Lying Chickens

[shaper]

We have 7 hens. started with 16 but the opossums killed a few. Through the winter we would get at least one egg per day. As the temp got higher we would get more. It would be one or it would be 4, but we would always get at least one. Today i went out to gather the eggs and there was none, nothing. So I started to looking for another opossum. The chicken house is in a wet area so I had dug a trench through the coupe, lined it with concrete blocks so any water would flow through the coupe and put 2x6 boards on top so the chickens could keep their feet dry. This is also where the opossums came in the kill the chickens. I did shoot 4 of them. Feeling the worse I pulled up the boards today and found 37 eggs. Tomorrow I will have a talk with the girls.

[DoubleAdobe]

Put those eggs in a bucket, the ones that float, save for throwing at someone that deserves it. The sinkers are the good ones.

[GoodOlBoy]

Had chickens for years (miss them and wish we still had them), and let me tell you that is probably NOT the only hidden nest. In point of fact if possums can get in, I would be you a dollar to a dog biscuit that those hens have a second hidden nest outside the pen somewhere.

Agreed, float them and see.

God Bless, and One Love.

GoodOlBoy

[Texas by God]

My brother; who keeps a few chickens, has always referred to them as "upright single cell organisms" lol. My wife has finally won; I'm building a metal chicken house/feed room/ calf pen resort lately.

[nagantguy]

Hidden nests and sudden stops in production are part of the game! During the two most brutal winters we ever had here in MI they still layed this winter very mild and not an egg for 2 months, we had a late hatch last fall and 6 of the 8 were roosters and until I got them the. The freezer the chicken coop was in open revolt, younger flock this year so we are hoping for high egg production but anything can upset their feeble brains!

[Walkingwolf]

Chickens are known for hiding eggs, they really do not like it when we take them. Empty a nest, and they may abandon it in search of a new one.

Plaster of paris eggs will keep them laying in the same nest, and the plaster will kill snakes.

[Sakoluvr]

I use golf balls in my nest boxes. With longer daylight, my girls are cranking out the eggs.

[dverna]

Just curious. Has anyone run the numbers to determine if raising chickens makes sense?

I buy chicken leg quarters for $.39/lb and eggs for $1.50 a doz. It does not seem to be worth the effort to me.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

Just curious. Has anyone run the numbers to determine if raising chickens makes sense?

I buy chicken leg quarters for $.39/lb and eggs for $1.50 a doz. It does not seem to be worth the effort to me.

To compare apples to apples you really need to check out the prices of organic free range.

If you crunch the numbers it will really depends. If you live rurally and have stock you don't hardly have to feed the silly things. Chickens just really need a secure coop at night and free range during the day. Oh, and they need to be kept dry. Chickens can handle extreme cold and extreme heat, but if they get wet for extended periods of time they get sick and die. Chickens also have benefits other than just eggs. They really keep the bug and mouse population down for me. They also scratch through the horse manure for the passed through grain and bug larva.

In the end it probably is a lot like casting and reloading. Might not save a dime, but the end result is a product better than can be bought.

[bubba.50]

don't be too hard on "the girls" they may have been secretly tryin' to make you a proud "grampaw". :bigsmyl2:

[Tackleberry41]

Just way chickens are, mine like to lay theirs behind the trash cans in the gravel for whatever reason.

And no there is little economic value in raising chickens. I have a neighbor selling a dozen free range eggs for a $1 a dozen. I can get a whole broiler in a bag at the store for $4, it costs $2 for a chick, plus feeding it for several months. And whatever ones are eaten by animals at night.

[dverna]

Thank you for the reply 2nd.

BTW, my neighbors are poor and they raise chickens. I buy most of my eggs from them at $3.00/doz to help them out a bit. I actually prefer store bought eggs as they are easier peel after hard boiling them. They have had me over for chicken dinner and it does taste better than the commercial stuff I buy but not that much better.

When I was a kid we raised chickens so I have some idea of the work involved. I guess I am lazy. But I like your comparison to reloading and casting. I have little love or either activity and only do it to save money.

[Plate plinker]

We have probably 150-200 chicken houses around my neck of the woods. They only make money because it is on a huge scale 80,000 birds in one building for meats. Layers are a different number and not included in the above house number but they run mayBe half as many birds in the building. I figure the farmer gets about 1¢ per egg. Per day. The grower gets his cut then the shipper and the store. All mark ups. The hobby farmer is a niche market and done more for fun.

just food for thought.

[starmac]

Dverna, you are probably the only one I ever heard of that preffered store bought eggs.

