May not, but probably will
My family has had chickens for years. The eggs are fresher and taste better and we know what they are eating. They are not less expensive but you can’t eat money.
How often do they lay eggs? If I wanted to eat eggs every day, how many of them will I need to sustain?
It depends on the variety and how old they are. Leghorns lay almost every day from around six months old to around 18 months old. Then the moult and their laying drops off. Generally you rotate the birds so that you have enough birds in lay to supply your needs. Probably three birds in lay would provide a couple of eggs most days.
Stupid people don’t know how to solve supply problems.
As a reminder to those who have never raised layers before, especially those in suburbs, layers generally start really slowing egg production around the five year mark. So if your seriously just getting them for eggs and being more “cost effective”, your going to want to butcher them after a few years.
If you ever want to spend more on eggs and poultry products, getting chickens is a great option. It isn’t cheaper by a long shot when you factor in your time and proper care.
The reason why eggs can be as cheap as they are is because the poultry farms do not give a shit about the birds and feed them the cheapest they can and don’t concern themselves with avian healthcare.
If you want cheap eggs, be friends with someone who has chickens. Most birds will lay 1-2 eggs a day when they are in their prime. So 6 chickens will make a dozen eggs every other day. After a month you have 12-15 dozen eggs. The family probably eats 40-60 eggs a month, so you can see how the difference works in the favor of friends.
The egg quality can be night and day though. The cheapest supermarket brand eggs I can get always seem pretty thin and watery compared to organic free range. We could also sell the surplus to neighbors (building up local neighborhood relations, which have languished is modern era).
Yeah but chickens are awesome pets. It’s like having a herd of miniature dinosaurs.
They have unique personalities (chickenalities?), too. That might be in my imagination because sometimes I like to get high and hang out with them and give them dialogue.
They’re also amazing pest control! You’ll immediately find your yard completely free of grasshoppers, mosquitoes, cockroaches, and practically any other crawling think because those fuckers are vicious and will eat all of them.
Mosquitos? How does that work?
Small puddles of water will be places where mosquito larvae are deposited
My sister got chickens in her adulthood. We didn’t grow up with them or anything. I went over a few years ago and saw her chickens all meandering wherever they wanted in her backyard while she tried to herd them all to their pen I was able to catch one of them and put her in their pen. It did kind of remind me of mini-dinos though.
You really don’t have to herd them…they’ll put themselves back in every night when it starts getting dark.
When they are little and getting used to it, they might need a reminder…but as long as I leave the door open for them when they free range, they find their way back to the coop.
They also don’t wander too far. They’ve got a few social gathering spots in the yard but they never really jump the fence. Last time it happened was because the coop door blew shu before she could get in and she was trying to find shelter for the night.
An easy solution to high feed cost and an overproduction of eggs is to feed them lightly cooked scrambled eggs. Two birds with one stone. And a war crime.
That is valid, but selling them for $3 a dozen to people you know or feeding scrambled eggs to your dog and/or cat is a better use of them.
After a month you have 12-15 dozen eggs
Only enough for 2-3 breakfasts for Gaston.
If you ever want to spend more on eggs and poultry products, getting chickens is a great option. It isn’t cheaper by a long shot when you factor in your time and proper care.
If you want cheap eggs, be friends with someone who has chickens.
Note that the same approach also works well with boats and IMHO, albeit to a lesser degree, pets.
A boat is a terrible substitute for eggs.
Can someone explain why eggs are so fucking important for Americans?
Do you eat pancakes everyday?
It’s not just that everyday American families eat eggs for breakfast every day. It’s that eggs are essential ingredients in a lot of basic foods. Pasta, meatballs, breading…
A good comparison would be to bread prices and the riots that occurred due o rises in bread prices during the great depression and other times of instability in various countries across the centuries.
If the lowest ingredient prices go up, that makes everything go up, and impacts everyone. This causes panic and chaos in lower classes and eventual revolts against leadership.
This is more than just eggs
Sudden scarcity causes fomo. Demand is up for no rational reason.
The average American eats about 270-290 eggs per year, across all foods. It’s a cheap, versatile ingredient.
The U.S. isn’t even that far out of the ordinary among other nations, 19th out of this list of 185 (if you include Hong Kong and Macau as their own jurisdictions). Seems like most of Asia and South America eats more eggs than most of Europe, but it’s not like there aren’t European countries in the top 20.
The reason why there’s a lot of coverage of eggs isn’t because of the high number of eggs in an American diet or the high proportion of a household budget spent on eggs, but it’s just that it’s a commodity that happened to spike in price, more than triple what it cost 4 years ago.
Exactly this. That’s not even a lot really. Less than one egg per day, or a single meal of eggs (assuming 3 eggs) twice a week.
The big issue is the price hike of a previously cheap meal and protein source.
