had to buy EGGS at the store like a commoner

We too bought lumber near the height of the price. We got two cops out of it and have siding left over to start redoing one of the sheds. So, the startup costs from that perspective were high. When my wife and I got our first chicks, I bought a small coop from wayfare and put it in the dog kennel that the dog never used, which wasn’t too bad of a cost.

Commercial feed is about $25/50# bag but you have other options, like vegetable scraps and you can ferment their food to make it go about 3x farther.

To me, though, it’s not jus about the costs. Not only do the eggs taste much better, when the stores had none or close to it, we still had eggs.

 
BlackGun said:
Watched a program on TV yesterday about chicken egg layers by homeowners. Expert said it cost way more than $8 a dozen to get them from a home setup. Pen, replacements, feed, etc… What do the members say?
Click to expand...

If you live in the actual COUNTRY (as opposed to the suburbs or housing development or the edge of an exploding city), live a "traditional" lifestyle (my wife stays home, kids were homeschooled and pitched in) and grew up relatively poor (you know how to scrounge, repurpose material, or build with what is provided by nature: cedar posts etc) and don't helicopter parent or ride around everywhere for everything taking multiple vacations per year, then the expert is full of crap.

On a long enough timeline (over two decades now for us) our eggs cost pennies if that.

From a PURELY FINANCIAL point of view, if you only wanna have chickens to get your meat and eggs cheaper than the grocery store, regardless of situational or overall inflation, it is entirely possible.


But it's NOT likely if:

There is no one that stays on the property 24/7.

You don't have a "material scrap yard" on your property.

You've ever had a conversation about how anything a neighbor does might affect your property value.

You have to ask your spouse's permission to buy anything, nevertheless a firearm.

All your vehicles are less than 5 years old.

You average more than 5,000 miles per year on your vehicle and it's not a work related number.

You decided to live where you did because you or your spouse considered living more than 10 minutes from the "good" grocery stores and shops to be an inconvenience.

You decided to live where you did because you or your spouse didn't want to have to drive more than 20 minutes to get to work.

You don't know your neighbors for at least 10 driveways in both directions.

You aren't friends with at least a couple hardcore rednecks and a couple straight-up "back to the earth" hippies.

You go to the grocery store and/or make any grocery related purchases more than once every 7-10 days.

You "eat out" more than once per month.

You don't know farmer/s who will sell you wheat/corn/etc straight out of the combine.

Your garden is less than half an acre.

You don't keep a flock long enough to let the breeds "mix".

You don't have enough matronly hens to be able to let the hens do the hatching of chicks for you.

You've ever asked for a Beal of Sail on a gun forum.

You're "bump in the night longarm" has a comp on the end and not a flash-hider or suppressor.

You're shotgun has a collapsible stock.

You don't kill, process, and eat your excess roosters.

You don't own a rooster that has won at least one fight with a hawk.

Your wife doesn't shoot and kill things when you are not around.

You live in a place that has an HOA.



And the list could go on and on.

I'm not saying it's a bad idea to have your own flock for eggs and/or meat if you aren't living in the country.

But the haughty disclaimers put forth by the naysayers, whether intentioned or not, are only correct as it applies to those folks kind of "playing at it". Does anybody seriously think that having the chickens on the family farm during the depression was costing those folks 3 times what it would have at the grocery store? Our problem as a society now is that we all ASSUME we are so much smarter than those uneducated dirt poor folks who had one pair of boots and no running water that made it through the hard times back then. We may be smarter about a lot of things, after all, we have all this info at the stroke of a keyboard. But I promise you, there has been more info lost about these topics we are discussing here than the internet will ever hold.

You can't have your cake and eat it too.
You want to raise chickens and be able to brag about how cheap it is? It's 100% possible.
But if you can pull that off, you dang sure ain't gonna be bragging about trading your "truck" in every two years for a new one. (Just an example.)

Raising your own food and have it be healthier and cheaper than what it is in the stores is a throwback capability that was tied to an older lifestyle.

You can do it, but you have to sacrifice large swaths of your "modern lifestyle" to get there.
 
thrillhill said:
u don't have a "material scrap yard" on your property.
Click to expand...