I do not know we ever saved any money, but growing up we always had both laying hens and raised meat chickens too. It was probably just a self sufficient thing, but we would butcher somewhere around 50 fryers at a time to fill the freezer. For several years we also had a large incubator and raised our own chicks, but ordered them through the mail a lot too.
We always butchered a couple of hogs a year and for several years raised rabbits too, when we decided to quit raising rabbits, we sold all we could and still put over 200 in the freezer.

[Bo1]

When our 14 hens slowed down on production (2 to 3 eggs a day), my wife read where cracked red pepper sprinkled out with their morning scratch every now and then will increase production. 4 days after trying the pepper, we are now averaging 10 to 12 eggs a day.
Bo

[Geezer in NH]

Just curious. Has anyone run the numbers to determine if raising chickens makes sense?

Untill you eat one of your own flocks eggs. Store bought gag a maggot IMHO.

Our girls pay their own way, all the eggs we want and the rest sell and buy the feed for the year.

[Walkingwolf]

When our 14 hens slowed down on production (2 to 3 eggs a day), my wife read where cracked red pepper sprinkled out with their morning scratch every now and then will increase production. 4 days after trying the pepper, we are now averaging 10 to 12 eggs a day.
Bo

I have been told that cracked pepper kills worms in the chickens, which probably would increase production.

[smokeywolf]

Closest I've ever come to a fresh egg is the what we buy from Costco. They're okay, but I know they're one to two weeks old by the time we get them.

My mother was born in the South in the early 1900s and didn't leave there until after WW II. She said, back in the '20s, '30s and '40s most everybody had their own chickens and she didn't eat a store bought egg until the later half of the '40s. She said comparing a fresh egg to a store bought is like comparing freshly churned butter to margarine. The store bought egg tastes like a cheap copy of the real thing.

[starmac]

Pretty much the same with most food,
Milk, isn't even a real copy of genuine milk.
Meat, not even in the same ballpark as home grown or even from a good butcher shop.
Can goods, nothing like fresh or even home canned.

I have read about old timers here in Alaska calling eggs boat eggs. I guess when they used to have to come up on slow barges they were downright terrible and nicknamed boat eggs.

[Duckiller]

Dverna the reason your neighbors eggs don't peel easily is because they are fresh. Fresh boiled eggs don't peel for anything. Older (store bought) boiled eggs peel easy because they are older. Suggest you buy eggs for boiling and use neighbor's eggs for everything else. Remember brown eggs are better than white eggs.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

I have been told that cracked pepper kills worms in the chickens, which probably would increase production.

I've heard that yogurt will increase production too.


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[OS OK]

Lying Chickens? How dare you say that about those precious little girls?

Everyone knows that 'SHEEP LIE'! . . . Ask any Texan!

[William Yanda]

"Everyone knows that 'SHEEP LIE'! . . . Ask any Texan!" OS OK

Are you tryin' to start sumpin?

[OS OK]

Naaawp! Not startin sumpin...just defending the innocent (hard working, dedicated) little girls...and possibly 'dropping the dime' on the barnyard trouble makers!
They cause all the trouble and try to convince you that the 'Russians did it'!

[dverna]

Dverna the reason your neighbors eggs don't peel easily is because they are fresh. Fresh boiled eggs don't peel for anything. Older (store bought) boiled eggs peel easy because they are older. Suggest you buy eggs for boiling and use neighbor's eggs for everything else. Remember brown eggs are better than white eggs.

That makes sense. Thanks. Hard boiled eggs are handy for snacks/lunches. I cannot tell the difference in taste when boiled...smoking cigars may have killed a few taste buds.

[snowwolfe]

Remember brown eggs are better than white eggs.
That's a statement without any truth behind it. Only difference between white and brown eggs is the color of the shell.

[runfiverun]

boil them and drop them in some cold water.

[starmac]

boil them and drop them in some cold water.

Works every time.

I have to agree with the post above too, the color of the outside of the egg has zero to do with the taste, we always had both.
Personally I liked the looks of the chickens that lays brown eggs. White leghorns are just boring to look at, but economically are the best bet.

[MaryB]

My farm egg supplier runs low in wonter, I had to buy 2 dozen store bought eggs. No comparison, the farm fresh covered in manure eggs are hands down the best! They are finally getting enough eggs again I can get a dozen a month.

[blackthorn]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/images/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by Duckiller http://castboolits.gunloads.com/images/buttons/viewpost-right.png (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?p=3976540#post3976540) Remember brown eggs are better than white eggs.
That's a statement without any truth behind it. Only difference between white and brown eggs is the color of the shell. "

Oh come now----everybody knows Brown eggs are cholesterol free----but , like you, my wife won't believe me when I tell her that!

[gwpercle]

You were stealing their eggs , they did the the only thing chickens can do ...hide the eggs from the egg thief......they aren't very good fighters, but they good hiders.

