Cost of keeping a rooster

Bare with me so I can ask my questions as I am making some assumptions here that may not hold water. I have read that poeple sell eating eggs for $2 to $6 a dozen, I am assuming some have higher costs but each person feels they are getting a fair return for their eggs. Here is where it gets fuzzy for me. I assume breeders have 3 chickens and one rooster, therefore they can collect a dozen eggs every four days. Those eggs are sold for $24 to $60 a dozen. the only difference I see in producing those hatching eggs is they have to have a rooster. $ 24 - $2=$22-4days=$4.5 a day for the rooster services.$60-6=$54divideed by 4 days=$13.5 for the rooster servives. Does it cost $4.5-$13.5 a day to keep a rooster? The numbers will change with the ratio of hens would it cost $54 a day for a rooster if you had 12 hens? Is there a cheaper way to get fertilized eggs? Is it just supply and demand? When someone comes to get eggs do you ask are you eating them or hatching them to determine the price? Do they always come from different Places? When you sell hatching eggs are they free of all defects?

You bring up a VERY interesting point!

WHy is it that a fertile dozen eating eggs are cheap and a dozen hatching eggs are up to 10 times as much?

I have never thought about this before.

But I do know that some farmers will sell you hay at $5 a bale if it's for cows and $7 a bale for horses.

Can you say, crooked as a stick in water?

I think with the cost of hatching eggs, you are paying for potential. Potential flock, potential income. You are paying for further use...your own breeders perhaps. But regular eating eggs, well that's just buying breakfast, isn't it? And yet they come out of the same chicken butt often with the same rooster that produces the hatching eggs. It's a conundrum.

I have a laying pen which sometimes includes a rooster and sometimes does not. The laying pen usually consists of birds I do not collect eggs for hatching from. They maybe are not a good enough in type or feather, or they are just a breed that interests me but I am not breeding. I will say I don't sell my eggs but eat them and give them away.

When I grow out roosters it is to choose some for my breeding pens. We eat whatever doesn't make the grade. I suppose they turn out to be expensive food for us, but I would be growing out for breeding anyways, it is a bonus to have a breed that produces something nice to eat.

I only collect hatching eggs from birds that I feel have potential to reproduce better than themselves. So to me those eggs would have more value than eggs from my laying pen.

Because my birds are my hobby, I don't really look at the cost of things. I try to do it as economically as possible, but to me the really good birds for breeding have huge value and the others are yummy or lay nice eggs for other people.

It certainly doesn't cost that much to keep a rooster. However, acquiring that rooster may have cost 50-100$, depending, not to mention the cost to acquire purebred hens of good quality.

I'm happy to sell someone my mutt, mixed breed eating eggs for hatching, they are still only $4, but I have no idea how fertile they are, and while the eggs were laid by pure bred hens, they are also the hens with crooked toes, tails, or off coloring. The roosters, though usually of good quality (I keep spares for breeding with the laying flock), are not the same breed as the hens.

If you'd like to buy purebred eggs for hatching, I need to recover some of the costs I've incurred to buy good quality stock, feed stock, compensate for the extra two hours of chores a day that it takes to feed the multiple pure bred pens, not to mention the costs of the pens themselves. I also check fertility regularly, either by incubating eggs (need an incubator for this part, plus it adds up on the hydro bill), or by cracking eggs open to check for fertility (this method doesn't give you any idea about the HATCHABILITY of the eggs, just whether they are fertile). It's definitely not a big time money making business, and I still need to work a regular job.

My hatching egg prices depend on the cost of my stock as well as the price of the same eggs from other breeders. I try to keep prices fair, and I try to have some hatching eggs that are less costly so that if someone wants purebred hatching eggs, they don't have to pay an arm and a leg.


Also, there is no possible way you would be able to collect a dozen hatching eggs over 4 eggs from 4 hens. Heritage hens lay pretty well, but not every day. You can't keep eggs for hatching that are too dirty, have a crack, are too oblong, or misshapen in any other way, and for my marans eggs I discard the lighter eggs for eating.


Hope that helps to answer your question.

When I sell hatching eggs, I collect them several times throughout the day so as to keep them from getting chilled (depending on the time of year, of course). Also, I sell only the very best of eggs with that are not misshaped in any way and that are of a good size. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I do put more work and care into gathering eggs for hatching. Also, when gathering hatching eggs, I have my birds separated in pens according to breeds whereas during the rest of the year I tend to let them run together in a couple big flocks and only summer a couple roos over. Then there is the care of the hatching egg while collecting them ie rolling them. So personally for me it is a matter of the extra work involved in collecting eggs for hatching.

