How much money do these guys make per house? I know a a half a dozen people who have just got into it and love it. The say it takes an hour a day per house. Some have even purchased land to do it. What do y'all think?

They obviously haven't been in long enough to realize that those one hour per house days are few and far between.

Yeah, I was thinking that number was a little low for most days myself.

It a life style. Not a get rich quick job. Personally I would enjoy it. I grew up around chicken houses as a kid with my grandfather and farmed most of my life. Times have changed tho. They are bigger and more high tech. I wouldn't build broiler house now with there being so many out there. I think layer houses is where it's at now

Beware of any numbers on chicken houses. Not what it used to be.

I know a few that chicken farm. 1 guy had just bad luck and sold his. A few others hate it because they are home 24-7 and can't do jack chit other then stay home.

My understanding, which is limited, is that it's not a great biz for the little guy, Tyson, Peco etc call the shots and you're their boy.

It just cost about $250000 per house. Then the chicken companies sign you to a contract and bring you little chicks. I call bs on one hour per house, more like 1 hour here and one at the next one then start over. When it's cold you have to walk through the chickens at night to keep them from smothering each other. Probably one hour when they get big to pick up dead ones etc. then the chicken company decides to slow your growth rate by not bringing feed when you call, or your chickens weigh too much so you get penalized. Then they stall around about bringing you more and about the time you get your houses paid for you must upgrade or they won't renew your contract. Chicken business is NOT what it was in 80's. I strongly considered it. I have cousins in the business now in North Al.

Whoever you're contracted with pretty much dictates what you do with your own houses these days. You will grow them just the way they say you will or you will not grow chickens. You will also upgrade the houses whenever they say or you will not grow chickens.

Well put.

Whoever told you one hour a day must be getting ready to sell you his chicken houses.


God Bless,
David B.

Cost around $400k per house to construct and if you can clear $25k per house your doing pretty good.

I know very little about chicken houses but......every single chicken house owner
I know poor mouths all the time and complain about how little they make yet they all drive nice vehicles and live in nice houses, go on nice vacations every time they have a change out, have lots of nice toys, etc.

You're definitely putting down roots if you chicken farm. It's a good gig if you can supplement your income with something elsewhere.

I'd venture to say in many instances the things you mentioned are bought on credit. I would love to have nice toys, vacations, big house etc however I am not going to borrow money for toys or put vacations on my credit card just so I can say I have this or I went here. To each their own though!

You can make money when your houses are paid off. Most of the chicken farmers that are telling you how bad it is are usually doing it out the window of their new truck lol

Have to go in a $1M debt to get a $85k per year job.

Poultry company you're contracted through OWNS you. They supply the chicks, the feed, and buy the results from you at their price. Trick is YOU finance the houses, land, equipment etc on your dime.

THEN, when you get your houses paid for and have a little more negotiating power the company drops you or you get VERY unfavorable terms. This is what I have been told anyway. Not in the business myself.


If you have a wife who wants to be a stay at home mom and is willing to help with the daily walk through's, etc. and you own your land your building them on and want to have it for extra income, I'd seriously consider it. As a full time job and my only income, forget it.

Not going to get a better answer than this.

Drive through Leighton in Colbert County and look at the houses (fairly new) standing empty. Several farmers went in the chicken business to use the litter on their fields and not buy fertilizer. The company always controlled the shots with constant upgrades which cost big money. Farmers just had enough and shut the doors. Take notice of the chicken houses turned into flea markets here in North Alabama. Sad.

There is a lot of chicken houses between Cullman and Muscle Shoals on 157.

Like teach just said. Empty ones.

I was told once by a mutual friend that one of our buddies cleared right at $100,000 per year per house, and he has 4 houses. This guy was not wealthy to begin with, worked at the local army depot and bailed hay on the side, which grew to having a small "farm", then he borrowed just over one million dollars to build 4 chicken houses, and how they have 550 acres owned, lots of cattle, a big ol' house on the hill overlooking the place, a few other leases around the county for hay and cattle, drives a $70K GMC 3/4 ton, wife has newish Yukon, and they live really well. Supposedly about to build 4 more houses.

Crap, I'm just happy to insure the place!

Correct, very few look to be in use.

I can tell you the Farm Credit lenders are gung-ho trying to lend money for chicken farms.

A four house farm won't gross anywhere close to 400K, let alone net that.

This guy still isn't wealthy. He's in debt up to his eyeballs and everything he "owns" is dependent on each flock of birds.

May net 25 to 30k per house per year if beats feed conversion and all other classing.

I have several family members in the chicken industry in N. Alabama. I grew up across the road from my Aunt and Uncles chicken farm and spent many hours back in the day picking up eggs, dead chickens, taking out chitty slats and cleaning the chit out of the houses, mowing around the houses, working on feed bins, etc, etc…..It’s more than a full time job. It’s 7 days a week, 365 days a year. If you ain’t got chickens, you’re busy getting ready to get them. If you don’t hire help then that’ll be all you ever do.

A lot of people get into the poultry industry thinking they can spend an hour per day in their houses, or hire somebody to look after them and get rich. Typically these folks don't last very long and bitch about how bad the poultry industry is. They are usually the ones you see in town eating breakfast and lunch everyday, and are everywhere but on the farm.

Those who go into it and are willing to work their houses like they should, and produce good chickens, do well. Just like any other business it takes hard work to be successful. These guys typically run cows and row crop also.

One thing people don't realize is that all growers are competing against each other for the price they receive with birds that sell within a week of each other. So the hard working guys who keep up with technology tend to do the best. The producer wants the grower to do well and is why they set guidelines and requirements, but some growers refuse to see it that way and just think they want them to spend their money.


I spent a lot of time in the industry, and know folks who work hard at it, pay their loans off in a very agressive manner, expand their farm if they want, and do well. I also know others who got in and got out very quickly with othing good to say about it.

I will add that most of the empty houses you see in this part of the world were let go by their owners to the point that they simply could not compete with the guys who constantly upgrade their houses, or the new house guys, and simply quit. Their contract may not have been renewed but it didn't come as a suprise to them.

I certainly don't know, so I'll defer to those who do, but all I can say is I don't know any poor chicken farmers! They all seem to have fine land, houses, and toys.

Free range is the way to go....

Farm Credit will stretch terms out to 20 years. Thats too long to build equity in the farm that can be used for upgrades when they are required in 5 years. But, that's the term that is needed to cash flow the poultry house construction and purchase the land. One bad flock and you may be underwater. The guy that owns the land/home is a step ahead. Poultry farmers can make a good living if they will work/maintain the farm themselves and live within their means.