When I was a boy , my job was to search the yard for the hidden ones. Tricky little devils !

[375supermag]

"Lying chickens"...
Your own fault for raising liberal chickens and allowing them to register as Democrats...

[Teddy (punchie)]

Pretty much the same with most food,
Milk, isn't even a real copy of genuine milk.
Meat, not even in the same ballpark as home grown or even from a good butcher shop.
Can goods, nothing like fresh or even home canned.

I have read about old timers here in Alaska calling eggs boat eggs. I guess when they used to have to come up on slow barges they were downright terrible and nicknamed boat eggs.

yep. Milk fresh raw if you will, store is junk.

Eggs some difference.

Meat finished right is just too good.

Canned tomateos are the best. Frozen sweet corn done right is darn good.

[merlin101]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/images/misc/quote_icon.png Originally Posted by Duckiller http://castboolits.gunloads.com/images/buttons/viewpost-right.png (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?p=3976540#post3976540) Remember brown eggs are better than white eggs.
That's a statement without any truth behind it. Only difference between white and brown eggs is the color of the shell. "

Oh come now----everybody knows Brown eggs are cholesterol free----but , like you, my wife won't believe me when I tell her that!
Brown eggs also come automatically with bacon on the side too! What more can you ask for?

[Teddy (punchie)]

Egg production.

Light amount in the day, or light in coop.

Heat , temperatures too cold.

Water and health of birds, most threat the water a few times a year for pest.

Diet high protein and small grains, wheat, rye, millet, sorghum, different peas.

Oster shells for egg strengh, over all health.

Air flow! Need fresh air, keep them dry. Dry coop off of the ground.

Growing up I recall one farm had hundreds of free range. Once a year they would try and coop them and take to auction. Too many predators today.

[shooterg]

Had over 1100 chickens(Granddad's) growing up. Got a nickel a bucket to feed/water/collect eggs and clean and grade 'em.
I hear there's no real difference between white and brown, but I still prefer white - brown seem to taste "stronger" to me.
Probably just 'cause I grew up with white ones ! We ate 'em fried/scrambled/poached as we only ate the slightly cracked ones and sold the rest. Saturdays I 'd ride with Gramps delivering boxes of 144 to local restaurants. Before the government got in everybody's business so much. And as to boiling - I get eggs at least a week before I boil - to eat as is or make deviled eggs from. Too tedious tryng to peel really fresh ones.
Got a quarter for any rats/snakes killed in the chicken houses. Found out .22 short CB's would do the job with Dad's old Sprinfield 15Y single shot(I was 7 or 8). I was on easy street with money to buy plinking ammo at the hardware(no age limit on buying bullets then). Made good money for a bit, but Gramps noticed egg production went down. Even the CB's disturbed the hens some. Got a whipping and worked "free" for a month !

[starmac]

Here is a funny chicken story for you that happened in a little town in New Mexico in the late 50's or very early 60's.

Little town with a town marshal for it's police force.
Two women that were preachers for some sort of church, not really mainstream and I do not remember what they called it, but they also had a hen house and sold eggs.
My uncle stole the town marshals car one night, went to the ladies henhouse and filled the car full of laying hens, then parked it sideways on mainstreet with the lights flashing and the siren blaring.

Clarence arrested him and hauled him to Clovis before the judge. When Clarence (town marshal) stated his case the judge got to laughing and wound up fining him 25 dollars or some cheap amount BUT he had to clean the car, which Clarence had already done and pay any damage if there was any.

The judge (and most everybody else) did not like Clarence), so Clarence stormed out of the court room and beat it back home and left my uncle to find his on ride back, who was in no hurry, Clovis was where we went to have a good time anyway. lol

Anyway by the time he came home Clarence had the women make out a bill charging him 5 bucks a head for the chickens, stating that they had quit laying. lol

[Silvercreek Farmer]

​I built this a few years ago. The bottom boards have pvc conduit screwed to the bottom for electrical insulation and the entire coop is charged with a lead off of my perimeter fence. Knock on wood, I have never had a predator kill and the coop has stood up to 60 mph winds and 8 inches of snow. I move it by hand every few days to give the hens some fresh greens and distribute the manure along my row of fruit trees. Feed, water, nest boxes, and roosts are all integrated and move along with the rest of the coop.

[Adk Mike]

I've had chickens for twenty years about 17 of them . I guess I just like them. We always have enough eggs and the ones the grandkids get are free. I seem to give the rest away. Still cheaper than a dog.
The last few years I've been breeding them. That adds to the hobby.

[Plate plinker]

Nice rig Silvercreek. Looks like you can move it easily.