Owning one’s own hens is actually a fad right now in my neighborhood. My uncle has constructed a huge hen house with a chicken wire fenced in yard. The hutch is heated in the winter and they buy bags of chicken feed from the pet store. He claims they save a fortune on eggs.
They must eat eggs for every meal! A carton of eggs last me at least two or three weeks and I highly doubt they heat that hen hutch for less than the $2 it cost to buy eggs.We just house sat for a family that has a hen house in their back garden.Owning one’s own hens is actually a fad right now in my neighborhood. My uncle has constructed a huge hen house with a chicken wire fenced in yard. The hutch is heated in the winter and they buy bags of chicken feed from the pet store. He claims they save a fortune on eggs.
Right. There’s no way my family spends more than $100 a year on eggs–and I’m kind of betting on $50.Owning one’s own hens is actually a fad right now in my neighborhood. My uncle has constructed a huge hen house with a chicken wire fenced in yard. The hutch is heated in the winter and they buy bags of chicken feed from the pet store. He claims they save a fortune on eggs.
We own, so we pay our own water bill. When we wash, about two to three times between spring and end of fall, we use a gallon bucket with a tiny bit of cleaner for the interiors and another gallon bucket for exteriors. About three minutes rinse with the hose.
And that’s why we only wash a few times a year at most!
He’s not a sports guy, so that’s good. And we do like Brit stuff, so we’ll have to check check out Acorn. Never heard of it before, thanks!
MJJean;13135633 said:
It is dependent on which way your windows face, but quite a lot can be grown in even very small pots. Even though we have a yard, I still prefer to grow herbs inside (which are a big money savings vs. paying for them at the store).
Actually, it seems that if you can butcher them yourself or know someone who could do it well and cheaply, rabbits are the meat to raise yourself. I recall reading that just three could generate more meat than a whole steer over the course of a year. 
I may have mentioned this before on a thread you were on, but every so often I go on a sprout spree. I have a set up with a special plastic sprouting cup (it drains better than keeping it just in a plain glass jar, but probably isn’t strictly necessary) and every so often I buy a bag of sprouting seeds. A small quantity of seeds plus water produces an amazing quantity of sprouts. And this can be done in a very small space on a kitchen counter. The seeds can be mail ordered (including in huge quantities), but there are probably less expensive sources.
pensmama87;13135661 said:
My aunt and uncle live alone. They’re empty nesters. They aren’t allowed to sell the eggs, so they do give a lot away, and they like their chickens and think they are fun. However, they are definitely NOT saving money by having them. I think the rule in most townships is six laying hens, no roosters. Even if every single hen laid an egg every day, that’s three and a half dozen eggs a week, max. Not really enough to turn a profit, and in my county, you aren’t allowed to sell them without a license anyway.
I already know they would flourish living in our yard. We have bunnies constantly.
Yeah, if I didn’t have a cat I might figure out how to grow a bit more stuff. As it is I’m sure I’d just come home to whatever I tried shoved onto the floor.
They are periods when hens do not lay at all folks.
Yeah. You totally would. So many different possibilities, actually!
Pets do not always mix with frugality, especially when you don’t have a setup to exclude them from certain areas. Not that I’d consider getting rid of my cat to save money unless it was a real emergency.
Yeah. I expect kitty is very good for you.
I call her the therapurr. She even comes when called!
Awwww!