Chickens!

[Mary Stetler]

My chickens are more of a hobby and pets. We are not at peak production yet but my little Easter Eggers finally started producing blue eggs. I told friends they were really big robins eggs. Not enough to share yet but got us through the last few months of hubby's breakfasts. I have two more upcoming pullets, (young hens). I went to the bird swap but decided the chicks were to stressed from the cold to take a chance on buying. So will wait till May to get more from a hatchery or my friend up in Chilton. Can't wait till I can get the barn pulled apart and cleaned. It seems to have developed a smell over the winter with my minimalist cleaning. Boy will I be in trouble when things really thaw out.
And gardening takes on a new meaning when you have a small farm.

 

[Yvonne Smith]

I have been reading that the prices of eggs is starting to come down, but I just looked at Walmart and 15 eggs is still almost $9. I would dearly LOVE to have chickens, but Bobby’s dogs kills chickens, and we would have to make sure they had a safe area from Rusty and Bobby does not want to have to put in a gate for that.
If I could have chickens, I would get some Silkies, they are so adorable and friendly, and do not fly, and then we could have fresh eggs.

Our neighbors have chickens, and they used to come into our front yard every day and wander around and I really enjoyed seeing them. Now they have their yard fenced so that the chickens do not come over here anymore, unless they fly over the fence into the back yard, where Rusty kills them.

 

[Faye 2.0]

And gardening takes on a new meaning when you have a small farm.

Yes it does! Small acreage gardening isn't hobby gardening and can become a lot of hard work, especially if you are going organic. Making enough compost without fresh farm animal manure, is a real task. I bought dried bagged steer manure last year and the stuff seemed void of any nutrients.

 

[Susannah]

I could keep chickens here but getting started would be a big undertaking. Egg prices do seem to be dropping, at least at Walmart. I got a dozen for $5.49 yesterday. That’s still high but they were up to $8.

We had chickens when I was growing up and their daily care was one of my chores. No more poultry for me.

 

[Faye 2.0]

I could keep chickens here but getting started would be a big undertaking. Egg prices do seem to be dropping, at least at Walmart. I got a dozen for $5.49 yesterday. That’s still high but they were up to $8.

We had chickens when I was growing up and their daily care was one of my chores. No more poultry for me.

Read that loud and clear! I made my spending money during Jr. High and first 2 years of High School, selling eggs. 100 White Leghorn hens is a lot of work. I averaged about 8 dozen a day. I sold at 50 cents a dozen back then. Lots of cleaning and candling. As a young adult, I had a dozen Araucana hens that laid pastel colored eggs. What I couldn't use, I sold for a $1 a dozen or left to hatch.

 

[Marie Mallory]

Yes it does! Small acreage gardening isn't hobby gardening and can become a lot of hard work, especially if you are going organic. Making enough compost without fresh farm animal manure, is a real task. I bought dried bagged steer manure last year and the stuff seemed void of any nutrients.

Haven't had a garden in last couple years, too busy with other things. We do have hens for eggs.
We don't use store bought manure, it is full of chemicals, and we so far have stayed organic except when we hydroponics. No way did I like the fishy organic method in hydroponic.

 

[Nancy Hart]

They recently discovered another outbreak of virus at a poultry farm about 20 miles from here and quarantined every place within a 6 mile radius. There are a lot of chicken farms in Georgia. However the price of eggs 2 days ago had gone down a bit, to $4.99/dozen, at Kroger. You should see the precautions they have always taken at these poultry farms. It's like entering a radioactive zone with hazmat suits, shoe coverings, etc.

 

[Don Alaska]

The cullings appear to be slowing as the Trump Administration seems to be more discriminating in how it is done. Eggs are also now being imported from Turkey to ease shortages and lower prices. We have our 10 hens, our only animals currently. They made it through the winter and hopefully as the light increases, so will the egg production.