Eggs, Eggs, Eggs! Should I buy them from a store or from a local farmer? I know, eggs from the store are cheaper, but they are not as healthy or as fresh as eggs from a farmer. When you buy eggs from a store they can stay on the shelf for up to a year. Yes, eggs from a farmer can be more expensive but think of the health benefits. Today I am going to tell you what we as a family did. I was brought up on farm fresh eggs even though we did not live near a farm. Every week we would visit my grandparents and pick up farm fresh eggs on the way home. Once you start eating farm fresh eggs you will taste the difference between the store bought and fresh. Believe me, the extra cost is well worth it.
We live out in the country and on a little farm, so this was a no-brainer. We raise about 40 chickens for eggs for family and friends, plus my husband sells some at work. We started out small at first then gradually added more chickens.
First, you need to check out different breeds of chickens. We decided on the ambers because we wanted brown eggs. Check your local Coop for prices and availability. Or if you like, go online and find someone who is selling chickens. The Coop priced the chicks at a little over a dollar a piece. If you do not want to raise chicks, I suggest buying chicken that is around a year old. This way they are laying eggs already.
The second thing you need to buy is waters and feeders. Check out Fleet Farm or any Farm store for these. Depending on how many chickens you have the prices will very. Feeders and waterers start at $3.00 and go up from there.
The third thing you will need is a place to keep your chickens. We have a barn so we fenced them in and built a hutch for them to lay their eggs in. My husband took a couple pieces of plywood and put some hinges on the cover and cut a hole in front, for the chickens to enter. Place some straw down inside and this is where they lay their eggs.
If you live in town and only want a few chickens, you have some options. First, you need to find out your zoning ordinance for your city. Most cities will let you have up to 4 chickens no roosters. You have to have an enclosure for the chicken and all feed has to be in a sealed container so no animals can get into it. I recommend Tractor Supply for a cheap Hutch. They have a Rugged Ranch Durango for chickens for $30.00 dollar. The size is a 5 foot by 10 foot wired cage for chickens. This is perfect for your back yard.
Now you can have a smaller amount of chickens and have fresh eggs every day. Chickens are pretty easy to take care of. This would be a fun project for the kids and grandchildren to help with. If your children are in 4-H or Girl Scouts this would be a great way to earn a badge. This gives them responsibility and the opportunity to learn how to take care of a different kind of animal.
Having chickens doesn’t take much time or work. Think of the health benefits and the fact that you can go outside every morning and have fresh eggs to eat for breakfast. Always do your research, before you decide if this is a good project you want to take on. Fresh Eggs every day! Enjoy having chickens from Suzie Homemaker.
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