Ain't this the truth. We moved from the city to the country 3 years ago. I found out quickly the value of scraps. Scrap anything. When the nearest place to buy lumber is 30+ minutes away, the money in gas getting there costs more than a 2x4 I picked out of the scrap pile.
 
TRaGiK said:
Holy hemorrhoids! Where are you buying feed???

It's $15 a bag at the local farm store up the road from me. It's went up $1 a bag in the last 2 years.
Click to expand...
Just checked. $24.49 for 50# bag for the Layena brand at Tractor Supply. It’s gone up about 35% this year. It’s about the same price as the feed store we go to. You can get the cheaper store brand stuff (Producers Pride and Dumore) for about $16, BUT, I have seen reports that chickens stopped laying when they were fed it.
 
noway2 said:
Just checked. $24.49 for 50# bag for the Layena brand at Tractor Supply. It’s gone up about 35% this year. It’s about the same price as the feed store we go to. You can get the cheaper store brand stuff (Producers Pride and Dumore) for about $16, BUT, I have seen reports that chickens stopped laying when they were fed it.
Click to expand...

Yikes.

Can't remember the brand of the feed we use, but we've been using it since we got the birds 2 years ago, and it's worked well for us.
 
TRaGiK said:
The yard birds also have an entertainment value that you can't put a dollar amount on...they are hilarious to watch.
Click to expand...
Very true. They all have unique personalities. We have one that is a breed called a Steele Egger it’s mostly white with some black specks and has a fluffy head. It’s smaller than the others, fast, feisty, and has a look on its face that says, “I’m a bitch”.

We recently ordered 8 more chicks, that should hatch Feb 6th, but I ordered them in part because I want more eggs and in part because they’re funky breeds that lay odd colored eggs like blue, olive, and dark brown with copper speckles.
 
Most people seem to approach backyard chickens with a hobbyists mentality, which there is nothing wrong with, but it makes the venture artificially expensive.

Regenerative agriculture videos on YouTube are full of ideas on how chickens can be used to improve the land, live a good life, and be more nutritious than what is in the store. You are what you eat, and your food is what it eats. It's all related.


Plus there is intrinsic value is experience. I wouldn't trade any of my small scale food raising experience for cheaper stuff in the store. I've enjoyed it, I've learned a lot, and I have freezers full of beef.
 
Culper said:
Most people seem to approach backyard chickens with a hobbyists mentality, which there is nothing wrong with, but it makes the venture artificially expensive.
Click to expand...
I would like to go more full regenerative, have rooster(s) and raise chicks, but the rest of the family says no. If times get really tough, I have some friends and neighbors with roosters that I’m sure I could borrow or trade for. One of them is a local farm and people tend to dump roosters off on their property. I will say the things are LOUD.
 
All these remind me of heating with wood back in the '70s at my first house.


Heat with Wood

First year costs:

2 stoves and installation $1385.
Removal of hot water baseboard and boiler $238.
Search for reputable wood dealer N/A $76.
Chain saw $210.
Ax, wedges, maul, cant hook, etc. $119.
Old truck (junk after 1st load) $595.
Newer truck $8645.
Tire chains $88.
Replace truck's rear window (twice) $310.
Fine for cutting wrong trees $500.
5-acre woodlot $4995.
Splitting machine $950.
14 cases of beer $126.
6 fifths ginger brandy $38.
Fine for littering $250.
Towing charge (brook to road) $50.
Gas, oil, files, Band-aids $97.
Doctor's fee (sawdust in eye) $45.
Medical cost for broken toe (dropped log) $128.
Safety shoes $35.
Attempt to fix burned hole in carpet $76.
New living room carpet $699.
Paint living room $110.
Taxes on woodlot $44.
Woodlot boundary dispute settlement $465.
Roof repair after chimney fire $840.
Fine for assaulting fireman $50.
Extension ladder $55.
Chimney brush $22.
Medical fee for broken leg (fell off roof) $478.
Chimney cleaning service $90.
Replace coffee table (chopped up and burned while too drunk to bring firewood up from cellar) $79.
 
TRaGiK said:
I just did some quick and dirty math on what it costs me. I bought the wood to build the coop at the height of lumber prices. Fencing wasn't cheap. Calculated feed for 2 years...only 2 years because chickens quit producing eggs as frequently after that, so the chickens get "disposed of" around that point. And we started off with 8 week old hens instead of chicks, which are significantly more expensive.

