen? Because it *might* be possible to break even on a little less, depending on your climate and situation, you DO need to run it like a business- which means figuring in the cost of your birds from hatching to laying as a base expense.
It is VERY, very difficult to make ANY money on a small homestead operation. Certain, very specific locations can do it, but those are generally closer to a large city than most of us here woukd want to be located. And it requires a unique set of skills... including good sales and people skills.
I'm not trying to discourage you, not at all! But yes, a realistic attitude and the ability to run a *realistic* cash flow is vital if you aren't going to end up disappointed. And there are different levels... start SLOW! You may find that it makes more sense to keep a couple dozen hens, selling all but a dozen eggs a week (or whatever your personal use is) and consider your "free" eggs to be the profit. You can do the same with produce... grow enough for yourself, and sone extra to sell at a roadside stand or farmers market. If you're lucky, the sales will cover all your growing costs- leaving your net cost for what you ate $0.
And the really cool thing is- none of what you consume is reportable as income!
I'd rather raise my own any day, but it also makes financial sense. If you buy a dozen eggs at the store for $2, you had to make close to $4 at a job to have that $2 to spend after taxes. It takes less than 10 minutes a day to care for a flock that will give several dozen a day, and you are your own boss.
You know, the one breed that really ticks most people's "wants" when starting with chickens is the Americauna (they are a, er... less than pure? Version of the South American Araucana blue egg laying breed) The ones available at most American hatcheries are bred for egg color egg laying ability, and a mixed color flock. Most of my current flock is a "barnyard" mix of Americaunas, Whitings True Blues and Cuckoo Marans. They lay well, consistently, and in an amazing assortment of colors. Despite their small/light size (which is a benefit because they don't need as much feed to maintain themselves) they handle cold weather fine.
The Whitings True Blues were an experiment from McMurray hatchery. They did lay well, and the eggs were a pale blue. However... the eggshell quality was the worst I've ever seen... consistently. I've never see that many cracked shells. And the birds are flakier than hell! I mean, bouncing off the ceiling flaky if you walk into the coop! And since they weigh about 2#, it's impossible to keep them in an enclosure, even if you clip wings.
Fortunately, all those traits bred out of the first generation cross... but we also lost most of the blue color. <shrug> at least the eggs don't break.
Oh... I hear you on the sex links, but I've got to say, the Golden Comets were some of the nicest birds I had. Gorgeous- the chicks were like a dilute-color chipmunk- sort of apricot striped . And the hens were pretty, too. They laid a lot of large eggs! But, interestingly enougj, slthough thry were listed as non setters, we had one hen sneak off to the haymow and raise a clutch of chicks twice!
Oh, BTW... the eggs will still be fertile for up to 21 days after your roo disappeared. (I say "up to" because one insemination fertilizes about 3 weeks worth of eggs in the hen. But you don't know when that was! I did this last summer... I got an order for chicks, and three days later, the rooster dropped dead! And she didn't want them until a couple months later.
I quickly gathered enough eggs to fill the incubator and set 42. I hatched 26, which wasn't too bad. Beats buying chicks!
Summerthyme
