Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[ChevalierNoir]

I got my first egg!! Didn’t realize it soon enough so it’s already frozen, but this is my most expensive egg ever!

 

[Chickin Fairy]

During winter I would assume its maybe due to the cold ground? Or maybe frozen ground? But if its happening in warm months to maybe something to do with her bones or muscles?

I wonder if she gets this way in the summer because she's sitting on the nest when broody and stiffens up. It doesn't happen in warmer weather except when she is broody, so thank you from pointing it out.

 

[Chickin Fairy]

I got my first egg!! Didn’t realize it soon enough so it’s already frozen, but this is my most expensive egg ever!

Lol. CONGRATS!!!!!! That first egg feeling is the BEST.

Gather eggs throughout the day (I have cameras to see when I have eggs). Also, you can use an egg candler light to see if you have hairline cracks if you haven't gathered eggs for a bit when it's cold.

 

[fuzzi]

I got my first egg!! Didn’t realize it soon enough so it’s already frozen, but this is my most expensive egg ever!

Thaw and cook.

 

[saysfaa]

I usually thaw as it cooks.

 

[1muttsfan]

First eggs are the best!

 

[Chickin Fairy]

This past week, I have seen posts on both Facebook and Nextdoor about the inflated egg prices and commenters mentioning they are about to just buy chickens. Statements like these just send me, because unlike some, I did years worth of research before getting my flock to make sure I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. Plus, it's more expensive to raise chickens than it is to buy eggs, even at these inflated prices. I've been recommending my communities to support those who sell eggs.

But what do we think of the current egg prices? Why are they so high? Is it Avian flu? Turkey prices have also gone way up with a limit of how many you can buy. Is it because of the new cage free law? I wanna hear all the theories from my favorite people.

Picture from my local Aldi, where hubs and I would routinely purchase at least 3 dz eggs every few weeks.

 

[Sally PB]

But what do we think of the current egg prices? Why are they so high? Is it Avian flu? Turkey prices have also gone way up with a limit of how many you can buy. Is it because of the new cage free law? I wanna hear all the theories from my favorite people.

On the local news, they said that the new cage free law was NOT the reason for the higher prices. The price increase was due to AI.

I imagine it might be a bit of both. Anything that increases overhead will probably lead to higher prices, and it sounds like cage free is more labor intensive. Commercial egg farms are probably not going to absorb all of that.

I saw the higher prices in our local Meijer (Lowell), and they did not have any of the "cheap" eggs at all. I bought what I hope is my last dozen store eggs for this season. I like the cartons the cheap eggs come in, because it's cardboard, not styrofoam. I can't recycle the styrofoam cartons, and the cardboard ones make great wood stove fire starters.

 

[aart]

On the local news, they said that the new cage free law was NOT the reason for the higher prices. The price increase was due to AI.

I think it was both.
The cage free change over sent prices soaring, they came back down after a week or so.
Still higher than before, and that is probably due to AI.

commenters mentioning they are about to just buy chickens. Statements like these just send me

Where ever I see that, it makes me SMH.
Most have no clue what it costs to 'grow your own' eggs.
Even people who have done it for a while don't fully understand the costs they expend keeping chickens.

 

[Folly's place]

We don't raise our own chickens, either for eggs or meat, because it's cheaper! It's never been less expensive, because of the economy of scale (feed, housing, etc) and because our birds have better less crowded and longer lives.
AI is having a big impact on the costs for commercial growers, both because of actual losses of whole flocks, and the efforts necessary to prevent infection.
And this is a scarey time for all of us having poultry, or cattle, or cats, because this virus is developing into a more dangerous 'bug' as time goes on.
Flocks that are infected are getting closer to where we live all the time...
Mary