are chooks cost effective?

[Gorsty]

The we had to get some onduline as the lid leaked.D

a

Hi ya

We need to do something with our clucky house roof - what is Onduline?

Interesting!

Regards

[CoraxAurata]

The 'cheap' Layers are �6.80 + VAT here ...............

[Hilary B]

a

Hi ya

We need to do something with our clucky house roof - what is Onduline?

Interesting!

Regards

Onduline is a roofing material, best description is corrugated, semi-rigid sheets of roofing felt. Very effective, but needs to either be at a reasonably steep angle, or supported by close-spaced 'purlins' (less than 3ft would be my suggestion). All too often we see it insufficiently supported, and it SAGS.

[bluemoon]

The 'cheap' Layers are �6.80 + VAT here ...............

Our feed merchant prices up everything without adding the VAT first, but layers pellets and other livestock feeds do not have VAT added at the till either. I believe that livestock feed is supposed to be VAT free, but pet feed has to have VAT added. This causes some confusion with certain feeds, for example rabbits can be either livestock or pets, the feed merchant doesn't add VAT to the rabbit food, but ASDA, for instance, does. This makes it cheaper for us to buy the rabbit food at the same time as the layers pellets. It's the same with dog food, those manufactured for pet dogs have VAT added, those for working dogs don't. In this case it isn't possible to buy worker dog food instead as it is too high in calories, but the rabbit food is exactly the same brand.

[CoraxAurata]

Hmm they may not have charged me VAT, I can't honestly say I checked that column on my receipt properly.....

[CoraxAurata]

You'd think I'd know this, especially the dog food ref as my dogs do get working dog food.... duh!

thankyou bluemoon.

[msflocks]

I dont think they do, unless they live a long time, but I did spend �140 on their house!!! 3 pekin bantams. they cost me nothing at 8 weeks old, and the food, as they're little cost �4 for 5kg and they only just ran out (6 weeks). Also, I spoke to the lady at the farm shop and i could have 2 or 3 free range hens for nothing if i want them. so apart from the house they are ok cost wise! I havent had any eggs from the chicks yet, another few weeks yet, but if they lay 2 a day between them that's 84 eggs in 6 weeks during summer, at about �4 of feed. not bad i'd say!

[msflocks]

did I just talk myself round????

[Tiny1000]

did I just talk myself round????

Just go for it!

[MaureenHall]

yup certainly sounds like it

[NOG]

Growing your own veg is not cost efective....I could work Saturday and earn enough money to buy all my veg from Harrods and still be in profit.

But I like growing all my stuff.

[bluemoon]

Growing your own veg is not cost efective....I could work Saturday and earn enough money to buy all my veg from Harrods and still be in profit.

But I like growing all my stuff.

I find that growing the fruit and veg is cost effective, I suppose it depends upon how much you grow, how much you preserve and what type of veg you like to eat. A quick calculation the other week suggested that our homegrown saved us 90% on shop prices, but did include lots of soft fruit which is a ridiculous price in the supermarkets. It's certainly fresher and tastier too, which can't really be quantified.

[Snadger]

Growing your own veg is not cost efective....I could work Saturday and earn enough money to buy all my veg from Harrods and still be in profit.
.

Wish my job paid THAT well!

[bobleponge]

Maybe I'm in the minority but I think my chicks were (past tense, boo hoo) cost efficient.
I only bought scabby chicks from the local market at a couple of euro, I think we bought 6 when we moved. The house already has a chicken house in the garden, so that cost nothing. I used to buy a bag of pellets at around 12 euro every 6-8 weeks, but they were predominantly free range, and I mean really free range. The door on the coop was never shut, nor the fence in their area. I regularly used to see them half way to the village in the next door field, about 600 yards from my garden.
Would get an egg a day in spring and summer, and obviously less in winter, but still never bought eggs, even in the very depths.
We hatched out a couple of broods for eating, and they were quite simply the best chicken I've ever tasted.
As for the eggs, its all been said. Just too gorgeous.
And they are brilliant fun. Once I live at home full time again, the first thing I'm going to do is pop to the market on Tuesday and buy half a dozen chicks.

[kiwirach]

i'm finding this a very interesting thread.......now i have a very dumb question, primarily cos i havent done any research into keeping chooks as i'm not in a position to atm.

do the chooks lay year round?.....i notice you all mostly mention spring/summer. what sort of numbers can you expect per season....someone mentioned 1/day per bird in the summer....what would that bird produce in winter?.

would love to keep chooks....and will one day!!