[amy-shaw]

I am hoping to get a production line running for my chickens so that I can make a profit and keep pigs off the money. I am putting eggs in the incubator and then outside after they have their feathers.
Do I need to vaccinate for salmonella?
I am doing a scaley leg treatment regular, as it states on the bottle. I am worming them currently as I did not know how regular this needed doing.
Is the salmonella vaccine something that I have to make regular as well?
Any information welcome.

[Rosemary]

Depends. My vet woudl always say don't vaccinate unless you have a problem. Generally, I follow his advice.

[Roxy]

I don't vaccinate mine - although the ex battery hens will already have been done at the farms.

I sell the eggs, basically to pay for the feed, at the farm gate.  If you want to sell in shops, farmers markets etc.  you would have to be DEFRA registered for your poultry, and then you go into the issues of grading(sizing) eggs etc. etc.  As to making a profit, well, I am not sure I do, to be honest, probably break even.  When the cost of feeding, and bedding, egg boxes and things are taken into consideration, not adding in the man hours looking to the hens, I would have to put a big price on the eggs.

[whitby_sam]

If I were to sell my eggs instead of eat them (and give them away to neighbours as an apology for my two crowing cockerills) I reckon I'd just about break even.
As free range birds they don't require much in the way of layers pellets as they forrage for grubs, worms and vegetation giving them a nice balanced and varied diet. If they were kept in a run and not able to forrage I imagine they'd cost a lot more to feed and would probably lay less.
As it stands I buy 2 bags of layers pellets and 1 bag of mixed poultry corn every 2 - 3 weeks (sometimes longer) and I'm rewarded with a dozen delicious, jumbo sized free range eggs per day. I think that's a fair trade-off and when the laying picks up in the summer I'll have maybe 18 eggs per day...
Mine also get porridge with sardines, poultry spice and any kitchen scraps atleast twice a week and the next day I'm usually rewarded with an extra egg or two.

If you're thinking about keeping hens commercially and wanting to make a profit I'd seriously consider the free range option as I feel it's kinder to the birds and although you may get a few more eggs per day using intensive methods you'll also have to buy more food, you'll have to clean them out more regularly (once a week in wet weather is more than enough for me thanks!) and the eggs aren't nearly as tasty. Also bear in mind that free range eggs fetch a premium and your repeat business will speak for itself.

I don't keep hens for profit, I'm happy that i can potentially break even but the best thing about free range hens is their antics. I could spend hours watching them!

Good luck in whatever you decide. As for vaccination, I bought both my Marans and my Warrens vaccinated but the farm next door didn't vaccinate his and both flocks are in rude health so I can't really comment.

[shetlandpaul]

unless your keeping lots intensively then i would not bother. why are you treating for scaly leg unless they have it. once a chuck has been treated and the legs are back to normal you don't need to treat. we bought some older black rocks with very bad scaly leg. we had to cull one it was that bad but the others all recovered. thou one still has a nasty lump. unless your thinking of hundreds/thousands your not going to cover the cost of feed and other costs. we sell at £1.20 to the shops. it takes us about a bag of feed a day so £7 so we would need 36 eggs a day from our flock just to cover the layers pellets. at times over the winter we have been getting two. this is from 60+ laying birds.

[Roxy]

Yes, I have been getting  two eggs (sometimes none!) per day from 60 plus hens.  I am really chuffed now, as its gone up to 5 a day!!!  And abuot 6 bantam eggs as well as a  bonus.

[Daisys Mum]

I am getting about 12-16 a day from 30 hens which I think is pretty good given the weather we have been having, at the moment they are fenced in a run and eating about 2 bags of layers and a bag of mixed corn about every 10 days, they do have a big run and there is plenty grass and bugs still in it.I also bought some wheat in bulk and they get some of that. I find that they just about cover their feeding selling the eggs at £2 a dozen.