Comes out to ~$10 per dozen. That does not take into account that the coop, feeders, waterers, fencing, etc, will all last longer than 2 years. Most, if not all, of that stuff I expect to get 10+ years out of.

I also didn't take into account for the eggs we sell. We've paid for feed out of our pockets twice. Once before the birds started laying (almost 2 years ago) and once a few weeks ago. 12 hens lay ~5 times the amount of eggs 2 of us can eat, so the bulk of them get sold.

The flip side of it all is, we haven't bought a single egg from the store since the birds started laying. Came close to having to this winter, but never had to. The yard birds also have an entertainment value that you can't put a dollar amount on...they are hilarious to watch.
Click to expand...
I call my only egg so far "The $1k Egg".

Advise please: Wait on chicken days at Tractor Supply or order from a Hatchery? I want 6-10 this year of varying breeds if possible, and every couple of years I'll start rotating.
 
@Sp00ks if you order from a hatchery you will also pay through the nose for next day air postage, but you can largely choose what you want. If you wait and get them at the store, they are also likely to have survived several days and are less likely to just die (I had one die and it was the one I really wanted cause it was a funky looking breed). I don’t know if the ones at the store are female or straight run mixed. You may end up with a bag of roosters.
 
TRaGiK said:
The yard birds also have an entertainment value that you can't put a dollar amount on...they are hilarious to watch.
Click to expand...
Yup. Funny lil critters with individual personalities and they poop breakfast.
Oner-r-two of'em will get to "retire" and fuss with the noobs.
The others will eventually end up in the "Chicken Jacuzzi". 😋
 
noway2 said:
@Sp00ks if you order from a hatchery you will also pay through the nose for next day air postage, but you can largely choose what you want. If you wait and get them at the store, they are also likely to have survived several days and are less likely to just die (I had one die and it was the one I really wanted cause it was a funky looking breed). I don’t know if the ones at the store are female or straight run mixed. You may end up with a bag of roosters.
Click to expand...
Thanks, that was my thoughts as well. I've seen both straight run and Pullets last year at Tractor Supply. I won't do any more straight runs. Maybe if I start doing meat birds and I can pick up some dual purpose... Maybe...

The Roosters were quite entertaining and I enjoyed them but I don't need any more "pets".
 
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ronn47 said:
All these remind me of heating with wood back in the '70s at my first house.


Heat with Wood

First year costs:

2 stoves and installation $1385.
Removal of hot water baseboard and boiler $238.
Search for reputable wood dealer N/A $76.
Chain saw $210.
Ax, wedges, maul, cant hook, etc. $119.
Old truck (junk after 1st load) $595.
Newer truck $8645.
Tire chains $88.
Replace truck's rear window (twice) $310.
Fine for cutting wrong trees $500.
5-acre woodlot $4995.
Splitting machine $950.
14 cases of beer $126.
6 fifths ginger brandy $38.
Fine for littering $250.
Towing charge (brook to road) $50.
Gas, oil, files, Band-aids $97.
Doctor's fee (sawdust in eye) $45.
Medical cost for broken toe (dropped log) $128.
Safety shoes $35.
Attempt to fix burned hole in carpet $76.
New living room carpet $699.
Paint living room $110.
Taxes on woodlot $44.
Woodlot boundary dispute settlement $465.
Roof repair after chimney fire $840.
Fine for assaulting fireman $50.
Extension ladder $55.
Chimney brush $22.
Medical fee for broken leg (fell off roof) $478.
Chimney cleaning service $90.
Replace coffee table (chopped up and burned while too drunk to bring firewood up from cellar) $79.
Click to expand...
Sounds about right. Always smething when saving money.
 
ronn47 said:
All these remind me of heating with wood back in the '70s at my first house.


