Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
feed so that our own eggs are free, plus we get to keep the
chickens valuable nitrogen-rich manure for our compost pile.
Chickens
A flock of 12 laying chickens costs about $6.00 per week to
feed during the winter months when they can't be fed by
foraging. They will earn their keep by producing about two to
four dozen eggs weekly (more during the summer, fewer
during the winter). Obviously, the family can't eat that many
eggs, so a little negotiation with friends or coworkers who
appreciate farm-fresh eggs will net you $2 to $3 per dozen.
(Egg cartons cost about $0.20 each from a number of
manufacturers. For more information, just type “egg cartons”
into an Internet search engine. We get ours at a local
get-together known as a “chicken swap.”) To put the cost of
chicken feed into perspective, a flock of 12 chickens costs
less to feed than a house cat.
At the supermarket, a chicken is just a chicken, but eggs run
the gamut from cheap generic eggs costing less than a dollar a
dozen to organic eggs costing more than five dollars a carton.
From the standpoint of raising chickens, there are numerous
breeds available, each of which has its strengths and
weaknesses. Many chickens are bred specifically for meat
yield, and others are bred mainly for laying eggs. There are
also dual-purpose varieties that split the difference.
For a mini-farm, I would recommend a hardy egg-laying
variety such as the Rhode Island Red, which has the benefit of
being good at hatching its own eggs over the more cultured
Leghorn (pronounced “legern”) varieties. Another good
choice would be a dual-purpose breed like the New
