# The Price of Eggs



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

The price of eggs will be going up for some and eventually for all with layer cage enlargement requirements. Probably the right thing to do.

Regards, Mike

http://www.agweb.com/farmjournal/article/egg-market-disrupted-in-us-as-cages-made-roomier-commodities-blmg/


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

We've been wanting to get some chickin's, guess I'll have to go ahead & do it.

Problem is, it's mostly the wife that wants 'em, but *I *know who'll have to take care of 'em.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Commercial eggs are CHEAP! A $0.20 egg is expensive. Quite the deal for protein. A handful of years back I bought some layers. My schedule and theirs didn't work out in the end. They did however spoil me in having farm fresh eggs that the layers eat grass and bugs and worms among other things. Thankfully I found a neighbor that sells eggs as I cannot bring myself to buy any from the grocery store. The difference to me is huge. Gotta love spring eggs when the snow goes away and the grass is green.

I will not side with CA on anything but 100 sq in for a layer is not enough for the eggs I buy.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

urednecku said:


> We've been wanting to get some chickin's, guess I'll have to go ahead & do it.
> 
> Problem is, it's mostly the wife that wants 'em, but *I *know who'll have to take care of 'em.


If you can keep them from getting killed it will be worth it. They eat your unwanted insects (among other things) and turn them into the most delicious eggs.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

I put some chickens and I have the grandkids taken care of them. They break an egg every once in awhile but they're learning.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

I would not mind having a few layers if I could let them do some free rangeing....but that just cannot happen....we have lots of raptors....I can look out windows on the rear of my home and watch a pair of Bald Eagles that have been nesting there for the last 6-7 years....they nest early(February here) and we have lots or other raptors like Red-Tailed Hawks(love chickens) and Cooper hawks(smaller but extremely deadly). All I would be doing is pronouncing a death sentence on the chickens if I turned them out to range. I always have liked raptors...was fascinated by them growing up. My son is a licensed falconer and has a Harris Hawk and is working with a young Red-tailed Hawk. The Harris Hawk is beautiful and is deadly on catching crows. The Red-tailed Hawk is also really cool, he specializes on catching squirrels which is good as my son uses them to feed both birds. It is cool to see the Red-tail follow him thru the woods until they move a squirrel. Then the Red-tail goes to work actually using its feet running around the tree until it can catch the squirrel....sometimes. Probably 1 in 4 different attempts at game are successful but makes for a fun outing.

Regards, Mike


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Picked up some eggs couple days ago.Egg price has really jumped around $2.20 a doz it was around $1.20 not long ago.Then I seen some brown eggs "Vegitarian fed"what ever that means idk but they were $1.80.

I presume they are not fed meat & bone meal and are fed soybean meal instead??


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## cornshucker (Aug 22, 2011)

Same here Mike would love to have some free range, here no eagles but plenty of red tails. Free range chickens best detriment to the tick population known to man.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Mike,you need a chicken tractor with a cage to keep the raptors out


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

In the past I have had lots of free range chickens. The red tail hawks and bald eagles were never a problem. The main problem were coyotes and ravens. Never seen a raven as a kid. Than when I was a teenager they were around for the winter. Now they are around all the time. They are big smart mean birds. When iam haying the ravens get their fill of mice first. They keep all the hawks at bay till they get their fill. They are not a raptor but kill more than any raptor ever will.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

We have Ravens also, but mainly in the GSM National Park....they can be bad news, but they make terrific pets when taken from the nest right before fledging. Cage them for a couple of weeks and condition and imprint them and then you can turn them out and they will always stay on there own. They can easily be taught to repeat words...."Nevermore".....quoth the Raven. 

Regards, Mike

P.S. Red-tails in this area will absolutely smoke a chicken if out and about....eagles will also, but have to be more opportunistic.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

swmnhay said:


> Mike,you need a chicken tractor with a cage to keep the raptors out


Cy, can I get that chicken tractor in green? 

Regards, Mike


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## TJH (Mar 23, 2014)

For the last 21 years my day job has been in the egg industry. California is only part of it, the other is export, mainly to Hong Kong, Mexico, Brazil, and Japan. The 3 plants that I work at has between them 6 million hens and we have four 3.2 million dollar processing machines that produce 400 30-dozen cases each per hour running wide open 12 to 14 hours a day and can't keep up. I haven't seen anything like it in my two decades.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

Wouldn't mind having a few layers around, but can't have any other fowl on the farm with the turkeys,


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

Kept a flock of Rhode island reds for a good number of years usually around 25 or so. But put them in the freezer when the farm got busier. I miss having pickled eggs. Always free ranged when there wasn't snow. Biggest predator here would be opossums if you didn't close the coop up right away at dark.

Even hatched out a few for a couple years when I had a couple banty hens to incubate the eggs. You don't mess with a broody banty hen. You just don't


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

Poultry related article

http://www.farmanddairy.com/news/poultry-production-may-ramping/229464.html


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## Hokelund Farm (Feb 4, 2014)

I had layers and broilers for several years. Loved the layers, wasn't so fond of the broilers. Layers are super easy to keep. Open their coop in the morning, shut it before I go to bed at night, I kept the coop out of the wind and had a heat lamp close for REALLY cold nights (colder than -10 or so), very rarely had eggs freeze.

We ate a lot of the eggs, sold as much as I could to friends and neighbors for $4/dozen (no one EVER complained), and if I ever had any left over I sold them to a local organic coffee/bakery shop.

I did say they are easy to keep, but it is a commitment, and I will never complain about paying $3-4 for pastured eggs after doing it myself for several years.

Edit: Although predator problems weren't TOO common - I did learn an awful lot about raccoons, possum, skunk (killed 11 last spring, but I think they came to high ground from all the flooding), coyotes, and a neighbors (in-laws) dog.

The experience of keeping chickens is worth it!


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## SVFHAY (Dec 5, 2008)

Daughter has had free range chickens last 6 years. Our house sits in the edge of the woods and they spend at Least a couple hours of the day running free from March to November. I never thought they would survive with all the predators but we have only lost 2, most likely a weasel. We do have a beagle on guard duty.


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