I prefer something closer to 8 hens per rooster for chickens. But the real answer is no, you're not paying for the rooster alone. You're paying for the cost of building breeding pens, the assurance that it is purebred, the increased length of daily chores having to visit so many more pens each morning and evening, and very especially the knowledge and effort of a breeder who has taken the time to learn their breed and work till the wee hours of the morning some nights sorting and assessing birds for breeding potential, and a good breeder will have been doing this for years before ever selling you a hatching egg.

Compare that to the effort of more or less sticking some hens in a coop, giving them some bedding, food and water and waiting for some eggs to pop out and you can get a better understanding of the price difference.

When selling hatching eggs anyone who would say the resulting chicks will be free of defects is not being truthful. Some defects such as crooked toes can be a result of the incubation process or genetics, and others are just genetics. Seeing there is no perfect bird out there, all birds have defects if going by the Standard of Perfection as I don't think anyone has bred the absolutlely perfect bird yet and those can be slight or major and can be color faults or type faults.
As for genetic faults one would have to ask the breeder if they are having any problems with known genetic faults for whatever breed interests you.

Heather

You're paying for the genes, the breeding rights.

This is pretty standard stuff in genetic circles. There are substantial and complex international treaties over rights to germplasm (as well as a long history of exploitation).

Think purebred pets - if you want to breed that puppy or kitten, you pay WAY more. If you just want it as an end-product (i.e. pet), it is either neutered before you get it, or you sign a legal agreement to have it neutered.

Even for mixed-breed eggs, I charge a small premium if the person wants them for hatching.

Of course I charge more for my hatching eggs than eating eggs.

I charge more for hatching eggs of guaranteed freshness and hatchability from my show quality top bloodline Cochins than I do for hatching eggs from my mediocre Chanticler eggs. I guarantee freshness, that they arrive safely etc.

I charge not much for my farm fresh eating eggs, that may or may not be fertilized, could be of a more than 7 days old age, and I do not guarantee that yuo know how to cook.

I get a couple of bucks , or nothing at all, for a hodge podge of eggs from various nests that someone wants so they can hatch out some chicks, try out thier incubator, have a few farm yard eggs.

It has nothing to do with the cost of keeping a rooster, it has everythng to do with the effort and expense that went into creating those hatching eggs, and the guarantees that come with.

I am new at this so my opinion does not come from experience.
Not sure if there are eggs worth that kind of money, unless maybe you can verify that they eggs are a direct decendent from a top bird, ( do we have them?)
Even then you are taken a risk that is not worth it, think about it.
You buy 2 dozen eggs from breeder, at $40 x 2 = $80.00
Maybe they will even charge you for shipping?
Now you have about the following chances of getting hens from 2 dozen eggs, 50% and that is nature doing its way.
You are now down to twelve hens at $80.00 if you do not figure incubation etc etc.
You can be sure on average to lose not hatch or die at 50%
That would give you 6 hens.
Some breeds you have to raise then before you can sex them, that ends up costing at least $15.00 per bird, x 18 = $270.00( don't have to raise the once that don't hatch) in this case you should be happy buying eggs and pray they don't hatch, just kidding of course, but that is how upside down this is, for you buying eggs, but there is a other side to the story, and that makes it worth while for the egg sellers, your loss is there gain, the worse it is for you the better for them.
Let's finish the math here.
$270.00
$. 80.00
Total $350.00 for 6 hens, and most likely from the 6 hens not one would be worthy to show, you would need on average 4-6 dozen eggs to get one hen thats worth it, would love to hear what I am doing wrong, but please show the math.

Henk van

Your math is probably about right.
I still fail to see the issue.

I want eggs from Breeder X's special flock.
She wants $146.23 per dozen.
I can buy them or not buy them. That is my choice.

If a person wants cheap chicks then they can buy chicks or eggs from a different source

If I want THOSE eggs, then that is the price I must pay.
My choice.

Well said arctic

Another way of looking at it.

I can buy 100 chicks at $5 each from a hatchery of varying bloodlines possibly, pay the shippping. $100 and paperwork $100 and hope to raise 10 chicks that I can use for breeding. 10 chicks for $700 plus the cost of raising about 80-100 chicks to the age of evaluation.

I can buy 50 eggs from breeder A, who has some fairly good birds. The eggs plus shipping cost me $500. Plus $25 for incubating them myself. I hatch out a fair percentage and end up with 10 chicks I can use for breeding. 10 chicks for $525 plus the cost of raising 35 to 45 chicks to the age of evaluation.

I can buy 35 eggs from breeder B, who has an amazing and consistant bloodline. The eggs plus shipping cost me $500. Plus $25 for incubating them myself. I hatch out a good percentage and end up with 25 chicks I can use for breeding. 25 chicks for $525 plus the cost of raising 30 to 35 chicks to the age of evaluation.


