Ways to Make Money on Small and Large Chicken Farms
Ways to make money on small and large chicken farms, tips from farmers who are making money, best tips on how to market your eggs and meat.
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
A chicken farm no matter how large or how small can make money. It's not just going to drop in the nest box (or maybe it will). It will take dedication, hard work, and advertising to get established customers. No matter whether you are starting with a small flock or going commercial here is some information that will help. You will need some basic things to start a chicken farm, such as, land, housing units for the birds and a basic knowledge of poultry farming. If you do not have these yet, you need to learn all you can, pay off all of your debts, and start saving money. You can start small, by buying a few acres of land preferably with a house and barn but if you can only afford the land, a camper, and a pickup truck you will be off to a good start. You can build your own chicken tractors from used materials you can find on Craigslist, on the side of the road, ask businesses, friends, and relatives. Make a plan of what you want to do and how you plan to accomplish it. Enlist the help of family and friends if you can. Below you will find some very useful tips and information on how to make money on a chicken farm.
Ways to Make Money on a Chicken Farm
If you are a backyard farmer just looking for a way to cover your feed bill, a small scale farm looking to expand your operation into commercial farming or are already a commercial poultry farmer here are some good idea's to help you make more money.
How to Make Money On Egg Farms:
1. Sell eggs
2. Sell fertilizer: Compost feces and dirty bedding to make fertilizer
3. Sell baby chicks
4. Raise and sell 'point of lay' hens
4. Collect & sell feathers that fall off the birds
5. Make crafts from discarded feathers (not plucked feathers) and sell them (make sure they are cleaned properly)
6. Reduce your feed costs by using cheaper feed, alternative feed sources or make your own feed (if you make your own feed make sure you are meeting the birds nutritional needs)
7. Reduce your overhead costs: Use solar power to run lights and electric fencing
Expand your farming operation to include other ways to make money such as raising cattle if you have enough land, growing vegetables and fruit trees, grow honey bees. (See more below the video).
How to Make Money On Meat bird Farms:
1. Raise meat birds and sell the meat
2. Compost and sell fertilizer made from feces, dirty bedding, and food scraps
3. Get a contract from a major meat bird poultry supplier
4. Collect, clean and sell discarded feathers or sell crafts made from them.
5. Become a contract grower for a reputable poultry supplier (be aware that becoming a contract grower
involves huge loans and risks).
6. Expand your farming operation to include other ways to make money such as raising cattle if you have enough land, growing vegetables and fruit trees, grow honey bees. See more below the video.
How to Make Money On Egg Farms:
1. Sell eggs
2. Sell fertilizer: Compost feces and dirty bedding to make fertilizer
3. Sell baby chicks
4. Raise and sell 'point of lay' hens
4. Collect & sell feathers that fall off the birds
5. Make crafts from discarded feathers (not plucked feathers) and sell them (make sure they are cleaned properly)
6. Reduce your feed costs by using cheaper feed, alternative feed sources or make your own feed (if you make your own feed make sure you are meeting the birds nutritional needs)
7. Reduce your overhead costs: Use solar power to run lights and electric fencing
Expand your farming operation to include other ways to make money such as raising cattle if you have enough land, growing vegetables and fruit trees, grow honey bees. (See more below the video).
How to Make Money On Meat bird Farms:
1. Raise meat birds and sell the meat
2. Compost and sell fertilizer made from feces, dirty bedding, and food scraps
3. Get a contract from a major meat bird poultry supplier
4. Collect, clean and sell discarded feathers or sell crafts made from them.
5. Become a contract grower for a reputable poultry supplier (be aware that becoming a contract grower
involves huge loans and risks).
6. Expand your farming operation to include other ways to make money such as raising cattle if you have enough land, growing vegetables and fruit trees, grow honey bees. See more below the video.
Featured Video: Normal Guy Quits JOB to Farm (pastured chickens)
Ways to make your homestead farm more profitable
If you are raising chickens for meat and eggs for your family you have probably already discovered that it can get pretty expensive and may have learned ways to cut your overhead and feed costs. Selling chicken eggs and chicken meat on your own can be done but you need to check with your county to find out what ordinances, rules, and laws allow you to do in your area. If you love homesteading and want to make it self sustaining you will need to manage your money carefully and consider ways to expand your farming operation . Expand your farming operation to include other ways to make money such as raising cattle, growing vegetables and fruit trees, grow honey bees if you have enough land. Before you jump into anything, do your research, read books, watch video's, visit or offer to do some volunteer farm work on successful farms and ask them how they did it while you are there.
Featured Video: How to Make Money Farming/Two Things Successful Farmers have in common
How to Sell Your Eggs and chickens
You can use traditional sources and modern sources to sell your eggs. Before you attempt to sell your eggs or chicken meat make sure that your birds are well taken care of and healthy, that you have met any local legal requirements or gotten any permits you need to do so. You can usually call your local courthouse or county clerk to get this information.
Modern ways to sell your eggs and chickens:
Advertise on the Internet: Almost everyone is on the internet these days and more people are getting online every single day.
1. Make a Facebook page and a Twitter page for you farm, this is FREE advertisement and will get you customers. Join groups on Facebook that buy sell and trade and advertise your products there. Make sure you give a short description that tells why your eggs are good. For example, don't just say "Farm Fresh Eggs For Sale" Call this number. That might get you one or two customers but a description of your eggs would be better. For example, "Farm Fresh Organic Eggs From Locally Raised Hens for Sale" This makes the buyer think your eggs may be better than the eggs sold by the farmer that gave no description.