It’s weird all the anti-egg stuff in this thread, it’s not about the eggs per se. Various beans have gone up in price in recent years, various meats are much more expensive than they were prior to the pandemic, and in recent years now eggs have gone way up.
For people on tight budgets, it’s brutal. What do you do when there are no more cheap meals you can make to maintain your budget? Then you have to make cuts elsewhere, if that’s even possible.
I make low six figures now and keep my costs low, but in recent years even I’ve started bulk shopping via Sam’s Club to save money because going to the normal supermarket has me paying $500 a trip for two weeks of food for just me and my wife, and that didn’t include small supplemental trips.
Going bulk and being selective has cut that down to $600-$700 every 5+ weeks. But poor folks on tight budgets generally can’t throw that much on a single trip and will get nickel and dimed by this crap. I’ve been there; being poor is fucking expensive, and there’s a lot of shit in place to keep you that way.
do you eat pancakes everyday?
Have you not seen us?
Seriously we probably eat way more breakfast confections than you would expect. That’s the vast majority of us are not making them scratch theyr getting them out of a box
The main thing at play right now is that the political stance of our right-wing fascist dictators was that grocery prices would come down and egg prices were artificially high with the last guy.
It was campaign after campaign on eggs being so expensive for no reason.
Their base was so big on why did Biden let eggs get so expensive It was honestly annoying as f. Now that their guy is in they’re breaking open the textbooks and explaining to us that it’s bird flu and a lot of the birds are dying and eggs are more expensive
The problem is, the last time this happened there was a great shortage of eggs. You could hardly find them the prices were high.
Now every store you go into is running over with eggs and the prices are twice as high as they were back then.
Ensure, sorry for the annoyance eggs being a dollar a piece is not the end of the world for us by far but it’s an indicator that something is going wrong. And it’s a nice distraction from all the Nazi salutes on our mainstream news
Eggs are used all over cooking… baking, many recipes call for egg, and yes, breakfast.
Because bacon and eggs for breakfast is ingrained in American culture through a massive advertising campaign:
https://americantable.org/articles/how-bacon-and-eggs-became-the-american-breakfast/
Eggs used to be $1.99/dozen. Now, even the cheap grocery stores they’re $9.99
Here’s Aldi:
I know that eggs are very expensive in US recently. However, I can very easily do without eggs in my usial diet and I know nobody who buys eggs in such quantities as Americans seem to do.
So what do you all eat? Pancakes every morning? Or fried egg? Or do you love baking so much? I’m just curious btw.
Yeah man, as an American, I don’t fucking get it either.
I think it’s just an extension of the “American exceptionalism” bullshit. When a food staple supply decreases for whatever legitimate reason, instead of simply adjusting their diet (even if temporarily) to account for it, they refuse to change.
Because this is America, and it costs $1.99 for a dozen eggs GODDAMN IT, and it’s my god-given right as an American to pay no more than that, regardless of actual material conditions. And I’ll fucking shoot you if you dare suggest otherwise.
you need eggs to make any box mix desserts, and eggs are in a lot of recipes, baked goods etc. eggs have also always been a relatively cheap and healthy source of protein.
rent?
Clean your links please! https://youtu.be/blqYeQ6qeLQ
Su just cut-off everything behind the question mark? noted, ill’ try to remember that. Thanks
Plus wait till the chickens get bird flu.
It’s the bird flu not the chicken flu.
Then they have worry about Chicken Pox.
And specifically it isn’t a hen flu so they are double safe
Now I’m worried about the cock flu.
That’s why people stuff their cock in a balloon before ramming them into the chicken coop
Chicks used to be $2.70, $3.00 for the fancy ones like Easter Eggers.
I just paid $5.40 each for regular old red chickens. Easter Eggers were $7.50 It’s not like I’m NOT going to resupply my flock but damn, double price.
I was reading that a major constraint on chicken farmers in the US is that they have to rebuild their stock after huge losses in chickens, and you cannot just instantly magic up an infinite supply of new chickens – takes a while to scale that up. It sounded like the companies that raise chickens are not the same as the ones that produce eggs – like, if you’re an egg-producing-farm, you’re competing on the open market with individuals to buy chickens. So it’s gonna drive up the price for random individual who just wants a chicken and buys from the same chicken-raisers.
All that being said, if a chicken is going for $6, I cannot imagine that the price of a chicken is a huge part of the price of eggs. Like, feed, a hutch, care, heating, maintenance of the infrastructure…that’s gotta outweigh the price of the chicken substantially.
Yeah, the price of the chick is tiny. Once you have the coop the main cost is feed, except that if they use half of my property then I spend more in property tax for that half than I spend on chicken feed.