Heat with Wood

First year costs:

2 stoves and installation $1385.
Removal of hot water baseboard and boiler $238.
Search for reputable wood dealer N/A $76.
Chain saw $210.
Ax, wedges, maul, cant hook, etc. $119.
Old truck (junk after 1st load) $595.
Newer truck $8645.
Tire chains $88.
Replace truck's rear window (twice) $310.
Fine for cutting wrong trees $500.
5-acre woodlot $4995.
Splitting machine $950.
14 cases of beer $126.
6 fifths ginger brandy $38.
Fine for littering $250.
Towing charge (brook to road) $50.
Gas, oil, files, Band-aids $97.
Doctor's fee (sawdust in eye) $45.
Medical cost for broken toe (dropped log) $128.
Safety shoes $35.
Attempt to fix burned hole in carpet $76.
New living room carpet $699.
Paint living room $110.
Taxes on woodlot $44.
Woodlot boundary dispute settlement $465.
Roof repair after chimney fire $840.
Fine for assaulting fireman $50.
Extension ladder $55.
Chimney brush $22.
Medical fee for broken leg (fell off roof) $478.
Chimney cleaning service $90.
Replace coffee table (chopped up and burned while too drunk to bring firewood up from cellar) $79.
Click to expand...
That’s a pretty good education you got there. I hope to learn from your mistakes. 🤣
 
Schattenreiter said:
What store did you find eggs priced where us commoners could afford?
Click to expand...

Food Lyon, but that was a month ago now so I have no idea what they cost currently.

The birds have started giving us ~4 eggs a week (total) which is sufficient for our use. Hoping that purchase was a one time thing. I'm not doing a lot of baking or pasta making with the current supply.
 
I picked up a shed off Craig’s for $100, Scrounged the mulch/scrap yard near work, bought chicken wire. Built everything myself. Over the years I’ve purchased chicks from tractor supply, farm store, and Craig’s. The last ten years has been whatever the hens hatch.
I get feed from the farm store for $15 for a 50lb bag. The chickens eat all the kitchen scraps I have, except onions and garlic.
I am down to 6 hens and 2 roosters. I may separate a broody hen this spring to get some younger hens in the flock. My oldest Easter egger died Friday. She was eleven and still gave me 2 green eggs each week and she liked me a lot.
Is it worth it? They say you can’t hide money. I’m rich I tell ya. I had 2 egg sandwiches this morning. The dogs got 3 over easy apiece.
Entertainment, you bet. Marshmallows are crack to chickens, after you introduce them to each other. I can step out of the back door and nothing happens. I can have a bag of miniature marshmallows and crinkle it in my hands and the coop empties out right now. They will pace and squawk relentlessly inside the run area until they get their fix.
I can let them out to forage while I’m outside, I have hawks. When I want them back in, out comes the bag. I’m the pied piper now. Toss a few inside the run and close the door behind them.
Sorry for the long winded story.
 
I will never buy chick's or feed at Tractor Supply. Crappy quality and horrible prices on both. I've got three local hardware / feed stores that are much cheaper. I think the last chick's I bought went for $3.50 each at my preferred shop.

20x30 dog pen that the previous owner put up 20+ years ago. After a couple of hawk strikes in the run, the 2x2 netting over the top was given to me by a neighbor as partial 'payment' for farm sitting while the went hunting in WV. A bell waterer was given by the same neighbor.
There was a hardwood factory nearby that put scraps out in piles by the road for locals to pillage. They disappeared during the coof, unfortunately. In one trip I scavenged enough mahogany to more than triple the size of my coop.

With 20ish birds, the money from egg sales pays the feed bill. They free range often and get whatever table scraps and leftovers that won't harm them.

I did spend some stupid money on 2 x 200' of movable electric poultry netting / fencing. With that they can pretty much free range but stay the hell out of our gardens and flowerbeds.
 
Johnny said:
I will never buy chick's or feed at Tractor Supply. Crappy quality and horrible prices on both. I've got three local hardware / feed stores that are much cheaper. I think the last chick's I bought went for $3.50 each at my preferred shop.

20x30 dog pen that the previous owner put up 20+ years ago. After a couple of hawk strikes in the run, the 2x2 netting over the top was given to me by a neighbor as partial 'payment' for farm sitting while the went hunting in WV. A bell waterer was given by the same neighbor.
There was a hardwood factory nearby that put scraps out in piles by the road for locals to pillage. They disappeared during the coof, unfortunately. In one trip I scavenged enough mahogany to more than triple the size of my coop.

With 20ish birds, the money from egg sales pays the feed bill. They free range often and get whatever table scraps and leftovers that won't harm them.

