What do Roosters have to do With the Price of Chickens?

[Juan Benavidez]

According to this website, roosters are to blame:

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN0FE0C820140709?irpc=932

 

[Peter LeQuire]

Which came fist.....?

Chicken breeding is like saving for your retirement: the price of chickens goes up, so you take the short term profit and sell your breeding stock - rather than hatching chicks to sell as breeders, etc.

 

[Mr Rex]

Sounds like they need to try some little blue pills on the roosters.

 

[Peter LeQuire]

Sounds like they need to try some little blue pills on the roosters.

Or perhaps import some different hens - this poultry monoculture has to be boring.

 

[smallface]

Juan,
Little known fact. Roosters are also chickens.

 

[Bobby Bucks]

Finally a decent topic in this place. I love roosters, especially fighting ones. It's America's number one spectator sport. My best Sumatra can whip anyone else's and I'll put money on it.....this challenge is particularly for the Ohio truck boy who occasionally pops in here. As for as cash goes, my top rooster is worth 100 hens.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

Ross created their own problem apparently. But the old Peterson Male line is good too. That company folded up and they were imploding when the "old man" died. Actually, the old geneticist there was a genius and when he died they struggled with the male line. Also, they did so largely because they didn't try to create a stud bird that was all breast meat...

In regrouping under a grandson, I understand they are trying to rebuild their flocks.

Part of the issue of grandparent stock eggs is the public is demanding "free-range" chickens. Simply fact. Hens in cages produce far more eggs that free-range and they can stuff more birds in a barn. So that little red hen that produces 300 eggs a year in a cage (and is healthy or they would not produce that much) is out-producing free nest birds by 100 eggs a year.

As long as the public demands free-ranging and organically grown birds, production numbers have to fall and costs have to increase.

 

[Tim The Enchanter]

So that little red hen that produces 300 eggs a year in a cage (and is healthy or they would not produce that much) is out-producing free nest birds by 100 eggs a year.

As long as the public demands free-ranging and organically grown birds, production numbers have to fall and costs have to increase.

But is the Little Red Hen "happy"?
Whatever that means. m2:

Give me the less expensive eggs.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

Caged chickens do not agonize over their situation nearly as much as animal rights people who think it is cruel. I don't think chickens think much past "food" "water" and whatever chickens think they want to do..? I dont' believe that a stressed bird will lay 300 eggs in a year. I know when we had layers, they quit laying in hot weather or cold weather. To force them into molting chickens are stressed by reducing their feed, keeping them in the dark longer (houses are lit) and cooling the house. This triggers them to shed feathers and grow new ones and after they do, light is increased feed is increased and they produce more eggs. After about 2 years, the birds are "old" and produce fewer and fewer eggs...then they get a prize place on the dinner table. Again, some of the do-gooders think molting is cruel so the bird gets slaughtered a year early.