I don’t know chickens… But it seems like buying one is cheaper than buying a dozen eggs… I get it needs a place to live and upkeep… Even if you needed to buy 12 it seems like once they lay eggs you would end up with more eggs than you knew what to do with them… Sell them to your neighbors for 3 bucks a dozen and bam free eggs…
Yeah, it’s cheaper than buying eggs. I’m also using them to rehab the back yard. Before I moved in there was sort of a private junkyard back there, now the soil is in much better shape
Why the fuck is no one just cutting eggs out of their diet?
It’s not even like they’re particularly healthy, if you eat too many you can risk high cholesterol.
Unless you have really strict dietary guidelines this is fucking insanity.
All you have to do is stop buying them and demand will dry up and prices will come back down (to an extent anyway, bird flu is gonna keep it higher than the old norm).
Are people really so egg addicted??
Why the fuck is no one just cutting eggs out of their diet?
All you have to do is stop buying them and demand will dry up and prices will come back down
You’re not wrong, but on the other hand, plain eggs are goddamn delicious. Not like there’s some kind of soy-based equivalent experience.
And I’m sure that people will cut them out of their diet – the price will keep going up until the amount of demand at that price matches the number of eggs available. And there is some price where any given person will do that.
Hasn’t hit that point for me yet, though. I love my eggs.
Dietary cholesterol actually has little to do with blood cholesterol levels. It’s almost all genetics.
Eggs had a high protein/price ratio which made them an important food for poor people as a meat substitute.
What do you propose they should get instead?
Lentils, chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, lima beans, edamame, peas…
Americans aren’t protein deficient.
So all legumes every day then?
They are a fair alternative nutrient wise but you’d be ignorant to think they where not already in the poor mans basket.
Eggs are distinctly more versatility and require next to zero prep time. Spending time in the kitchen is a luxury a single parents with multiple jobs may not have when trying to make their kids a quick healthy meal before going back on the clock.
I mean, if it means avoiding a deadly pandemic, maybe?
Never considered this in all honesty.
Does a lower egg demand really lower the chance of a deadly pandemic?
The way i understand it famers will continue try to maximize their chicken populations because capitalism. Especially in time of scarcity everyone dreams of being the biggest supplier.
I reason there would be a technical solution in a full on chicken genocide. They can’t spread disease if they are already dead. This would result in no eggs for anyone. But animal welfare advocates may want a word with you.
But even from an animal welfare pov, the way chickens are housed is completely inhumane and the end of this industry would be a net positive and spearhead the availability of much more ethically labproduced chicken.
Nuanced genocide??
This is a very interesting (though messed up) line of thinking. Can you elaborate what you ment specifically?
Once again, Americans aren’t protien deficient. There’s plenty of cheap, easy to eat stuff that Americans could eat for breakfast instead.
Does a banana for breakfast take prep time? Does an apple? Oh wait, no it doesn’t y’all are just fucking addicted to protein and eat way too much of it. Nobody needs to eat that much protein literally every day.
You originally asked for good price/protein ratio to replace eggs and I gave you that.
Your ignorance was already zipped down and on display but now you really took your pants off.
Egg prices have risen globally. America doesn’t have a monopoly on this problem.
Egg prices have risen globally because of bird flu not demand increases.
The demand has stayed the same, the supply has dropped.
I’m not seeing news about people in India renting chickens just to be able to get their egg fix.
The number of customers dropping by for purchasing meat and and eggs have also gone down by 20%-30% in the last two weeks.
Is this comment where i appear to have expressed ignorance about the existence of basic economic principles in the room with us right now?
Your “solutions” to stop buying eggs in favor of lentils shows an inability to perceive reality outside of your own subjective comfort bubble. But for an American i guess thats not all that atypical.
Do you exercise at all? Recommendation is minimum 0.8g of protein per pound of lean muscle mass. If you’re twig thin and unfit, sure, you don’t need much. For me it means at least 116g of protein daily.
It’s not addiction, it’s tracking my macros and living as healthy a life as possible.
No offense but theres lots of western propaganda coupled protein obsession in your comments. Like the other dude said, you arent protein deficient and neither are Americans, and you most definitely dont need fucking eggs for cheap protein.
Also, YOU DONT NEED THAT MUCH PROTEIN EVERY DAY WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK
It is actually insane how many Americans know fuck all about food but act like they do, yall have been propagandized beyond belief regarding food, protein, and god knows what else.
You’re making a mountain out of a molehill, the recommendations are really not that different unless you’re severely underweight or overweight. US recommendation is definitely higher, but it’s commonly misunderstood because the recommendation is 0.8g of protein per pound of lean body weight (muscle mass), not full weight.
EFSA and the WHO recommend .66g of protein to full body weight, or PRI of .83g per kg full weight, and note that intake of up to double the PRI is acceptable and safe.