I did spend some stupid money on 2 x 200' of movable electric poultry netting / fencing. With that they can pretty much free range but stay the hell out of our gardens and flowerbeds.
Click to expand...
Not my first choice either but..... I'll call around some tomorrow and see if there is a locally owned place that is going to get chicks. That's how I found the ones I got, a local hatchery but they don't sex the chics.

I was thinking about giving eggs to the neighbors for a nominal fee to help pay for feed.
 
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1gzQC02.jpg
 
noway2 said:
This afternoon, I went down into the basement at my parents house and got a dozen eggs from the bucket I water-glassed three dozen back in sept. 2021. They all passed the float / sink test. Tomorrow morning, scrambled eggs for breakfast.
Click to expand...
Everybody still alive?
 
HawgBonz said:
Everybody still alive?
Click to expand...
Yes, we’re still alive, but I think they went past the limit of water-glassing for preserving. I tried some about six months ago, and they were ‘soft’ as I. Spread alot, yolks collapsed, but they tasted like eggs. These all passed the float test, but tasted off and became dog food. They'd likely be ok in baked goods, though.
 
Let's try this again....

OK, we got some more chicks! Tractor supply is the only place local I can get pullets. I was in there every day this week. Weds, I called at 11am, "Yes we got some in" immediately drove up there. The woman in front of me got the last 4..... 150 birds sold in 30 mins. The manager said they would have more Thursday. My wife went up there about 9:30 and just hung out. Her instructions were to get 4-6 birds based on variety. She came home with 8 chicks.

I knew there was going to be a run on chicks this year with the egg prices what they are, even though prices have already started to drop. I bet this time next year Craigslist and Market place will be loaded up with chicken stuff.

2-black Sexlinks
2-Rainbow
2-Marans
2-Buff Orpingtons

I built the coop to be expandable. Right now it's 4x4 but I built additional floor space to increase it to 4x8. I have to pull a wall off to extend it and the weather hasn't cooperated but I should be able to get it done on a weekend. We still have one hen from the previous escapade. She won't come out of the coop on her own.

My feed store down the street stopped selling feed, said it wasn't profitable anymore. He also said they lost 80% of their customer base but are still able to pay the bills. I have no other reason to stop there.
 
Last edited:
thrillhill said:
If you live in the actual COUNTRY (as opposed to the suburbs or housing development or the edge of an exploding city), live a "traditional" lifestyle (my wife stays home, kids were homeschooled and pitched in) and grew up relatively poor (you know how to scrounge, repurpose material, or build with what is provided by nature: cedar posts etc) and don't helicopter parent or ride around everywhere for everything taking multiple vacations per year, then the expert is full of crap.

On a long enough timeline (over two decades now for us) our eggs cost pennies if that.

From a PURELY FINANCIAL point of view, if you only wanna have chickens to get your meat and eggs cheaper than the grocery store, regardless of situational or overall inflation, it is entirely possible.


But it's NOT likely if:

There is no one that stays on the property 24/7.

You don't have a "material scrap yard" on your property.

You've ever had a conversation about how anything a neighbor does might affect your property value.

You have to ask your spouse's permission to buy anything, nevertheless a firearm.

All your vehicles are less than 5 years old.

You average more than 5,000 miles per year on your vehicle and it's not a work related number.

You decided to live where you did because you or your spouse considered living more than 10 minutes from the "good" grocery stores and shops to be an inconvenience.

You decided to live where you did because you or your spouse didn't want to have to drive more than 20 minutes to get to work.

You don't know your neighbors for at least 10 driveways in both directions.

You aren't friends with at least a couple hardcore rednecks and a couple straight-up "back to the earth" hippies.

You go to the grocery store and/or make any grocery related purchases more than once every 7-10 days.

You "eat out" more than once per month.

You don't know farmer/s who will sell you wheat/corn/etc straight out of the combine.

Your garden is less than half an acre.

You don't keep a flock long enough to let the breeds "mix".

You don't have enough matronly hens to be able to let the hens do the hatching of chicks for you.

You've ever asked for a Beal of Sail on a gun forum.

You're "bump in the night longarm" has a comp on the end and not a flash-hider or suppressor.

You're shotgun has a collapsible stock.

You don't kill, process, and eat your excess roosters.

You don't own a rooster that has won at least one fight with a hawk.

Your wife doesn't shoot and kill things when you are not around.

You live in a place that has an HOA.



And the list could go on and on.

