Wow.

Yet another reason to hate and yearn for the utter destruction of Commies. They have decimated the poultry industry, even at my level. I foolishly got too busy and was too late calling my supplier last fall that I had used for the last several years. When I called them the other day to order some new Rhode Island Red pullets (young hens just about ready to start laying) they said they have none and are closing down their family business. Shit.

This is all caused by the stupid policies of the former administration in culling hundreds of millions of laying hens because avian flu. This not only caused egg prices to spike, but created a shortage of replacement birds. I began searching for a new source. The first ones I checked were sold out until later this year.

I finally found a supplier over 50 miles away that will have exactly what I need so I placed an online order. But holy shit, the price! $49 per bird! I will be driving downstate to get them because their delivery charge is $2.50 per mile round trip... almost $200! The most I have paid in the past was $15 per bird for the Rhode Island Reds. I have gotten Leghorns from UConn at $6 per laying hen. Every year they turn over their flock for the next school year and sell the birds off. But they are commercial stock birds that have been laying for a year before I get them and they didn't seem to lay for very long afterwards. They lay giant white eggs that I can't believe come out of such a small bird. There is one left in my flock that is basically just a pet. She is in my face in the coop while I clean the nesting boxes in the morning and is right at my feet when I am out there. I prefer the nice brown eggs of the RIR. This also means I will be raising my price to $5.00 per dozen for any surplus I sell starting now.