Doing the math, my PRI intake would be 74g of protein (and up to double that considered safe), while my US recommendation would be 116. Yes it’s more, but not by that much. On average I probably actually take in between 90g and 115g of protein a day, give or take a bit.
Not to mention, with lifestyle related items, I’m fine with my higher intake, and it has nothing to do with being American.
- As a well controlled T2 Diabetic, I take in a much lower amount of carbs than the average person to maintain good glucose levels. This means supplementing with fiber options, avoiding simple sugars and carbs, mostly avoiding pastas and rice (or keeping them to a minimum at least), and my general intake of proteins and fats are higher to make up my daily nutritional requirements. It’s literally necessary for my health and TDEE. Most people get the bulk of their daily calories from carbohydrates, and I can’t do that.
Regarding the exercise, example from today:
- 30 minutes walking on treadmill at 2.4 MPH to warm up
- 45 minutes intense weight training, including free weights, kettlebells, dead hangs, etc.
- This is a regular routine for me 3 - 4x weekly
As someone who works out frequently both cardio and weightlifting, I want that protein to maintain and grow muscle mass, as this is one of the ways I control my glucose levels and it has a dramatic effect. Exercise is my main way of managing my sugar levels, along with a low dose of metformin XR daily. See:
I’m not a scientist and I always mix up whether it’s glycolysis or glycogenesis, but basically, glycogen reuptake to the muscles is good for muscle repair and carrying the glucose out of the bloodstream to more active storage in the muscles is good for me.
And to finalize, I’m not obsessed with eggs either. I have no qualms getting protein from any decent source including:
- various beans (soy, red kidney, occasionally pinto, red and green lentils, etc.)
- tofu
- peas
- chicken
- turkey
- soy and whey supplements when needed
- edamame (though this is hard to find in my area)
- pork
- beef
- peanut butter (as long as the ingredients are only peanuts, or peanuts and salt)
- cashews
- roasted peanuts
- cottage cheese
etc.
Eggs are certainly a part of the diet, but I can work around that if needed.
living as healthy a life as possible.
Says the type 2 diabetic?
This may shock you, but I’ve been managing this since I was 30, got into health and fitness. Now in my 40s and regularly maintain an A1c between 5.5 and 6.2.
I’m healthy and fit. I work out 3-4 times weekly with weights and recently kettlebells, and I have a walking treadmill I use intermittently while working, as well as an Airbike for cardio. I eat healthy and low carb and have curbed the behaviors that triggered my condition and have maintained this over a decade.
Fuck you for judging. I have a life long condition I have to manage. I did not give up on managing it and Diabetes won’t be what kills me.
Unless you have really strict dietary guidelines this is fucking insanity.
I mean, didn’t you just answer your own question? T2 diabetic here with petty strict dietary guidelines, and eggs are a staple in my diet.
Even disregarding that, I can only think of a few baking recipes that require zero eggs. Most baked goods require eggs, or at minimum egg wash.
Eggs are also a good source of protein at a relatively low caloric intake. And until recently we’re much more affordable than other protein sources. You could get 5 dozen at Sam’s Club for like $10.
For things like cake, there’s a lot of options you can use to replace eggs.
Further, things like brioche which require them aren’t really a need. When people talk about “Let them eat cake” it was actually closer to “Let them eat brioche.” If you can’t live without brioche, you’ve got bigger problems.
Standard bread does not need eggs.
You mentioned cake and bread. I’m talking low carb options. Quiche and things of that nature. Again, I’m a T2 diabetic. I’m sure as hell not eating cakes.
Not to enter into this argument but there are very delicious quiches that are vegan (use a scrambled tofu instead of egg).
Nothing wrong with that, tofu is great. Especially fried. 🤤
Unfortunately I’ve tried going that route and for a good six months I mostly ate beans and stews and more vegetarian/vegan friendly meals with less or no meat as an experiment and all that happened was lower energy levels, regular exhaustion, the need to supplement more vitamins than I already do, and my glucose levels spiking higher and more frequently. Wasn’t good for me (though tofu is still great, IMO).
I can only think of a few baking recipes that require zero eggs. Most baked goods require eggs
When I think baking, I think cakes and bread, not… quiche. You said “most baked goods,” not “most baked goods a T2 diabetic can eat.” I’d say cake and bread fall under “most baked goods.”
You can ask that very question about fast food. Something that’s incredibly unhealthy, but people are fighting hard for cheap rates.
a wild vegan appears!
Back off my baked goods.
Stop abusing chickens?
Nah
Vegan used Don’t Buy Animal Products or Byproducts.
It’s actually pretty effective (at reducing demand for meat).
It’s actually pretty effective (at reducing demand for meat).
what makes you think that?
Oh good now we are atomizing potential bird flu bird populations across the suburbs so Karen can save a dime.