I'm not saying it's a bad idea to have your own flock for eggs and/or meat if you aren't living in the country.

But the haughty disclaimers put forth by the naysayers, whether intentioned or not, are only correct as it applies to those folks kind of "playing at it". Does anybody seriously think that having the chickens on the family farm during the depression was costing those folks 3 times what it would have at the grocery store? Our problem as a society now is that we all ASSUME we are so much smarter than those uneducated dirt poor folks who had one pair of boots and no running water that made it through the hard times back then. We may be smarter about a lot of things, after all, we have all this info at the stroke of a keyboard. But I promise you, there has been more info lost about these topics we are discussing here than the internet will ever hold.

You can't have your cake and eat it too.
You want to raise chickens and be able to brag about how cheap it is? It's 100% possible.
But if you can pull that off, you dang sure ain't gonna be bragging about trading your "truck" in every two years for a new one. (Just an example.)

Raising your own food and have it be healthier and cheaper than what it is in the stores is a throwback capability that was tied to an older lifestyle.

You can do it, but you have to sacrifice large swaths of your "modern lifestyle" to get there.
Click to expand...
STOP IT!!! .... people gonna think I am giving you lessons on verbosity ;)
Seriously, that was great!
 
ronn47 said:
All these remind me of heating with wood back in the '70s at my first house.


Heat with Wood

First year costs:

2 stoves and installation $1385.
Removal of hot water baseboard and boiler $238.
Search for reputable wood dealer N/A $76.
Chain saw $210.
Ax, wedges, maul, cant hook, etc. $119.
Old truck (junk after 1st load) $595.
Newer truck $8645.
Tire chains $88.
Replace truck's rear window (twice) $310.
Fine for cutting wrong trees $500.
5-acre woodlot $4995.
Splitting machine $950.
14 cases of beer $126.
6 fifths ginger brandy $38.
Fine for littering $250.
Towing charge (brook to road) $50.
Gas, oil, files, Band-aids $97.
Doctor's fee (sawdust in eye) $45.
Medical cost for broken toe (dropped log) $128.
Safety shoes $35.
Attempt to fix burned hole in carpet $76.
New living room carpet $699.
Paint living room $110.
Taxes on woodlot $44.
Woodlot boundary dispute settlement $465.
Roof repair after chimney fire $840.
Fine for assaulting fireman $50.
Extension ladder $55.
Chimney brush $22.
Medical fee for broken leg (fell off roof) $478.
Chimney cleaning service $90.
Replace coffee table (chopped up and burned while too drunk to bring firewood up from cellar) $79.
Click to expand...
I read this when you originally posted it and must have gotten side tracked. Thank you. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
 
Expanded the coop today to 4x8. Lost a chic and I think it happened a few days ago. (we are a week in) Found her in the shavings.

I have a single full grown Hen in the coop, how cold do you think she can tolerate by herself, without supplemental heat? We have a couple chilly nights coming. I assume 30's wouldn't be anything to worry about.
 
Sp00ks said:
Expanded the coop today to 4x8. Lost a chic and I think it happened a few days ago. (we are a week in) Found her in the shavings.
Click to expand...
There always a sorry shame.
Sp00ks said:
I have a single full grown Hen in the coop, how cold do you think she can tolerate by herself, without supplemental heat? We have a couple chilly nights coming. I assume 30's wouldn't be anything to worry about.
Click to expand...
The hen, if it's feathered it should be fine.
 
Sp00ks said:
Expanded the coop today to 4x8. Lost a chic and I think it happened a few days ago. (we are a week in) Found her in the shavings.

I have a single full grown Hen in the coop, how cold do you think she can tolerate by herself, without supplemental heat? We have a couple chilly nights coming. I assume 30's wouldn't be anything to worry about.
Click to expand...
Full grown chickens do not need heat unless they are in the arctic circle.
 
Sp00ks said:
Expanded the coop today to 4x8. Lost a chic and I think it happened a few days ago. (we are a week in) Found her in the shavings.

I have a single full grown Hen in the coop, how cold do you think she can tolerate by herself, without supplemental heat? We have a couple chilly nights coming. I assume 30's wouldn't be anything to worry about.
Click to expand...
Like Noway and Johnny said, if she’s got all her feathers she should be fine. She can “mother” any chicks you have and keep them warm as well. We put up plastic around the outside of our hen house to help keep the wind (and wind chill) off them. We’ve made it through two winters now in the mountains of western NC with nary a problem.
 
