Many concerned citizens are looking for ways to reduce household costs and that are also less destructive to the environment in which they call home. Raising chickens to lay eggs is a wonderful way to get organic eggs that are cheaper and tastier than those trucked in to the supermarket.
Perhaps you buy your eggs from the farmer’s market already but are enamored with the idea of having your own pet chickens that provides breakfast as well as acts as a insecticide, fertilizer as it roams around the garden? Chickens can add to a home in numerous ways, and their eggs are just one of the best benefits to humans.
The best part about raising chickens to lay eggs is that it is a simple process, keep the roosters away, give the hens a cozy safe chicken hutch, especially secure at night when cats, coyotes and other predators prance around.
The high price of food has been a major concern of consumers for years. The constant fluctuation of food and dairy products leaves a financial strain on most household budgets. The best solution for most people is to grow their own food, and this includes, producing their own eggs. Eggs are one of those foods that is used in a variety of ways, aside from being boiled and fried. Cookies, pies, eggnog and quiche are just a few delicious treats in which eggs are essential. Not to mention, stand-alone eggs are a great source of protein, especially for vegetarians.
When starting out with sourcing your own eggs from home, the answer to the question “what came first the egg or the chicken” is usually the chicken. Order your chickens from a reputable farm. With the cost of quality organic eggs as high as it is (ranging between 3.50 to 5 dollars depending where you live) it is wise to raise them for their eggs. Although, buying the chickens when they are young means there is a wait time before they are actually old enough to start laying food. A chicken will start laying eggs at about 6 months old and will continue throughout the greater part of her life. Not into starting out with the little adorable chicks? No problem, you can buy a hen who is already laying, or perhaps get one free from a neighbor.
Eggs are one of the foods that you can create so many wonderful dishes from, including pickled eggs.
You can raise chickens for eggs, and as pets too!
An observant chicken owner knows when and how often their hens will produce. Some chickens lay more and others lay less, this depends on what breed they are. Different breeds’ production varies. In general a hen will normally lay at least one egg per day, and in the month of February all the way through September they will continually produce food. The amount of sunlight the chickens get will determine how much they produce. Chickens lay eggs in a variety of colors, as most people thought that eggs only came in two colors white and brown. This is not true and are only the mainstream commercial variety. Well, eggs come in all sorts of different shades of color, including blue and green too.
Farmers are mostly the ones that keep up with the mass of eggs and meat they have on their farm. Nowadays non-farmers are moving into an area where they are at liberty to raise and grow their own food. Buying baby chick and raising them to produce a solid income, or for their valuable commodity output is a great idea. Imagine how much money someone can save on eggs alone. Chickens can be great income generators as their eggs can be sold at markets or on the side of the road at fruit stands, or directly to restaurants.
Chickens also make great pets, especially for children. Although most people like to keep their friends around, it is true that chickens are often kept for their meat, especially after they stop laying eggs.