Got layers?

[WapitiTalk1]

As in hens. Who out there in WapitiTalk land grows their own eggs? Is it worth the investment, effort, and maintenance in your opinion to offset the silly price of store bought eggs these days?

[>>>---WW---->]

We tried it for several years once and it's not worth the expense and the trouble. You'd be much better off finding someone that sells farm fresh eggs in your area. Good fresh eggs are much better than store bought that you have no idea of how old they are.

[Swede]

Do you have the place and structures for chickens? Is the investment worth the trouble? I guess it all depends on how much you value having home grown eggs. Around here I see signs posted offering home-grown eggs for sale. They want $5.00 or more per dozen and the sign never stays up long so you can depend on a reliable source. I do not know why the signs do not last, but I suspect no one will pay the advertised price, so they give up trying to sell eggs.

[saddlesore]

I have done it, but I can buy 2 dozen eggs from Costco for less than $6.

Chicks are expensive. More if you buy the roosters culled, then figure 10-15 % die. It will be 6-7 months before they start laying pullet size eggs, but taper off when winter comes unless you heat and keep a light on in the coop.Then deal with frozen water.

If you let them free range, you have to be sure to put them in the coop at night and let them out in the morning.Then deal with foxes, coyotes, big owls, feral cats.A few will get to laying eggs and hiding them. By the time you find them,they will have spoiled

Cost of feed has sky rocketed. Lot of Frustration.

People try to sell them for $5 /dozen because it cost them$3.50/dozen to raise.

[Lefty]

I dont have current pictures: hunting partner Andrews and my daughter Julie bought the old Pocatello Frazer egg farm. My granddaughter is running free-range 1/2 acre outside 60x200 inside with 60 hens and some ducks. .
Sunday evening a big lion glided over the 6-foot fence in broad daylight got one of the ducks,,, The lion is now on the hit lists,,, I haven't received any pics so evidently the lion made it through last night

$20 of feed and expense per week for 25 dozen eggs a week she making good neighbors and friends and clearing $20 a week ( all her money and learning business)

We had layers when our kids were young, also a great way to keep any bugs out of the yard and orchard a

[Swede]

All of the expense and labor plus they tie you down. No Thanks. I will pick up a dozen eggs from Fred Meyer or Safeway on my way to camp and just go hunting.

[saddlesore]

We had layers when our kids were young, also a great way to keep any bugs out of the yard and orchard a

Yep,trade bugs in yard for chicken do-do.

[Lefty]

We had layers when our kids were young, also a great way to keep any bugs out of the yard and orchard a

Yep,trade bugs in yard for chicken do-do.

We have dog fencing,, And lots of horse crap,, along with bugs ,,, Not that the garden is bug free but we dont need pesticides
Turn the sprinkler system on ,, and free fertilizer

[Elkhunttoo]

I have 12 hens. Love my chickens but try to keep them at a low cost. Already had a set up for them…I will be building a small pull along coop for the summer and have them hammer my weeds…the twelve hens produce more than enough for my family of 6 and we use a lot of eggs. When my kids are all out of the house (8 or so years from now) I think I will only have 4-5 hens…so far I’m a fan

On a side note I don’t have labs anymore but labs and chickens don’t mix. I tried chickens a few years ago sure I could keep my labs out of them…came home one day and my female had got out of here kennel, chewed into the coop and had taken out all 14 chickens I had…couldn’t blame her it is in her blood…so I waited get more chickens until the dogs were gone

[Indian Summer]

To me the main thing is that the eggs are from free ranging cage free chickens. Have you watched the programs on TV about mass production of chicken and eggs and beef? It’s so disgusting that you’ll change the way you think about eating and food shopping. I live in farm country. I can buy anything from chicken beef and hogs to vegetables with a five minute drive in any direction. I know people who are not farmers, but have chickens. They can’t eat the eggs fast enough and they end up giving a lot of them away. I think they do it more for fun than anything.

