Not Eggsactly a Money Making Scheme

Trust me when I say, you don’t save a penny raising your own hens  just for eggs. Housing, feed, fresh vegetables, medical care all cost money, most of which is not recuperated if you eat or sell a dozen eggs for a whopping $3.00/dozen. You do however; get better tasting healthier eggs, not to mention the chemical free reduction of bugs and the entertainment value watching the antics of your flock.

We didn't get into raising our own chickens as a money making scheme.  We wanted to become more self sufficient.  Self sufficient isn't always the least expensive option or easiest.   It is the most rewarding and healthier option. You learn a few things along the way, enough to know there are things going on in this world with relation to the food chain that are not right. I like to know where my food comes from. 

Did the egg you're consuming come from a production facility where she gets to sit in a box all day, every day of her short life and eat commercial feed?  Or did you get the organic, free range option?  Note, just because it comes from a “local farmer” doesn’t mean they have a good diet either.  Are they allowed to free range for grass/weeds and bugs?   Is their diet supplemented with fresh vegetables and fruits?

Some egg facts you should know;

• The yolks from our farm raised hens are darker than store bought. 
• They DO taste better. 
• They DO last longer (up to 3 months in the fridge).  Longer by some accounts.
• The eggs you get at the store are upwards of 30-40 days old by the time they make it to the shelf at the market.    I'd like to know the food I eat is as fresh as possible.  40 day old eggs are not fresh, even if the carton states "farm fresh eggs"!
• An egg contains all the building blocks of life!  How else could it create another chicken?
• An egg contains all vitamins except for C
• They do not need to be stored in the refrigerator, however that has become the norm.

We have been able to supplement the cost of feed, etc by raising and selling chicks.  Again, unless you can really increase your numbers, and find a venue to sell them, it is not going to make you rich. You will be richly rewarded in other ways.