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Egg prices are soaring. Are backyard chickens the answer?

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Re: Egg prices are soaring. Are backyard chickens the answer?

#71

Post by abe_m »

cmrdporcupine wrote: post #67
abe_m wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think a lot of that is due to eggs being under government supply management. It is very difficult to get a new egg farm going, and it is very difficult to consolidate egg farms. So we have more smaller farms surviving as a result.

That's definitely a part of it. There was some move some years ago here in Ontario to push for a small flock exemption to allow for egg & pooultry sales outside the quota system for flocks under 300 bird. And I don't mean roadside sales, but market sales. So there has been some accommodation for smaller market players. https://sustainontario.com/small-flock-exemptions/

All the quota systems in Ontario have troubles moving farms generation to generation. You pretty much have to inherit a farm as the quota costs are pretty well impossible to surmount in addition to land and equipment costs, as well as working capital for fuel, fertilizer, seed, etc. Dairy has recognized that and there is a certain portion of quota that needs to go to new producers when quota is bought and sold. I don't know if the chicken meat and egg systems do the same.

From what I understand there is no path for the small flock program to get from 300 birds to full up full time. I'm sure 300 birds/year is still hobby farm. Nobody is earning a living on that.

Re: Egg prices are soaring. Are backyard chickens the answer?

#72

Post by trod1234 »

darth_avocado wrote: post #65
trod1234 wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

First, you can't put a price on food security. When you can't get these things from the market because the shelves are bare, you will still have a source available. That's a big perk that can't be understated. Also, the shelves have been bare with eggs for quite awhile. Locally here we largely only see the large packs being sold. Its been 6 months since I've seen a dozen pack on the shelves. Its far more than $2, whe…

I would agree, except it’s not food security. Eggs not necessarily a mandatory food source. Like you said, if a pack of eggs is the same as choice beef or pork, then eat that? Both are nutritionally better options than eggs. If we really want food security, we’d each probably need at least a 10 acres of land per person in the household, grow our own vegetables and grains, raise chickens, have our own cows/pigs/goats,…

A nominal human diet requires a certain minimum amount of protein, and related essential amino acids, and vitamins.

Eggs have until very recently been a cheap source of protein as an inferior good compared others.

The problems in shortage are when the prices of all necessities are being driven up across the board to the point where you can't afford food, where government SNAP programs cannot keep up.

This is the point where it becomes food security, and yes you can go further into bootstrapping your own dependency grid given more resources. At a bare minimum it provides goods you can trade for other goods which is more food security than you had when you were completely dependent on others and the currency retaining a stable store of value.

Re: Egg prices are soaring. Are backyard chickens the answer?

#73

Post by cmrdporcupine »

abe_m wrote: post #71
cmrdporcupine wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's definitely a part of it. There was some move some years ago here in Ontario to push for a small flock exemption to allow for egg & pooultry sales outside the quota system for flocks under 300 bird. And I don't mean roadside sales, but market sales. So there has been some accommodation for smaller market players. https://sustainontario.com/small-flock-exemptions/

All the quota systems in Ontario have troubles moving farms generation to generation. You pretty much have to inherit a farm as the quota costs are pretty well impossible to surmount in addition to land and equipment costs, as well as working capital for fuel, fertilizer, seed, etc. Dairy has recognized that and there is a certain portion of quota that needs to go to new producers when quota is bought and sold. I don…

yeah 300 birds only makes sense as a supplement to some other farming you're doing

Re: Egg prices are soaring. Are backyard chickens the answer?

#74

Post by VOIPThrowaway »

cmrdporcupine wrote: post #19
sandboxdev wrote: post #17

no, bird flu can still infect your backyard flock

But the culls are smaller, and so the impact lessened. The problem becomes more distributed. This is the chief reason why Canada's egg prices have remained sane while the US has exploded. It's not like we don't have bird flu here and we haven't had culls. We just have smaller flocks. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/egg-prices-avian-flu-canada-u... Still, backyard chickens are a hobby, for if you like chickens. It will…

BC grocery stores shelves are getting bare of eggs, and the pricing is significantly higher that typical.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/egg-shortages-bc-grocery-bir...

Re: Egg prices are soaring. Are backyard chickens the answer?