On the other hand, if I want some fast grow broilers to pop into the freezer at 2 or 3 months old, then I will call the local hatchery and order some cheap commercial chicks, grow them fast, and send them all off to freezer camp.

I can buy a chihuahua dog crossed with a rat (shitrat) for 1200 dollars on kijiji and all it does not even lay eggs and is no good for eating either!

I bet it doesnt even taste like chicken!

Sorry, as usual I see it is about choice.
Now I see, her question was; do I have the freedom to buy eggs at $123.00 or not
the answer is YES.

Just one minute before I sent this off, let me again read her question.
Does not talk about if she can do this or not, of course she can.
Most likely if it was illegal she would not asked if she should buy eggs.
She is asking the cost of keeping a rooster, not asking if a rooster is friendly or not.
She then helps us out with some math, and says hey guys what is this?
then gets people telling her you have free choice, of course we know we have free choice.

It's sure nice that people think, because there are lots of people who prefer you don't

Henk Van

Hey there,


So i have a bit(err lot for my age) background on farming. I see the merit's on charging more for hatching eggs then eating eggs. When i was talking to a breeder friend from BC, she does not consider anyone with < 25 birds /breed a breeder. So if you were going to have 5 pens each with 4 hens one rooster, you could get 20 eggs in one day and others you may only get 10. Also those roosters are really just eating and mating with the hens. Also when factoring egg prices some people factor .5-1% for housing upgrades etc. Also as a farmer i may also matain some other lines and projects that are not being sold publicly. There are all these things you need to factor in when selling hatching eggs. Same thing allpies to produce, meat etc. Also what if some of the breeds need AI, like some of the better Cochains. Or Hungrains (really trying to work with them in this area) this means a higher cost of those eggs, as this has to be repeated every few days using pipeets that need to be disposed of. This does not account for buying the stock.

The way I read her post was....

the only difference I see in producing those hatching eggs is they have to have a rooster.... Does it cost $4.5-$13.5 a day to keep a rooster? The numbers will change with the ratio of hens would it cost $54 a day for a rooster if you had 12 hens?
I tried to point out that the cost of keeping a rooster has little to nothing to do with the determination of the price of eggs.

Is there a cheaper way to get fertilized eggs?
Yes, buy from a cheaper source, I listed how I price my eggs as an example.

Is it just supply and demand?
No, it is supply, demand, and owner determined value.

When someone comes to get eggs do you ask are you eating them or hatching them to determine the price?
Yes, I need to know if they want eggs to eat (any egg will do) or if they want hatching eggs, which come from specific birds, meet specific requirements and come with specific guarantees.

Do they always come from different Places?
OK, I didnt really understand this part, but Im thinking that this person might be thinking that there is only one supplier of hjatching eggs??? If so, there are many places to get hatching eggs. Many people sell them.

When you sell hatching eggs are they free of all defects?
No one can sell PERFECT eggs that will guarnateed produce Perfect chicks. Breeding genetics is an educated guess, but not a guarantee generally and of course the effect of incubation and shippping changes things.
Experienced and reputable breeders do thier best to produce the best producing eggs they can. You have a better chance of getting a better bird from a person with a high quality , well established, consistant bloodline. BUt you will pay mor money for that.

Yes there is a other way to get lower cost eggs( fertilized )
Buy adult hens and they will lay them for you for the cost of feed.

Henk

.

Tara, I’ve followed along through all your math and explanations, and I concur! I think your calculations are right on the mark! It is really helpful to look at the bottom line of how the cost of raising chickens from eggs translates into dollars and cents.

Now, I’m not saying it is wrong or not worthwhile to buy eggs on occasion. Sometimes there are other reasons why a person might prefer to buy eggs rather than adults. If the priority is not necessarily to get the kind of consistent quality you want for developing show lines, but more focused on getting a quantity of chicks of a particular breed, eggs might be the way to go. If the buyer manages to hatch out a good number of chicks, it’s possible to keep a few for yourself and sell a few to re-coupe some of the cost of the eggs and shipping, and there isn’t anything wrong with that. I intentionally did this last year with Sebrights and Wyandottes and it worked out quite well.

I personally think the main reason there is such a high demand for hatching eggs is the convenience factor. Egg sellers are easy to find via websites, forums, buy & sell sites including ebay ..you can just email in your order and sit back and wait for the eggs to arrive. They can be shipped from anywhere in Canada if you’re willing to take your chances. Easy peasy!

