It’s been two weeks since my first update, and a lot has happened in the world of eggs!
First big news – I got more chooks! We picked up 10 ISA Browns from a chook farm, each around 22 months old, for $15 apiece (so $150 total). Commercial farms usually offload chooks at this age because their eggs start getting too large for standard cartons, and the shells can become brittle. That’s not a problem for me – a bit of shell grit will strengthen them, and customers are always happy with bigger eggs!
ISA Browns typically peak in laying at around 2–3 years old, after which production drops. To keep the eggs coming long term, I’ll need a plan. I see two options:
- Buy more chooks each year
- Breed my own
Since option one has ongoing costs, I’m going to trial breeding my own flock. I’ve already had some success doing this two ways – naturally under a clucky hen (2 of 4 eggs hatched) and by incubation, which worked really well when I helped a friend’s daughter with a school project. I ended up with 5 of those chicks still in my flock of 27 today.
Because I want this to stay as passive as possible, I’ll stick with the natural method for now. It’s as simple as marking fertilised eggs and leaving them under a clucky hen for three weeks. I’ll just need to separate mums and chicks from the main flock later on, but that’s a problem for future me.
The Numbers
Three months into this project, I’ve built up to 21 hens, 1 rooster, and 5 young pullets (not laying yet). My flock is just about hitting the goal of 10 cartons per week – this week alone they laid 100 eggs (though Cohen “helped” by bouncing a few on the ground…).
I sold 8 cartons, gave 1 to family, and kept the rest for us.
The Challenge
The hardest part so far isn’t the chooks – it’s selling the eggs simply and consistently. Right now I’m relying on a neighbour who sells some at work, a mate who does the same, and a long-term Facebook customer who drops by occasionally.
Looking ahead, I’ve got about 9 months to figure out a more automated selling system. A little honesty box stall at the front of my place is at the top of my list.
That’s all for now – the journey continues!
Comments
One response
Incredible update! Enjoying the journey thus far. Excited to see what’s to come. LOVE LOVE LOVE the blog. One star.