Not gonna lie, the memes about the cost of eggs do make me laugh a little. The other day I posted a picture of 8 dozen eggs in the fridge and called it "my stash". People joked that I was rich or that I could get rich if I sold them. I joked that I would gladly sell them for big bucks if people wanted to pay me.
But here's the truth. Many people are quickly adding chickens to their farms or even buying a couple for in town. This is wonderful. I am so glad that people are realizing how much joy chickens can bring to a household. However, those that think having chickens is going to save you money.... I chuckle. It would be MUCH cheaper for me to buy the occasional dozen eggs, even if it is up to $20 a dozen in CA. Unless you eat a dozen eggs a day, you are not "saving" money by raising your own chickens.
Don't get me wrong - as pets go, chickens are pretty low maintenance. They need food, water, some grit, some oyster shell periodically and shelter, IF all goes well and they stay healthy. Like any animal - they have a myriad of issues that can arise, but basically, they are pretty easy to keep. Their shelter needs a place for them to nest, roost and a dust bath area. It also needs to be predator proof. And here is where chickens can get expensive. Because, let's be honest, their survival instincts are pretty much zero. Maybe even negative numbers. I'm not going to say chickens will go charging into the jaws of death. But if they are sleeping or roosting at night - death doesn't even need to be all that sneaky. And everything likes to make a snack out of chicken.
Don't believe what others tell you. Opossums absolutely will eat your chickens. We have caught them red handed, white pawed or whatever the correct phrase is. So will....
raccoons
mink
snakes
hawks
eagles
coyotes
weasels
bobcat
lynx
fox
owls
...ummmm, pretty much every carnivorous or omnivorous critter on the planet. Chickens will sleep right through an invasion and their neighbor being murdered. They will also drown in your water tank, get hit by a car or get stuck between round bales and die (not that we have personal experiences with any or all of these or anything).
They are susceptible to disease and even too much stress can be life ending.
They don't do well when it's too hot or too cold.
Swarms of gnats have been known to suffocate them.
They will sit on a nest in the worst of weather and get picked off by a predator.
They are just, in general, easy to kill and harder to keep alive. So maybe you manage to keep your hens alive and you're thinking, "yay! Eggs every day!" Ummm.. not exactly. If stress doesn't kill them, it can also cause them to stop laying. The wrong feed can stop their production. Chickens stop laying when it's too hot, too cold or they just don't feel safe.
Chickens also stop laying when the days get shorter. Some folks put their chickens under lights and use heaters. I'm not about that. First of all, my anxiety will not allow me to heat my coop after hearing all the horror stories of coops burning up. I also don't want to expend that kind of electricity. Lastly, chickens have a finite amount of eggs they will lay in their lifetime. If they lay throughout the winter, then they will not lay for as many years. Being as I work during the day and the eggs often freeze in the winter, I'd rather they lay through the warmer months of the year and get some time off in winter.
Along with everything else, feed for chickens has gotten much more expensive. Our layer mix and cracked corn has nearly doubled in price. As you can probably guess, with as many chickens as we have, we go through a lot of feed. That part alone makes them expensive to keep. You also need to keep their coop clean with fresh bedding. Cleaning the coop is certainly not a fun task and they need to be cleaned regularly. Something else to consider when adding a chicken friend to your farm.
I cannot imagine our farm without our chickens, guineas and ducks. I enjoy every bit of watching them do their thing. I appreciate the eggs they give us, but also the fact that they help keep the bug population down and the horse's manure piles broken up throughout the summer. I love the color and life that they add to the farm. I love our birds, but I certainly am not "saving money" by having them on the farm and even less likely to be making it rich any time soon.
For years I donated all of our extra eggs to anyone who wanted eggs - coworkers, friends and family. All we asked in return was a treat (maybe a chocolate bar) here or there and a thank you. Instead, many folks took for granted those farm fresh eggs because the Kwik Trip had them for $.99. For those that did appreciate their eggs, I am sure we will have more available this summer. Apologies that I won't be giving them away to just everyone anymore. If you're looking for a few dozen or a dozen dozen, I'm your girl.
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