Reply to: True cost of living

[thunderlizard]

Interesting analysis Timberwolf. Economies of scale I suppose.

I think quite a bit of battery chicken food is the unsaleable bits of their former inmates (Soylent Green-style) so that would make it a bit cheaper too.

We once knew somebody who had the job of collecting battery eggs and wiping the poo off them. I think of him whenever I'm finding the contracting lifestyle a little unfulfilling.

[AtW]

Supermarkets use chickens like this as loss leaders.

Also don't forget about hens that are used to lay eggs - after a year they are discarded as they don't lay as many eggs, would not say the chicken for £1.50 was one of those hens (usually they either use chickens for meat or chickens for eggs), but who knows?

IMO, all means in this country are too expensive - especially fish.

[basshead]

You missed out transport, abbatoir, packaging, vets, rent, labour etc....

[TimberWolf]

Good that the price of chicken has gone up. Chicken was ridiclously cheap. I think you could get a whole barbecued chicken at the supermarket for about £1.50. How on earth can you raise a chicken from egg to grill and still make a profit out of £1.50?

Rough guess:

Say the final chicken weighs 1 kg, and over 50 days of its miserable life weighs 0.5 kg, on average.

Food required for lots of animals = 1 kWh per 22 kg per day**, so a 0.5 kg chicken needs 1/44 kWh / day, or 50/44 kWh over 50 days.

At 10pence per kWh (electricity energy prices*) = 33p per chicken. Not including lights, etc. To cook (oven uses say 3 kW, for an hour) = 3 kWh, so add 30p to cook. Total cost = 63p.

*I used electricity prices since I don't know how much chicken feed costs, though it has an energy content of around 3 kWh per kg.

** E.g. work it out for humans: 80 kg * 1 kWh / 22 kg/d = 3.6 kWh /d = 3.6 * 3,600,000 J / 4184 = 3128 Calories / day for a human. Birds tend to have a faster metabolism though, so might burn lots more and so increase the price.

[thunderlizard]

Good that the price of chicken has gone up. Chicken was ridiclously cheap. I think you could get a whole barbecued chicken at the supermarket for about £1.50. How on earth can you raise a chicken from egg to grill and still make a profit out of £1.50?

[Ruprect]

It's OK though - El Gordo is 'cautiously optimistic'...

Unlike his chancellor!

[TimberWolf]

Not sure about this. The cost of fillet steak at the local Waitrose has been £30.99 per kilo for the past 3 years...

At this rate it will be cheaper to go out and shoot your own cows.

[beaker]

Show off

Two minute noodles are £1 for 4 packets at the local corner store if I'm between contracts

[DodgyAgent]

Not sure about this. The cost of fillet steak at the local Waitrose has been £30.99 per kilo for the past 3 years...

Show off

[beaker]

Not sure about this. The cost of fillet steak at the local Waitrose has been £30.99 per kilo for the past 3 years...

[TykeMerc]

Were they taking Range Rovers in part exchange?

Doubtful, the part exchange value of Range Rovers has now dropped to less than the value of a bog roll let alone a bike innertube.

[TimberWolf]

Were they taking Range Rovers in part exchange?

I hope so.

[DodgyAgent]

On the plus side I was in a bike shop over the weekend and they were heaving. Shop staff were moaning that it was as if Christmas had come early.

Were they taking Range Rovers in part exchange?

[DimPrawn]

Ah The Millionaire DimPrawn (TM) finally posts again. Why should you care, The Millionaire DimPrawn (TM), you're a millionaire after all ?

I spent a £ on a pot noodle, and now I'm an ex-millionaire.

[sasguru]

Ah The Millionaire DimPrawn (TM) finally posts again. Why should you care, The Millionaire DimPrawn (TM), you're a millionaire after all ?