Raise Your Own Damn Chickens to Save on Eggs?

[LilElf70]

https://www.mediaite.com/tv/trump-agriculture-boss-says-cash-strapped-americans-can-raise-their-own-chickens-to-save-on-eggs/

The brilliant ones, such as the kings AG boss here, thinks we can get out of the egg crunch by raising our own damn chickens. This one is exceptionally brilliant and she must go to the front of the line. Where does Trump get such smart people? Go cluck yourself — and and let's buy a chicken to produce your own eggs. Didn't someone say we live is the richest country anywhere? I'm guessing that was a lie too.

I still can't get over the fact that this is even making the news? What decade are we in?

[Wounded Bear]

1. And don't forget, you can use a chicken to pay your doctor bills...

just like in the old days.

[mr715]

7. Just have the chicken diagnose you.

They are very wise animals

[mercuryblues]

8. I use lab tests

And cat scans for that.

[mr715]

11. Everyone should have a PET

Are those chocolate labs or yellow labs?

[Climate Crusader]

2. We do.

Love our girls and our rooster is kind and handsome.

[Bayard]

3. Same here

[Ocelot II]

4. I'm sure landlords would allow tenants to raise chickens in their apartments.

[mr715]

14. It does make for a funny mental image

Picturing my old tenement style apartment in NYC, the place just bristling with hard working, wager earning hens.

[Srkdqltr]

5. Until they get the bird flu.

[Yavin4]

6. And if they don't lay eggs...

...then you can eat them.

[mr715]

12. A stunning example of capitalism

Right in your very own coop.

[Redleg]

9. Another example of holding the consumer accountable

rather than those who created the problem or failed to deal with it.

[Keepthesoulalive]

10. Even in rural areas with acreage

Little things like foxes, coyotes and bears say let’s have dinner.

[yellowcanine]

22. Not just rural areas. We have foxes, raccoons and weasels in our subdivision. They all eat chickens.

Not to mention some really big feral cats who would just love to kill a half grown chicken just for the fun of it.

[allegorical oracle]

29. When we moved to our rural plot, we built a sturdy coop and had four white leghorns. My

husband was on a biz trip when a bobcat got into the coop and the girls managed to fly out. They were so panicked that they kept flying into the side of our house until they killed themselves. It was horrible. Nothing I did helped. No more chickens. I'll do without eggs until the prices drop.

[mucholderthandirt]

13. I've done it. Not cheap, you have to be on guard for predators and disease.

Coop, feed, bedding, supplements...

Yeah. Not cheaper. And those birds can still get bird flu and die. So...

They are fun to watch, and they have distinct personalities.

[Coventina]

25. A friend of mine said that with the costs of responsibly caring & sheltering his chickens,

his cost per dozen was around $70

Not exactly the cost-savings this idiot is talking about.

[CountAllVotes]

15. Dirty birds

esp. if you do not know you are doing! *phew!*

[yellowcanine]

23. Yeah their shit stinks but so does everyone's.

[Wonder Why]

16. I'll be damned if I'm going to raise repugs in my yard but if you people want to do it,

please keep the yard clear of MAGAts.

[CountAllVotes]

17. $5.99/dozen at the Grocery Outlet

Just the other day

I'd rather buy them rather than go through all of the work to get an egg out of poultry.

I don't eat eggs fortunately.

[maveric]

30. $4.99 at Trader Joe's.

Brown eggs.

[Hekate]

18. Bird flu is being spread by wild birds...

[OneGrassRoot]

34. This. Extreme caution is required. n/t

[bluesbassman]

19. A chicken in every pot, and a Tesla in every garage!

JFC, I couldn't despise this stupid MFer any more if I tried!

[yellowcanine]

20. Fine but you are probably not going to save money.

You need a predator proof coop for a start. And a fenced in run. OTOH contrary to conventional wisdom, you don't need a rooster. In fact, if you are doing it in a suburban area, you probably don't want a rooster. Nothing pisses off the neighbors and motivates them to report you to governing authorities like a rooster crowing at 5 am. Or earlier. And of course you need feed, feeders and watering devices. And now is not a good time to start. One reason egg prices are so high is avian flu. Chickens can get it and the whole flock can die. So you have to take precautions. No, you are probably not going to save money on eggs. But kids love chickens and can learn a lot from helping to care for them. So that is a bonus which can't be measured in monetary terms for children or grandchildren.

