[joe8756438]

yes. i have a flock and the feed alone puts a doz at $3.

the labor is somewhat enjoyable and the chickens are incredible child-leftover disposal machines. but when you factor infrastructure and labor youll probably never recoup your “investment” in eggs.

for anyone dealing with land predators, get electric poultry net. it’s magic.

[declan_roberts]

Is that true even right now in the winter? My hens are basically pensioners at this point. I'm planning on refreshing the flock this spring.

[joe8756438]

im in md, and my hens have been laying all winter, no artificial light. they are a hybrid cross i bought from a local egg producing farm. i think they are called sex linked reds (not sure).

it’s crazy how many eggs they lay.

[GeoAtreides]

what will it happen with the old hens?

[bombcar]

Most layers do ok the first year, great the second, and then taper off. If you have old crockpot recipes, they can taste great after egg production drops off.

But they can keep laying for quite some time.

You can reduce the feed costs by letting them graze (though even a few chickens will lay waste to an average sized backyard if given the chance) and/or using household food waste.

[joe8756438]

yeah, on a small scale it’s actually pretty easy to make a decent dent in the feed bill. once you get over a dozen hens though it would take a few adults to make enough waste. chickens eat a lot!

[declan_roberts]

We'll give these ones away. Somebody will take them in and get eggs out of them for another year probably.