About those chicken prices and raising chickens and singing about chickens

I stepped into a local supermarket today and there was a woman there buying two flats of eggs and clearly trying to avoid or ignore the stares of people around her. She may have been buying the eggs for an organization or---I hope---for an effort to help our houseless sisters and brothers. Either way, I'm not going to try to guilt trip someone buying eggs. There is a really good explanation of why egg prices are so high and chicken (meat) prices are relatively low here. It turns out that monopolization and agribusiness have much to do with the pricing and supply issues and one of the best things we can do right now is to find other sources of protein and change our diets.

This post is making the rounds and I think that it tells some good truths.

As baby chick season approaches and the price of eggs keep rising, I’m sure a lot of people are tempted to raise chickens themselves. Before people flock (no pun intended) to their local farm store and start buying all the baby chicks please consider the following 10 fun facts….

1. Most hens do not start laying eggs until 18-22 weeks of age (that’s about 5 months give or take)
2. For the first few weeks of their lives baby chickens need to be kept at a temperature of around 95 degrees Fahrenheit
3. Chicks need to eat…SURPRISE! And like the price of everything else chicken feed has went up. A 50lb bag of layer is over $20.
4. Chickens molt…what does that mean? Your chicken will become ugly and stop laying eggs for a period of time.
5. Chickens don’t lay as many eggs in the winter months.
6. The average lifespan of a chicken is 5-10 years.
7. Predators such as foxes, coyotes, neighbor’s dogs and even raccoons will hunt your chickens.
8. Chickens will poop EVERYWHERE and I mean everywhere so be prepared to clean their pen often or if they are free range be sure to check your step or look before you sit.
9. Chickens love to dig holes and destroy bedding around flowers in the yard, good luck keeping them from doing so.
10. Chickens can get medical issues just like any other animal.

I’m not trying to discourage anyone from raising their own food in fact I think it’s great. However chickens are animals, animals that require attention and proper care.
So while I get that you don’t want to spend $7 on a dozen eggs double think your decision before you go gung ho on being a chicken farmer. Just do your research, it’s not like getting a fish 

Sincerely,

A fellow chicken owner

Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens---B.B. King