On the other hand, sourcing out a breeder and arranging to purchase a quality trio can take a lot of research, time and perseverance. You start by reading breeder directories, attending poultry shows and researching show results. Then you make contact with the breeder , but chances are they don’t have anything available right away to sell you. So you must wait patiently, maybe a year. Then there is the distance factor – you might have a long distance to travel or be paying air fare to get them to you and if it involves crossing the US border, that’s another whole set of hurdles to jump through.

But if you can find a way to purchase that trio, it is so worth it. If your goal is to acquire the best possible birds to supplement your breeding program, I still say there is nothing like dealing with a well established breeder with a proven track record. It is so worth the cost and effort. and the positive influence of those excellent genetics in your stock will pay off year after year.

I think nearly every top breeder would not risk his/her reputation by sending you something that should have been culled for defects, or birds that are infested with mites. By the time he or she has a nice mature trio to sell you, you can be pretty confident you are getting quality birds. These birds have been assessed and passed inspection (probably at many different stages of development), and the breeder is now proud to share them with you. The birds have long passed the age of being at risk for coccidiosis; they have not died from Mareks. They come from good healthy stock and if you keep them safe from foxes etc, chances at this point are really good you will have these birds for a good long time. Eggs might be a whole lot easier, but a quality bird is an investment.

Wel said I think.
You have done the cost analysis and it sure looks that if you want to be ahead, pay for adults and you most likely have hundreds of dollars of saving.
Have not seen anyone posting anything like this with eggs, would look forward to seeing it.

Henk

Thank you all for your replies. Let me see if I have it, it cost the same to keep a rooster as a hen. It cost the same to feed and raise a mutt and a purebred. It costs the same to feed and raise a chicken to lay eggs for eating or hatching. The price of hatching eggs is more because of future breeding, and supply and demand. The buyer of hatching eggs for the most part assumes all responsiblity for failure of the eggs. For the most part you should be happy with a hatch rate above %80. You still pay the premium on the failures. Sellers feel that if they spent $30 raising a chicken, it is worth $30 plus profit, even if it is inferior quality. Sellers will sell purebreds to unsuspecting buyers just to recover their costs. Sellers charge a premium to cover the costs of projects they have, that don't pay for themselfs. Being new I bring these things up for discussion, I know there are some really good sellers, on the same token there are bad ones. Some of these things happened to me even though I was dealing with CHB mambers who claim they are breeding to improve the breed. How does selling purebreeds that are only good for the soup pot to new people claiming they are breeding stock, help the breed or peoples desires to grow their own food? I really don't care what you charge as someone said I can pay or go without. I don't care if you do make a profit, most time you should or you can't keep going, just man up and say we sell for X amount because we can.

I'm not sure why there's so many negative posts on hatching eggs lately.

Here's how I see it. I sell hatching eggs and chicks. I don't have the space to grow out extra chicks for selling for the most part. I keep culls in my laying pen for eating eggs, I butcher extra roo's and the really good quality hens are used in the breeding pens. If/when I do sell extra pullets worthy of breeding, they aren't less then $30 each.

So, if someone wants to buy 6 black copper chicks from me, they are $12 each. That gives a total cost of $72. They are chicks free of obvious defects, but I can't, of course, guarantee that they will grow into show/breeding quality birds.

If someone wants to save money and buy hatching eggs, they are $60 for a dozen, and I always include a minimum of 2 extra eggs. Even with 50% hatch rate, they still get 7 chicks, for $60.

If people want chicks, they should buy chicks. If they want to be guarantee'd pullets for a low price, that's what hatcheries are for. It's not easy to be the little guy trying to have the birds pay for themselves, or at the very least not cost too much money. It's hard to read these types of threads when you're doing the best you can, replace eggs for free on poor hatches, and answer countless emails to anyone interested in poultry.

Edited to add - that I realize that hatching eggs isn't the best way to acquire quality birds, BUT, it's the easiest way to get less common breeds spread around Canada in an effort to increase their numbers. When working with a tiny population, sharing them with a couple others primarily so that the line isn't lost is sometimes the first goal. Sharing the improved line is the second goal, for me.

$5 till processing. But I have my feed cost down to $10/year/chicken. Forget infrastructure, that's your beef, the chikn don't care if it drinks from an old tire and shelters under an old board, it just wants to be with it's own kind. The hen that lay the egg paid for herself the first year of eggs so forget that cost. The actual egg I hatched(under my armpit of course) cost $10 divided by 365 days, give or take thay dont lay every day. If I use my Hovabator it sucks up about $2 in electricity. If I use the brinsea 190 it's around $10 in electricity and 10 gallons of distiller water for the month. Past that any munny I spend or make is my problem, my choice. Now my time, on the other hand, is irreplaceable and priceless to me so the cost to you will be the same if you have no chikns to start with.
GOT BUCKEYE...GOT SWAGGA. Lol