I’m thinking about putting beehives on my property. I’ve had people tell me don’t take all the honey leave some for the bees. That would be the last thing I do. I would do it just for fun and to help the honeybee population which isn’t doing so good. Can anyone tell me if that’s an expensive time-consuming hobby?

You got me boss. I clicked on here thinking we were going to talk about merino base layers, mid layers, and outerwear. lol

[saddlesore]

To me the main thing is that the eggs are from free ranging cage free chickens. Have you watched the programs on TV about mass production of chicken and eggs and beef? It’s so disgusting that you’ll change the way you think about eating and food shopping. I live in farm country. I can buy anything from chicken beef and hogs to vegetables with a five minute drive in any direction. I know people who are not farmers, but have chickens. They can’t eat the eggs fast enough and they end up giving a lot of them away. I think they do it more for fun than anything.

I’m thinking about putting beehives on my property. I’ve had people tell me don’t take all the honey leave some for the bees. That would be the last thing I do. I would do it just for fun and to help the honeybee population which isn’t doing so good. Can anyone tell me if that’s an expensive time-consuming hobby?

You got me boss. I clicked on here thinking we were going to talk about merino base layers, mid layers, and outerwear. lol

Yes, bee keeping gets to be expensive. By the time you buy the foundations and racks for the bees to build their combs on, then separating the honey from the combs if you want to get a separator. You must leave enough honey in the hive for the bees to survive the winter. Then always have an extra basic hive with forms in it so you can catch the bees when they swarm after another queen is hatched.

BTW. Liberal Colorado now has a law that all eggs sold must be from free ranging chickens.

[Lefty]

To me the main thing is that the eggs are from free ranging cage free chickens. Have you watched the programs on TV about mass production of chicken and eggs and beef? It’s so disgusting that you’ll change the way you think about eating and food shopping. I live in farm country. I can buy anything from chicken beef and hogs to vegetables with a five minute drive in any direction. I know people who are not farmers, but have chickens. They can’t eat the eggs fast enough and they end up giving a lot of them away. I think they do it more for fun than anything.

I’m thinking about putting beehives on my property. I’ve had people tell me don’t take all the honey leave some for the bees. That would be the last thing I do. I would do it just for fun and to help the honeybee population which isn’t doing so good. Can anyone tell me if that’s an expensive time-consuming hobby?

You got me boss. I clicked on here thinking we were going to talk about merino base layers, mid layers, and outerwear. lol

Bees are lots of fun and sometimes lots of work.. and start-ups can get expensive. Maybe try to get a local to put hives on your property. I had a few big years of over 1000 lbs of honey. Made for great thank you gift to those I had permission to hunt and trap on.


Too bad the TV production had such a negative impact on you. There is another side.
In the past, I've worked on a lot of farms.
BIL milks 2000 cows 3x a day. ( had been the 6th largest milk producer per cow in the Dairy industry per cow)
SIL just sold their egg farms The largest producer in the Rocky Mts ( outside of California)
An old childhood friend and HS buddy had had a farrowing operation as big as they get.
Another friend raised 180,000 Tom Turkeys ( for seamen)
Another long ago employer had the highest litter production in Minnesota.

First domestic animals are not "wild"
A free-range chicken or Turkey operation no matter how big the "range is,, Few birds use the range.

When you see layers in small cages, It appears cramped. But that really is a chicken or Tom turkey preference ,,, they generally do not desire to range, ( hungry birds will range)
Those big Tom turkeys; all they want to do is eat and drink , given an opportunity they will flock,, stack themselves so close, and smother themselves. ( there are alarms for the farmer ) Even with thousands of sq feet of vacant "free space.

Farrowing hogs live in better conditions than nearly all people worldwide. Those sows are happy. the barns have almost no odor. air-conditioned, monitored humidity temperature flexs less than +- .5 degrees Those sows just want to eat, drink lie down, and be suckled.

And Milk cows,, generally have good conditions too , shade in the summer, shelter in the winter, bedding matts, eat and drink and are milked as they desire