Tired of high egg prices?
 

$249 while they last at Menards

https://links.email.menards.com/servlet/MailView?ms=MzU4NTQ5MDIS1&r=Mjg5OTEwNzgxNDE4S0&j=M jg2MzIzNTY4MwS2&mt=1&rt=0

https://content-us-1.static.content-...e400e73b16.jpg

We have six hens, three to four eggs a day.

The Menonites built our run, on wheels and varmint proof.

I've seen smaller coops (half the size of this one) for the same price. $249
With todays building material prices....I wouldn't think it could be done.

We have Amish all over my area....if I wanted a coop, I'd check with them. They built my garage....26X40 and did an excellent job for a very good price.

.

The initial set-up costs would prob almost double the price...between chick prices, food for a year, waterers and other supplies. Once they start laying, the savings from store prices would add up.

Not sure what egg prices are right now...but around $4/dozen I'm thinking.

The chicks are very "cheap" and they mail them to you. $3 dollars a piece.

For us, the only time we feed them is in the winter since we have greens and horse leavings, etc...even then not much since we dedicated a stall for them and they free range in there. We buy two bags of laying hen food, think $40 each, a year.

When the weather is good I move them all over the farm.

^^^ The Amish around here use multiple upside down bushel apple crates to move them around. (in the warm months)
I don't know how they get water to them.

Steve! I have your side hustle. Get rid of the turtles and buy laying hens. Gold I tell ya!! I'll move in and deal with security.

^^^ Turtles don't make any noise...perfect pets. :)

My neighbor has some guinea hens and chicken hens...as soon as it gets light out I can hear them...and it continues all day long. I'm used to it...so it doesn't bother me.

Fine! But don't tell me I didn't tell ya how to fund that retirement. White, err... brown...err... greenish gold I tell ya.

I'm gonna pass this idea along to Bob K. He has space in his yard. He could be independently wealthy!

Local Theisen's carries chicks and all the supplies here.

Tractor Supply here also has a variety of different chicks starting in the spring.

<iframe width="500" height="560" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ryT0wI86c98" title="go go #raisingchickens #animals #roosters #shortsvideo #hens #chicken #shorts" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="500" height="560" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Nqp2b4FaBsg" title="RAISING CHICKENS WEEKS 1-8!��" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="1128" height="634" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q7cDQY9wVF8" title="ROCKY II Chicken Chase" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

^^^ Never would have that problem with turtles. :D

What if they turn into mutant Ninja turtles?? Then ya might have trouble!

If they do...they can say 'Good Bye' to their freeze dried shrimp every day.
They'll find out how hard real life is. :)

.

we are lazy city folks surrounded by granolas and hillbillies. there's a strong local barter economy. we get all the eggs we want. same goes for moose, salmon and garden vegetables.

i fix the occasional atv, tow a couple people out in winter and we get showered with stuff all summer long.

My AZ neighbor raises about 50 roosters one in each cage or else they would tear each other apart.
There are Hens to get more roosters. They lay eggs in my yard sometimes. First gotta hold them up to the sun to see if there fertilized.

In the springtime the local Tractor Supply had a few oval bins (4x8?) of several different kinds.
Hundreds. All crammed together and chirping "take us home". So cute.

I've heard they stop laying for a couple days at least without constant fresh water supply. There are auto-feeders.

Roosters do what they are made to do. Be careful around them. Saw a Thai fighting rooster run and leap on a man from 20ft away. Probably had additional steel spurs. One quick movement. Got him in the femoral artery and he was gone within a minute. They even kill hawks sometimes.

My town doesn't allow us to raise chickens in our zone. Plus, my neighbors would kill the rooster at the very first cockle-doo........