I built a meat workshop this autumn and I want to share some feedback on it. I didn't really expect it to be so profitable, I just wanted some secondary income that didn't need as many transactions as baking sourdough bread nor the high capital required to buy fruits to make wine.
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So since autumn started I've been steadily breeding and culling to make smoked wet chicken. At 5* it's already quite profitable and it only needs 3 transactions per unit (salt, firewood, and final sale). With organic optimum feed (or even regular optimum feed) chicks only take 3 turns to reach full growth and I've been culling 60-120 meat per day. Fertility is at 105% during autumn (with full upgrades + OOF) so each selective breeding is a success. I'm not really sure how low fertility will go during spring and summer but I will report it on the blog when I find out. At least I can confirm that during autumn and winter you can make a steady profit from smoked wet chicken. The eggs from the hens pay for the cost of making the feed so that's covered.
ReplyDeleteIdeally you should have 2 males and 6 or 7 females. Every turn you selective breed at least twice... sometimes you can breed 3 or 4 times in one turn if you have baby males close to maturity. I cull each adult male after they've performed their duty so there's enough space for babies. The next turn the baby males are fully grown and replace the males you culled previously. It's a pretty good system, the only problem is that you need 9-10 feed per turn meaning you need at least 2 plots each of watermelon and chili pepper. I made a mistake in my feed calculations a couple weeks ago so my chickens over-ate my supply of feed and now I had to cull them down to 1 male and 3 females. I'll only be able to cull 1 or 2 chickens per turn but it's still decent as a secondary income (primary income is baking).
I've checked the other recipes for the meat workshop and although there are some that are slightly more profitable (fermented sausages and aged dry cured meat) they take much longer to mature whereas smoked wet chicken only takes 4 turns to mature so the turnover rate is quite fast and the capital needed to buy the salt and firewood is really cheap so cash flow isn't a problem either. Note: make sure you buy the correct quality salt!! e.g. 5* salt if you have 5* chickens.
Of course it's not really possible for amateurs to produce organic optimum feed but if we can get the advanced growth and fertility feeds I think an amateur can make a decent income from 5* smoked wet chicken. Advanced growth feed is good for breeding and culling during autumn and winter but I think you might need to switch to advanced fertility during spring and summer. Or you could just use the normal advanced feed all year round.
I know it's common to get a winery after the bakery but after realising how great the meat workshop is I just wanted to suggest it as an alternative for those who would like a challenge and to do something more interesting.
Thanks for sharing. I strongly agree that Meat Workshop is a good alternative too, especially when you are strong in livestock or you have high fishing skill.
ReplyDeleteMaking potato country wine doesn’t require high capital to buy the ingredients if you plant potato yourself (require only $2.82 per unit: buy yeast, sugar and sell pomace).
Look like you really like your meatworkshop : )
ReplyDeleteDo you think this is at all profitable if you don't have high quality livestock yet? One thing I like about the winery and brewery is that Amateurs and Experienced farmers can utilize it (though less so) if they need to make a little extra cash on the side.
ReplyDeleteGood information on the whole. One thing I'm beginning to get interest in and won't be able to capitalize on for awhile is how profitable it is to have paired workshops for specialized profitable recipes (i.e. brewery, winery for perry brandy). I wonder if the meat workshop can be used this way with a alcohol source and maybe a kitchen to make some tasty and profitable treats.
Hmm, I'd say it's still okay to do it with 4* chickens since it makes money with few transactions. At 5* it really starts to make more profit. Selling the eggs should cover the cost of feed so technically your meat is 'free' and you spend very little on firewood and 4* or 5* salt. Whereas sourdough bread has a smaller profit margin since most of the ingredients are bought from the market.
ReplyDeleteSince income tax is based on gross income I think meat products is actually more profitable than baking bread.
Hmm, I realised it's better to have 3 males and 3 females since the babies reach adulthood so quickly you don't need so many hens.
ReplyDeleteAlso, another thing I noticed a few days ago, smoked wet cured chicken reaches full value in 3 turns so you can sell to the market for the full price even though the icon says it has 1 turn to maturity. Great way to maintain cashflow.
Yes, all aging products (cheese/wine/meat) reach their maximum selling price at the last maturing turn. But, they only can be eaten when they are fully matured.
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