Chickens and poultry are highly multi-functional, providing land clearing, light tillage, pest control, soil fertiliser, eggs and meat. Crucial to an organic permaculture farm.
Eggs
A chicken may lay circa 180 to 250 eggs per year, so assuming an average of 200 eggs chicken /yr. A single family may need a dozen eggs/ week or 624 eggs a year.
3 to 4 chickens may provide 540 to 720 eggs per year. Just enough for 1 family’s needs of 1 dozen per week.
A farm minimum of 30 chickens may produce 5000 eggs/yr, but allowances for 5 families a dozen/wk, leaves only 2,888 eggs/yr surplus, which if sold doesn’t covers chicken feed, vetinary and other costs.
Commercial viability may be better at 600 chickens producing 120,000 eggs a year , but allowances for 5 families, a dozen/wk, leaves 116,880 eggs, but chickens consuming 75kg feed/day or 27.4 tons of feed/yr.
Intensive egg farming is set at 1200 chickens.
Due to rising fertiliser and feed costs, egg laying returns are very nominal.
Chicken Feed
Egg laying chickens, fed ‘layers pellets’ or ‘layers mash’. This is usually 15-17% protein and will help them to regularly lay eggs. A good layer will stop producing as many eggs if she doesn’t have enough protein in her diet.
Each bird is expected to consume between 115g-125g of the feed per day. 46kg per year. With feed costs circa $1.70/kg.
Grit
Seashell grit, or Grit with Oyster shells is even better as the oyster shells provide calcium which your chickens need to lay eggs with strong shells.