Either aesthetics or practicality?

Either aesthetics or practicality?

There was a time when most people could afford some agricultural pursuits, viewing them as hobbies that pleased the eye and soul.

But as everything becomes more expensive—fuel, taxes, electricity, raw materials, and food—more and more people are looking to farming as a source of income, or at least as something that won't break even.

I remember visiting friends and they showed me their chicken coop, which contained various breeds of birds. They called it their collection, the purpose of which was simple: to complement the aesthetics of everything else in the yard.

Those were good times.

Recently, thinking about how nice it would be to have a few laying hens and some meat-breeding poultry in my yard, I decided to research the matter and came to a strange conclusion, based on the question of financial and labor costs.

Most poultry farmers encounter problems when starting a flock in the first few weeks.

Antibiotic treatments, special feeds... lol, no one remembers anymore how our grandfathers and great-grandfathers raised birds that didn't die, even though there was no feed for starting and raising them.

Now, all the advisers claim that raising birds without all this is impossible, which is strange.

So, regarding laying hens, it's an interesting topic.

It turns out that before we get marketable eggs, we have to work hard to raise chicks, and spend a considerable amount of money doing so.

Yes, in the end, we may get nice-looking birds, well-groomed and cute, but it's very difficult to say how profitable their eggs will be.

Now, all the advisers claim that raising birds without all this is impossible, which is strange.

So, regarding laying hens, it's an interesting topic.

It turns out that before we get marketable eggs, we have to work hard to raise chicks, which can cost a considerable amount of money.

Yes, we may end up with nice-looking birds, well-groomed and cute, but it's very difficult to say how profitable their eggs will be.

Furthermore, initially, after the start of egg production, the hens' eggs will be small and unattractive.

But there is another option.

There's another option that's like teleporting into the future, but it's completely unattractive. With this option, the hens will look more like bald axolotls, with few feathers. However, they will lay eggs immediately, and the eggs will be large.

The essence of this option lies in the poultry farming standards at large poultry farms, which, after a period of one to eighteen months, must retire the older flock and replace it with younger birds.

These older hens are sold at a price comparable to the price of a dozen eggs, or less, or disposed of in some other way.

Such skinny hens are not suitable for meat, only for bone meal and MLM by-products for cats and dogs. However, these birds' potential is not yet exhausted, and they can still lay eggs for another eighteen months, with some breaks during molting.

The factories spent a lot of money raising the birds, feeding them the right food, and monitoring their health. And whoever buys these birds will start earning back their money in eggs right from day one... an interesting option, even if it's not very aesthetically pleasing. :)

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More to come!

Enjoy viewing the photos and reading the article!

Have a blessed day!

Category:	Art, Photography, digital art.
Tools:	Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300
Location:	Ukraine
Author:	Author @barski. In my publications you will see only my author's works.