2. Utilize websites that will allow you to sell your products online Free.
3. Build a website. Building a basic website is no harder than what you do on Facebook. I can personally recommend Weebly.com as a great place to build a Free website which can be upgraded later for a small fee each month and then you can sell your products directly from your website and ship them to your buyers. If you are only selling your products locally you can use the free account to let potential customers know how to contact you, show photos and video's, add descriptions of your product and it helps people recognize you as a legitimate business.
4. Make Youtube video to show people how and where your birds are raised and make sure you include order and contact information at the end of your video. (You can also monetize these video's to make money).
5. Make sure you put your company name on all your photos you use online, in small print and allow other websites to use those photos'..that's free advertisement for you.
Sell Directly to Merchants:
Eliminate the middleman costs. Go to your local restaurants, stores, and other businesses. Give them a free sample of your product and ask them to try it. Give them your business card and a brochure or your website if you have one. Be sure you talk to someone who is in charge, like a manager or business owner.
Offer Incentives to Potential Buyers:
Offer coupons and discounts on a regular basis. People love to save money.
Packaging:
Make sure you package your eggs or meat in new containers, looks fresh, professional, and inviting. If you can afford to do it put your company logo or a great photo of your chickens, and contact information on it.
Research Your Competition:
Find out if there is anyone else in your area offering the same products and if there is find a way to make yours better.
If you have not done so already, start your business, make a name for your business, make a business plan, get a tax ID number. Find out more about this on my other website, Business Management Made Easy. https://businessmanagementmadeeasy.weebly.com/starting.html
Important Note:
Collect your chicken eggs daily and refrigerate them. Before selling them you need to wash them, size them, and put them in new cartons.(See How to Label Egg Cartons).
Traditional advertising:
Newspaper ads
Flyers
Posting on local boards
Get & Distribute Business Cards:
Get business cards and distribute them locally-Many stores will allow you to put a few business cards by their cash registers. Give one to people when you talk to them about what you do and what you are selling.
Be sure to keep accurate records for each of your chickens which include hatch dates, vaccinations, breed, name, and health issues. See more about keeping records for your flock
Modern ways to sell your eggs and chickens:
Advertise on the Internet: Almost everyone is on the internet these days and more people are getting online every single day.
1. Make a Facebook page and a Twitter page for you farm, this is FREE advertisement and will get you customers. Join groups on Facebook that buy sell and trade and advertise your products there. Make sure you give a short description that tells why your eggs are good. For example, don't just say "Farm Fresh Eggs For Sale" Call this number. That might get you one or two customers but a description of your eggs would be better. For example, "Farm Fresh Organic Eggs From Locally Raised Hens for Sale" This makes the buyer think your eggs may be better than the eggs sold by the farmer that gave no description.
2. Utilize websites that will allow you to sell your products online Free.
3. Build a website. Building a basic website is no harder than what you do on Facebook. I can personally recommend Weebly.com as a great place to build a Free website which can be upgraded later for a small fee each month and then you can sell your products directly from your website and ship them to your buyers. If you are only selling your products locally you can use the free account to let potential customers know how to contact you, show photos and video's, add descriptions of your product and it helps people recognize you as a legitimate business.
4. Make Youtube video to show people how and where your birds are raised and make sure you include order and contact information at the end of your video. (You can also monetize these video's to make money).
5. Make sure you put your company name on all your photos you use online, in small print and allow other websites to use those photos'..that's free advertisement for you.
Sell Directly to Merchants:
Eliminate the middleman costs. Go to your local restaurants, stores, and other businesses. Give them a free sample of your product and ask them to try it. Give them your business card and a brochure or your website if you have one. Be sure you talk to someone who is in charge, like a manager or business owner.
Offer Incentives to Potential Buyers:
Offer coupons and discounts on a regular basis. People love to save money.
Packaging:
Make sure you package your eggs or meat in new containers, looks fresh, professional, and inviting. If you can afford to do it put your company logo or a great photo of your chickens, and contact information on it.
Research Your Competition:
Find out if there is anyone else in your area offering the same products and if there is find a way to make yours better.
If you have not done so already, start your business, make a name for your business, make a business plan, get a tax ID number. Find out more about this on my other website, Business Management Made Easy. https://businessmanagementmadeeasy.weebly.com/starting.html
Important Note:
Collect your chicken eggs daily and refrigerate them. Before selling them you need to wash them, size them, and put them in new cartons.(See How to Label Egg Cartons).
Traditional advertising:
Newspaper ads
Flyers
Posting on local boards
Get & Distribute Business Cards:
Get business cards and distribute them locally-Many stores will allow you to put a few business cards by their cash registers. Give one to people when you talk to them about what you do and what you are selling.
Be sure to keep accurate records for each of your chickens which include hatch dates, vaccinations, breed, name, and health issues. See more about keeping records for your flock
References:
1. Normal Guy Quits JOB to Farm (pastured chickens). (2018). YouTube. Retrieved 8 February 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-75_YgTDKQ
2. How To Make Money Farming | TWO Things Successful Farmers Have in Common. (2018). YouTube. Retrieved 8 February 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yDUEg4urS4&t=640s
1. Normal Guy Quits JOB to Farm (pastured chickens). (2018). YouTube. Retrieved 8 February 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-75_YgTDKQ
2. How To Make Money Farming | TWO Things Successful Farmers Have in Common. (2018). YouTube. Retrieved 8 February 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yDUEg4urS4&t=640s
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About Corona Virus Covid 19 and Chickens. Studies show you cannot get Covid 19 from chickens or other livestock. The Covid 19 strain found in poultry and livestock is NOT the same strain that is currently spreading across the world in humans. Keep your chickens coops and all supplies clean and sanitized to protect your chickens.
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