I've started another open air coop. Not to expand my flock, but to relocate my birds.

I'm gonna tear down (and hopefully repurpose) my old coop, so I can get back to cutting down trees.

135569.jpeg
 
thrillhill said:
If you live in the actual COUNTRY (as opposed to the suburbs or housing development or the edge of an exploding city), live a "traditional" lifestyle (my wife stays home, kids were homeschooled and pitched in) and grew up relatively poor (you know how to scrounge, repurpose material, or build with what is provided by nature: cedar posts etc) and don't helicopter parent or ride around everywhere for everything taking multiple vacations per year, then the expert is full of crap.

On a long enough timeline (over two decades now for us) our eggs cost pennies if that.

From a PURELY FINANCIAL point of view, if you only wanna have chickens to get your meat and eggs cheaper than the grocery store, regardless of situational or overall inflation, it is entirely possible.


But it's NOT likely if:

There is no one that stays on the property 24/7.

You don't have a "material scrap yard" on your property.

You've ever had a conversation about how anything a neighbor does might affect your property value.

You have to ask your spouse's permission to buy anything, nevertheless a firearm.

All your vehicles are less than 5 years old.

You average more than 5,000 miles per year on your vehicle and it's not a work related number.

You decided to live where you did because you or your spouse considered living more than 10 minutes from the "good" grocery stores and shops to be an inconvenience.

You decided to live where you did because you or your spouse didn't want to have to drive more than 20 minutes to get to work.

You don't know your neighbors for at least 10 driveways in both directions.

You aren't friends with at least a couple hardcore rednecks and a couple straight-up "back to the earth" hippies.

You go to the grocery store and/or make any grocery related purchases more than once every 7-10 days.

You "eat out" more than once per month.

You don't know farmer/s who will sell you wheat/corn/etc straight out of the combine.

Your garden is less than half an acre.

You don't keep a flock long enough to let the breeds "mix".

You don't have enough matronly hens to be able to let the hens do the hatching of chicks for you.

You've ever asked for a Beal of Sail on a gun forum.

You're "bump in the night longarm" has a comp on the end and not a flash-hider or suppressor.

You're shotgun has a collapsible stock.

You don't kill, process, and eat your excess roosters.

You don't own a rooster that has won at least one fight with a hawk.

Your wife doesn't shoot and kill things when you are not around.

You live in a place that has an HOA.



And the list could go on and on.

I'm not saying it's a bad idea to have your own flock for eggs and/or meat if you aren't living in the country.

But the haughty disclaimers put forth by the naysayers, whether intentioned or not, are only correct as it applies to those folks kind of "playing at it". Does anybody seriously think that having the chickens on the family farm during the depression was costing those folks 3 times what it would have at the grocery store? Our problem as a society now is that we all ASSUME we are so much smarter than those uneducated dirt poor folks who had one pair of boots and no running water that made it through the hard times back then. We may be smarter about a lot of things, after all, we have all this info at the stroke of a keyboard. But I promise you, there has been more info lost about these topics we are discussing here than the internet will ever hold.

You can't have your cake and eat it too.
You want to raise chickens and be able to brag about how cheap it is? It's 100% possible.
But if you can pull that off, you dang sure ain't gonna be bragging about trading your "truck" in every two years for a new one. (Just an example.)

Raising your own food and have it be healthier and cheaper than what it is in the stores is a throwback capability that was tied to an older lifestyle.

You can do it, but you have to sacrifice large swaths of your "modern lifestyle" to get there.
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Jeezuz…. You musta been in a mood when you wrote all that. Damn son.
 
Many years ago, I was putting a new tin roof on an addition to the barn to expand the chicken coop. It started raining just before I finished the last piece of tin so I went inside and took a break. It was about dark and I was pretty tired; but decided to go out and finish that last piece of tin. Went up the wet ladder and slipped and caught myself from falling by grabbing the edge of the tin; cut my hand pretty bad. Ended up getting surgery to repair a cut saggital band followed by many weeks of hand therapy.

My wife always said after that anytime she broke an egg in the pan - "here goes another ten thousand dollar egg" LOL.
 
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