Working Through The Winter

I have never been much of a budgeter.

I know there are plenty of other people out there who are pros and absolutely love it.

I also know plenty of people must think that I am into budgeting because of the garden, hens, canning, purchasing meat in bulk and whatnot.

… Not quite.

While there are occasional bursts of good intensions and I totally understand that I can’t just buy anything and everything, but actual budgeting?  It’s just not my thing.

Bargin hunting? Ha.  I wish.  But, I don’t have the gift… or, the patience.

I even struggle to know when a price is completely out of bounds or a good deal because I just don’t pay that much attention to sales… or, embarrassingly, in general.

One place I am especially bad at being aware of prices is at the grocery store.

I meal plan based around what is in season and in my pantry, but don’t even think about looking at ads or looking at prices per ounce and different brands when in the store.

However, despite my personal ignorance in the store, I still am decently aware of food prices in the marketplace due to my job in food service.

I work for a company that partners and manages professional chefs in sororities and fraternities and one of the biggest topics of conversation this past semester has been the cost of eggs.

Between the Avian Flu and McDonald’s implementing all day breakfast, the cost of eggs is way up.

In early October, as McDonald’s was just rolling out the new all day breakfast, I heard that the fast food giant would consume nearly a quarter of the nation’s egg market.

So, even though new chickens are now laying at farms across the nation affected by the Avian Flu, consumers will still see the price of eggs rise upwards for 30-40%.  Wholesalers will continue to see increases as well.  (If they even can find eggs at all because in some regions they may be unavailable.)  In one conversation, I heard that prices are not projected to decline until late 2017 or even into 2018.

Because of this and my own general curiosity as we start to sell more of our own hen’s eggs, I have tried to make an effort to keep an eye on egg prices each time I visit a grocery store.  In doing this, I even have seen signs posted at our local stores sharing justification as to why the prices are so high.

And, they are high.

Last week I was at a major real food retailer and the carton of a dozen eggs that best compares to my organic, non-antibiotic, pasture raised eggs was $7.99.

We sell our eggs at $3.00 a dozen, which has seemed expensive to some in the past.

But, $8 bucks?!

Holy cow. Even I know that’s crazy and makes our “expensive” eggs look like a heck of a deal.  Amiright?!  (See Also: Message me if you are in the area and want some.)

It makes both Adam and I so thankful for our little layers and their delicious eggs.

This month, Adam has given the gals a little more attention and has spent some time trying to figure out ways to ensure they are productive– in more ways than one- throughout the shorter, colder winter days.

After a couple days of low egg production early this month, he did a little research to try to get things back up to par.  In looking at potential natural diet supplements he came across information about food grade Diatomaceous Earth and it’s many essential minerals that help chicken lay at their best.  We use food grade Diatomaceous Earth in the garden as natural pest control so we already had some on hand to add as a supplement to their diet.

Food grade Diatomaceous Earth is crushed fossilized algae and can easily be found at natural food stores.  In addition to helping in egg production and ensuring stronger shells, it can help to guard against internal worms as well as kill hard shell insects like ticks and fleas.

Adam has also added apple cider vinegar as a supplement to the hen’s diet in order help keep their immune systems strong as well as to aid in calcium absorption which helps keep the layers laying large, strong eggs often.

To learn more about other natural supplements for chicken feed, check out this post on Fresh Eggs Daily as she explains that Apple Cider Vinegar, Garlic and Diatomaceous earth is the “Holy Trinity” in her coop.

Adam is also keeping the hens active and occupied this winter by letting them wonder our large garden space everyday.  We have a moveable fence that we set up on a pivot outside of the coop giving the hens new grass to scratch around every week or so.

Now, the fence has been positioned all around the boundaries of our empty garden.

This is fun for the hens and also great for the garden.

Each day, the hens are adding more and more nitrogen to the carbon materials in the dirt through their droppings.  This nitrogen will act as a great natural fertilizer come spring.

Their activities, such as scratching and dust bathing, helps to till and turn the composted dirt.  Compost needs oxygen, that’s why you need to turn a compost pile.  But, with the dirt in the garden, our chickens are doing the work.

Our happy hens are loving life in their new space and we are loving their eggs and cannot wait to reap the benefits of their “fun” in 2016’s garden!