[Coventina]

26. My friend said it cost him about $70 a dozen. eom.

[yellowcanine]

28. A lot depends on what you can build yourself, etc.

And with some knowledge and luck, you can probably pick up used stuff for almost nothing from people who invested in equipment and gave up. Of course the feed costs plenty and not all of the feed turns into eggs. You have to account for keeping the chicken alive also.

[Initech]

21. Guess that means that Cosmo Kramer had the right idea?

[Raftergirl]

24. One who be more exposed to bird flu raising your own chickens for eggs. Not something anyone with even half

a brain would do.

[doc03]

27. My brother tried raising a few chickens, you have to buy the chicks, build them a place to stay and

buy feed. A raccoon got in the pen and killed all the chickens twice. You sum it all up it
would have cheaper to buy the eggs.

[brush]

31. Nope. With bird flu around, not the right time. And maybe a few have the time to raise...

care for and feed a chicken.

[elocs]

32. Simple: there are no chickens allowed where I live. However, we can have cats,

but I'm going to give up Feline for Lent.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

33. And with NOAA cuts a rooster comes in hand to predict weather.

Granny Clampett: rooster crows before he goes to bed, he’ll wake up with a soggy head


But nothing beats a weather beetle!

?si=hye4PkUKUxpTBsml

[surrealistic pillows]

35. What egg crunch? Eggs are the new toilet paper.

I bought eggs the other day. Paid six-something but they're bougie eggs. 🥚 Same price as always. ***Maybe*** 10% higher. This is a psyops IMO. At least where I live it's eggs-tremely easy to buy eggs...

[jmowreader]

36. What I find interesting...

...is she said to get A chicken. As in one.

Chickens lay about five eggs a week, so if you are married with three children and each person eats two eggs at a meal, you'll eat eggs once every two weeks if you only have one. If you want to eat eggs every day, you'll need about a dozen hens.

How many of these "get a chicken" people really want to raise a flock of chickens, which you'd need to ensure a reasonable egg supply? And don't forget that you have to feed these little beasts, and a 50-pound bag of Purina or Nutrena feed will run you $20 - unless you feed organic and that's close to $30 for a 35-pound bag.

[Autumn]

42. I have 2 ladies. They lay 12 to 14 eggs a week. I buy egg layer feed from the feed store for 17 dollars

that lasts over two 2 weeks .Oyster shells from Amazon at 10 dollars a bag once a month or so. They enjoy veggie scraps and left over pasta. You don't need a flock. My girls are in a safe coop and roam in the fenced yard during the day and are locked in at dusk. They enjoy hanging out with a feral cat that has moved in. Chickens are easy keepers and I have no bugs in my yard.

[hardluck]

37. I am thank you very much.

Have seven hens. Not saving any money but we are enjoying raising them. We get around 30 eggs a week. We keep what we need and give away some to our friends and family. They're not as cute as our goats but they definitely have their own distinct personalities.

My wife grew up on a farms so she's enjoying having a bit of a farm life outside of Los Angeles. I'm a city boy so this is all new to me.

[Oopsie Daisy]

38. Raising chickens is a hobby... for fun and relaxation. Not a way to save on eggs.

[Kaleva]

41. I agree.

Some can make money from it but for most of us who have chickens, it's mostly a hobby, IMHO

[Meowmee]

39. Doesn't it cost money to do that? 😹

Plus it would probably cause even more bird flu spread among animals etc. Not that everyone is in a position to be able to even if they wanted to.

[madville]

40. 24 eggs were $8 at Costco yesterday

Not expensive enough for me to fool with getting chickens yet lol, they’d have to be like triple that to make it worthwhile.

[NickB79]

43. It's economical if you also grow a big vegetable garden

The eggs alone don't make the math work.

But, if you're using the manure to fertilize a big garden, and you're canning, freezing and dehydrating your harvest, it works out because a steady supply of chicken manure supercharges the soil. My yields are through the roof with no synthetic fertilizers.

If you have a half acre or more to let them free range, they can get a lot of free feed on their own. Plus, they'll eat almost any kitchen scraps and leftovers.

As far as a coop, they're cheap if you are handy. I built one almost for free using salvaged pallets and other materials I found on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist.