Chicken farmers face uncertain salary conditions and severe competition from commercial factory farms.
When the chicken at your dinner table comes from an independent chicken farmer, the work is partly a labor of love. It has to be because independent chicken farms face severe market conditions that typically depress wages, make it difficult to turn a profit and require chicken farmers to take other work to keep their farms solvent.
Identification
A chicken farmer raises poultry on a plot of land and sells poultry products (such as meat and eggs) for commercial gain. Throughout the year, chicken farmers balance their need to make money with the long-term viability of their farm. This means selling some of their chickens, while selling the eggs of others. Some eggs may also be hatched to increase the number of chickens on the farm.
How Much Do They Make?
The earning potential of a chicken farm is virtually unlimited. Bigger farms tend to earn more money. However, according to StateUniversity.com, the average chicken farmer makes anywhere from $13,900 to more than $20,000 a year. Much of the average pay of a chicken farmer in any given year depends on the market prices for eggs and poultry products (which can vary significantly), as well as how much of the profit from that year's stock needs to be reinvested into the farm.
Salary Considerations
While chicken farmers can make a good living with some luck and a big enough farm, many factors are coming together to reduce the earnings of independent chicken farmers. Much of the country's chicken is now produced by vast commercial factory farming outlets, making it harder for independent producers to compete. Furthermore, a variety of natural phenomenon can reduce profits or wipe them out entirely. The chickens can catch diseases that reduce their production or kill them off, facilities can be destroyed by weather or market prices can drop significantly.
Farm Household Income
When it comes to farmers in general, the statistics for making money on any type of farm do not inspire confidence. According to the United States Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service, the vast majority of profits in farming are made by commercial farms, not independent ones. The agency shows that while farm household incomes are rising, much of that growth is from non-farm jobs, meaning chicken farmers likely have to perform other work while farming to keep themselves afloat.
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