Backyard Chickens and Eggs - A Simple Hobby That Pays
As I have mentioned before I have a small hobby farm where I raise chickens. Chickens are pretty easy to raise and they will make your breakfast.
*picture by @whatsup
If you have never eaten an farm fresh egg you are missing out. The shells are firmer, the yolks a beautiful shade of orange. The eggs have a creamy texture and a richer flavor.
*picture used with permission from homestead.com
My chickens spend their days free-ranging in on my 2 acre farm. It is a beautiful setting, and I feel good about giving them a natural life or grazing, socializing, dust bathes, and eating. They keep the bugs, spiders and other pests out of the yard, while fertilizing my grass naturally. Notice how green and lush my lawn is. I use no artificial fertilizers or pesticides.
*photo by @whatsup
I also use my chickens as a source of extra income. I breed and sell chicks, hatching eggs and farm fresh eggs, this covers the costs of my hobby as well as provides some extra income.
Raising backyard chickens is a fun and profitable hobby, it is good for the environment, provides fresh healthy food, keeps your lawn in beautiful condition without chemicals, and can provide income as well.
Just a few more shots of chickens and eggs below.
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*photo by @whatsup
*photos by @whatsup
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How come the eggs all different colours ?
Different breeds of chickens. I cross breed brown layers to white and blue layers to create even more colors. It is pretty entertaining. :)
Free Range Chicken depending on what they eat.
The egg York colour richness depending on it. Never see different egg shells
Wow, we have a lot in common!
Do you raise chickens also?
Yes, haha, your post could of been one of mine! I just did a turkey chick post, check it out.
My chickens would love to have a lawn like that. Thirteen hens have about 25,000 square feet to roam, under oak trees. Every last weed and blade of grass is gone. Sister in law has irrigated pasture land and brings a garbage bag full of grass every week, plus they get all the garden scrapes. Best i can do.
Doesn't sound like a bad setup at all! I bet you get great eggs!
Yes we do. Except the hens are three years old, and production is going down. If it does not pick up, and since winter is coming it is not likely, we may have to buy eggs for baking for the holidays. This is our 2nd flock of hens, which are black sex links. They have a very pleasant nature, compared to the previous flock of Rhode Island Reds and Buff Orpingtons. Unfortunately at some time they will need to be replaced. You situation may be different, but for ours we pretty much need to replace the whole flock because of space.
Right! Yeah, black sex-links are sweeties, and RIRs are assholes. I have a couple of Buff Orpingtons.
Maybe with your hens trying rotating the flock, buy six new ones every year, and sell or give away 6 a year. Then it isn't such a flock. Before we moved to this property I also had space issues. I would sell some hens at the end of each summer, to keep the flock young. :)
I figured out once when I had 12 hens that I would have to rotate at least 3 a year to keep the same number of eggs. Ha ha, mixing a geek with a farmer, I had to do the math! :)
Good idea. We have thought about it, but I do not know how the older birds will accept the younger. We usually get them a week or so old. As you know chickens have a pecking order. I know the previous Reds and Buffs would not have tolerated younger additions. They could not even get along with themselves. The Black sex links are of different character. Guess we could give it a try. Thanks for the thought.