Keeping chickens costs more than they are worth

[Guest]

Chicken feed is now almost $16 a bag here. It's getting WAY cheaper to just buy the eggs at the supermarket. Only reason to keep them at this point is in case of catastrophic SHTF. I can

[SeldomSeenSlim]

I wouldn't count on that being the case in the future. Feed prices are up, but the folks that sell eggs to the grocery store have a stockpile. Once they have to start buying at the higher prices, the cost of eggs will go up to suit.

Hold fast.

[rice paddy daddy]

Personally I prefer our own eggs, even if they may "cost more" than store bought. The fact that ours contain no antibiotics, growth hormones, or other additives is priceless.

[WiseOwl]

Isn't there a way to LTS eggs? Like dehydrate em or something where they actually taste good? I have been wondering this lately as we think of cheap easy ways to store more variety

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Will, theres alot of things like this such as deer hunting. The other side of the coin for me is that I know where my food comes from and really really enjoy that aspect. i remember a few years ago when the tomatoes were pulled cause everyone was geting sick and when they pulled the ground beef cause it had bacteria. I had deer i ground and fresh maters from the garden. Both were not cost totally effective but my family was safe. i know what you are saying but if it does collapse then you have to be self suffcient or capable of it very shortly afterwards anyway. I remember a traveling chicken coop that rolled around like one of them sprinklers so you didnt have to feed as much maybe someone can find the link and that would help you lower the cost
dunno just a thought

[tech]

To follow up Matt's post, just google chicken tractor...then factor in the fertilizer they provide, insect and grub control, meat value and then recalculate just how much they cost you. Chances are you'll come a lot closer to breaking even!

[SeldomSeenSlim]

Isn't there a way to LTS eggs? Like dehydrate em or something where they actually taste good? I have been wondering this lately as we think of cheap easy ways to store more variety

Pickled eggs last a while. I'm not sure how long since I can't keep my hands off them.

[JUSTIFIED]

Isn't there a way to LTS eggs? Like dehydrate em or something where they actually taste good? I have been wondering this lately as we think of cheap easy ways to store more variety

You can put latex gloves on and coat them with mineral oil, WiseOwl. Put them back in the carton and they should keep at room tempurature for 9-12 months. the mineral oil mimicks the coating they have when they are laid.

[JUSTIFIED]

[QUOTE=WILL;44888]Chicken feed is now almost $16 a bag here. It's getting WAY cheaper to just buy the eggs at the supermarket. Only reason to keep them at this point is in case of catastrophic SHTF. I can

[WILL]

Will, how many chickens do you have and how long does a bag last? Just curious for the future.

Right now I've got 13 teenager barred rocks and 10 older adult buff orpingtons. The adults are under alot of stress due to the summer heat and mosquitoes, so they aren't producing many eggs (normal summer results for Florida). The teenagers aren't laying yet. A 50# bag of feed lasts me about 2 weeks. At this point, I wish I would have chosen a breed of chicken that was more feed efficient, instead of my general purpose birds. At any rate, eggs are selling at the store for far cheaper than I can produce them. It was the same thing for tomatoes from my garden last season. It just seem like those who mass produce will always be able to do it cheaper than I. Like I said earlier, the chickens and garden are good for an all out SHTF where the stores aren't open, but if the stores working, they aren't worth the trouble.

[thedreamers]

Will, thats true the stores can sell it cheaper. But if the shtf type of thing happens it would take to long to get things going to get something out of it. Having it working or growing now means you dont wait to get it, just going to need to protect it. We all going to feel this pain with feed prices and every thing else about to go up soon to.

[MustangGal]

Even as a toddler, my son could tell the difference between store bough tomatoes and the home grown kind. By three, he would only eat tomatoes if they came from the few we raised or PaPa's garden. At 8, he is a flat out tomato snob. LOL You may not be able to beat bulk production prices, but the taste differences are amazing.

Same for eggs, plus you will have 10 stewing hens, that will be great for chicken 'n noodles or something else. Again the flavor difference is worth a lot.

Having chickens and a garden also makes me feel better. I like knowing that I can come up with a great dinner with just what is located here on our tiny farm.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

You can put latex gloves on and coat them with mineral oil, WiseOwl. Put them back in the carton and they should keep at room tempurature for 9-12 months. the mineral oil mimicks the coating they have when they are laid.

You only have to do this is the eggs are washed, get wet or are from the store. If they are fresh from the chicken then they already have a coating. The only minor issue with them being fresh from the chicken is well, chickens tend to poop on everything so the eggs would be stored dirty and would need to be washed upon use so as not to transfer anything to your food.

[MustangGal]

I know I have posted this before, but Mother Earth News has a great study about storing eggs. http://www.motherearthnews.com/Susta...resh-Eggs.aspx

[WILL]

I know I have posted this before, but Mother Earth News has a great study about storing eggs. http://www.motherearthnews.com/Susta...resh-Eggs.aspx

good article, thx.