#75

Post by alabastervlog »

circlefavshape wrote: post #24
alabastervlog wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can do it a ton cheaper, depending on how pretty you want it to be. Like, you can scrounge up the materials for a coop damn near for free, and you shouldn’t need $100/m in feed if they’ve got an outdoor run with grass and you feed them kitchen scraps, unless you’ve got an absolute shitload of them. Most folks do get upside-down on it, but it’s because they want a cute instagram-ready coop or substitute money for…

You can do it cheaper, but it's work. I kept a few chickens for years, and it takes time to clean out the coop, to move the run when they've scratched up the grass. You've gotta be there in the morning to let them out, and in the evening to close them in. The eggs you get from them are much yellower, which is nice and probably better for you, but is it worth it? After 15 years I decided "not anymore" My Dad says "a h…

Oh, I don’t want to do it because I know how much work it is and how gross and dumb the damn things are. But expensive? Only if you make it expensive.

Re: Egg prices are soaring. Are backyard chickens the answer?

#76

Post by sandboxdev »

cmrdporcupine wrote: post #19
sandboxdev wrote: post #17

no, bird flu can still infect your backyard flock

But the culls are smaller, and so the impact lessened. The problem becomes more distributed. This is the chief reason why Canada's egg prices have remained sane while the US has exploded. It's not like we don't have bird flu here and we haven't had culls. We just have smaller flocks. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/egg-prices-avian-flu-canada-u... Still, backyard chickens are a hobby, for if you like chickens. It will…

Yeah, My concern is more opportunities to pass to people who may not be doing good flock hygiene too. A farm has better resources and training than a backyard flock.

Re: Egg prices are soaring. Are backyard chickens the answer?

#77

Post by oidar »

Due to living in an HOA, our family is considering raising quail for their eggs instead of chickens. The HOA would likely still consider it a violation, but I don't see how we can get in much trouble other than having to get rid of the birds. I understand that they are nearly as productive as chickens, but don't make the noise that chickens make. The only thing stopping us is the summer heat in in a desert area. I'm not sure that 105 degree weather is humane for even birds to live outside in.

Re: Egg prices are soaring. Are backyard chickens the answer?

#78

Post by h0l0cube »

Jgrubb wrote: post #66
h0l0cube wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> the highest end organic feed tho Maybe feed them your food scraps? Or bulk buy and prepare your own grains/pulses?

It's a recent experiment, we were on the more reasonably priced organic feed until I discovered my local feed store had this stuff over the holidays, so we're trying it out. The quality of the eggs is absolutely miles above what I already considered really good eggs though. I'll probably get around to making our own someday, but I'm not there just yet.

I've seen someone just chuck a load of split peas in a plastic barrel and submerge with rain water. It naturally ferments with occasional agitation and this is supposed to be good for the chickens. So not so hard to do when you get to that point of wanting to try it.

Re: Egg prices are soaring. Are backyard chickens the answer?

#79

Post by trog »

cmrdporcupine wrote: post #19
sandboxdev wrote: post #17

no, bird flu can still infect your backyard flock

But the culls are smaller, and so the impact lessened. The problem becomes more distributed. This is the chief reason why Canada's egg prices have remained sane while the US has exploded. It's not like we don't have bird flu here and we haven't had culls. We just have smaller flocks. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/egg-prices-avian-flu-canada-u... Still, backyard chickens are a hobby, for if you like chickens. It will…

> But the culls are smaller, and so the impact lessened. The problem becomes more distributed.

Presumably the risk of spread of bird flu to humans increases though, due to the increased amount of contact. And then the increased risk of mutation leading to human to human transmission.

Bit wild to me that we don't seem to be taking this very seriously other than "o no my eggs" given we just had a pandemic a few years ago.

Re: Egg prices are soaring. Are backyard chickens the answer?

#80

Post by cmrdporcupine »

trog wrote: post #79
cmrdporcupine wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But the culls are smaller, and so the impact lessened. The problem becomes more distributed. This is the chief reason why Canada's egg prices have remained sane while the US has exploded. It's not like we don't have bird flu here and we haven't had culls. We just have smaller flocks. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/egg-prices-avian-flu-canada-u... Still, backyard chickens are a hobby, for if you like chickens. It will…

> But the culls are smaller, and so the impact lessened. The problem becomes more distributed. Presumably the risk of spread of bird flu to humans increases though, due to the increased amount of contact. And then the increased risk of mutation leading to human to human transmission. Bit wild to me that we don't seem to be taking this very seriously other than "o no my eggs" given we just had a pandemic a few years a…

Arguably all the awful and crazy politics around COVID-19 has led directly to the scenario of people really not willing to take new pandemics seriously.
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