The price of eggs in America cannot be explained by inflation alone

Re:The price of eggs in America cannot be explained by infla... by salad-tycoon on Friday March 17, 2023 @03:47PM (#35201931)

I only have 7 chickens and 3 ducks. I open the coop in the morning, takes 1-2 minutes. I collect eggs in the evening and close up coop, takes 2-3 minutes. Maybe add another 5 minutes for changing water or throwing some hay in coop. That’s a typical day, in the winter in the Midwest. Easier in summer and spring. Space wise, really don’t need much at all. A small backyard can support them easily.

Also, great sense of sastifaction, great job for my kids, and I like being just a tiny bit more self reliant.

I’m comfortable investing this amount of time, not sure I could use it more productively. Obviously this equation will be different for different folks but my point is barrier to entry is very low. It’s why poor people in Latin America grow chickens, easy and cheap to do and gets you eggs and meat.

Guess I’m reminded of a Simpson episode where the old grandpa is complaining someone stole his limited time from him and then says “never mind, I wasn’t going to do anything else with it anyways.”

Edit: I was reminded below of another benefit. They control pests and eat ticks.

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Re:The price of eggs in America cannot be explained by infla... by ed25519FUUU on Friday March 17, 2023 @05:21PM (#35203073)

Invest in an automatic coop door! They work great. Cuts down on the daily chore.

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Re:The price of eggs in America cannot be explained by infla... by natenatenate3 on Friday March 17, 2023 @09:18PM (#35205064)

I did this. Automated the open/close of the door based on sunrise/sunset. Large water container, with automated heat tape for cold weather. Large food container built into the wall that I only fill monthly. Automated heat tape in the egg box where they roll out, so they don't freeze. Fan in the window that turns on when its hot inside the coop. Automated light in the coop that turns on morning/evening.

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