Eggs

[TNTreeHugger]

I haven't eaten, or bought chicken (other than an occasional "game hen") in more than five years. Not since I saw the trucks crammed full of filthy chickens drive past my post office window several times/week while I was at work. When I heard the trucks coming, I'd turn my head until they went past. Deplorable treatment of those birds.
Anyway, the dog and I both ate some of those chicken legs for dinner last night - we both had a restless night. I had trouble sleeping and she tore up the back porch.
Coincidence? Maybe, but I wonder if it had to do with the chemicals they feed those birds?
And... while I was lying awake, it occurred to me those chicken legs were literally half the price per pound of the puppy crunchies I've been buying.

 

[sean donato]

I'm not certain how many chemicals are being added to feed anymore. There was the anti antibiotic and anti hormone thing years past. Fairly sure that stopped most of those being added. I'm sure there's the possibility of some sort of pesticide/herbicide residue on the feed stock used, however it's the same chance you'd have of it being on any other field crops you consumed from any other food source. There's nothing out of the ordinary market on the layer mash we get from the feed mill, which supplies the same feed to countless farms in our area.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

I'm not certain how many chemicals are being added to feed anymore. There was the anti antibiotic and anti hormone thing years past. Fairly sure that stopped most of those being added. I'm sure there's the possibility of some sort of pesticide/herbicide residue on the feed stock used, however it's the same chance you'd have of it being on any other field crops you consumed from any other food source. There's nothing out of the ordinary market on the layer mash we get from the feed mill, which supplies the same feed to countless farms in our area.

What about growth hormones and other "medications?"

 

[Blue Oaks]

One is repopulated in short order
The other is does not
It is common sense.

Will massive losses in the chickie-nuggie meat producer numbers cause prices to go up?

 

[JRM]

I've often wondered how our eggs would price out vs store bought. Never took the time to track egg production vs feed usage. Which is practically zero feed usage over the warmer months, the girls have run of the property/ neighbors property and the woods behind the house. Other then coming in to roost it's seldom for them to be in the coop eating till it gets cold out. When we had 30 odd birds, we'd go through a bit over 100lbs of feed a week, now with 17 were hardly going through a 50lb bag a week. $9.80 per bag this past Saturday. (Price seems to fluctuate weekly here recently.) About 3lbs per bird per week, still getting 10-12 eggs per day. Meh, I'd bet it's a wash.

Don't forget the cost of your coop and associated equipment, the cost of the chicks, material for boxes to keep them in, heat lamps, sawdust, feed for 5-6 months with no egg production, etc.
Then there are losses to predators which I haven't had in 5-6 years...until I did. Those hens were barely a year old. All that time and effort into growing them and feeding them to get eggs out of them for maybe 6 months. Short term (as in right now) you could maybe make the argument that it's a wash but over the long term it'd be a hard sale IMO.
With Current prices it is likely as good as it will ever pencil out. When prices were ~$2/dozen I don't see how it could be close, and most of what I listed above I built with repurposed materials.

 

[Del_]

I'm not certain how many chemicals are being added to feed anymore. There was the anti antibiotic and anti hormone thing years past. Fairly sure that stopped most of those being added. I'm sure there's the possibility of some sort of pesticide/herbicide residue on the feed stock used, however it's the same chance you'd have of it being on any other field crops you consumed from any other food source. There's nothing out of the ordinary market on the layer mash we get from the feed mill, which supplies the same feed to countless farms in our area.

Most likely feed mash and all other chicken feed is GMO sourced.

It's almost unavoidable today.

I wish we could let chickens run wild. They'd tear up our vegetable garden though and that is not acceptable.

The trampoline before the chicken coop build.

 

[muddstopper]

You appear to have been successful at one point making money selling eggs/birds. Not many on this board can say the same myself included.

Actually, it was more being a glutton for punishment./ One thing to consider if a person wishes to sell eggs is breed. Now the first thing a person might think of is the more eggs a bird lays, the more eggs to sell. This is completely wrong. It cost the same to feed a common yard bird as it does to feed a rare and indangered breed. I dealt in rare and indangered breeds. This is what tugged at the old womens purse strings and I found old women like their chickens better than men. women like pretty colored birds and eggs, men just like eggs. It has pretty much always been that you could buy store bought eggs cheaper than farm raised eggs. Now throw in a woman that just has to have that rare breed and the price of eggs just doubled. I never sold baby chicks, at least until you could tell the roos from the hens. Also when I had extra birds or chicks, I could take them to a local sale. Chicken sale barns are no longer a option around here, the state regulated them out of business. You also cant list farm animals for sale on facebook anymore, Not sure about craigslist. This makes advertiseing chickens for sale hard to do, and means you cant reach a audience of potential buyers. Internet forums seem to be the best method of selling hatching eggs, eating eggs only works if you can sell the local roadside veggi stand a quantity of eggs so the vendor can make a good profit. I could of sold a doz or so of black copper marans hatching eggs yesterday, but I made the decision not to. For one thing, I dont feel comfortable charging a single woman a big price for a dozen eggs, and if you dont get a good price, the money on a dozen eggs just isnt worth it. My chickens today are for my amusment and breakfast plate. I like being able to give the kids a dozen or two every now and then and that is better than putting $5 or $10 in my pocket.

 

[JRM]

Knowledge is success. You got 'er licked.