What Enterprise is Sustainable for Me?
Eggs
To evaluate how well this enterprise aligns with your farm's agronomic, marketing, financial and management resources, answer these five questions. Then, calculate your score.
Using a scale from 0 to 100, scores indicate your farm's likely success with an enterprise.
These questions are specific to pastured production.
The icons link to resources you can use to answer these questions.
QUESTIONS
HELP ME ANSWER THIS
1. Without adequate nutrition, layers will not grow or produce eggs to their potential. Therefore, they need continuous access to feed balanced to meet their nutritional needs, which vary by life stage. Do you have the financial resources to purchase feed — a significant cost for egg producers — and the know-how to source feed that meets a flock’s evolving nutritional needs?
Yes
No
No
2. A market-minded egg producer responds to the target market’s preferences and has the skills needed to candle eggs, grade them and sell them under the appropriate license. Also, you must be able to match the number of layers with demand, so you don’t lose customers due to supply problems. Do you have a market mindset?
Yes
No
No
3. To lay eggs consistently, hens require roughly 14 hours to 16 hours of light per day. Are you willing to install supplemental lighting and use it as needed — particularly during the fall and winter — to ensure hens can maximize their egg production?
Yes
No
No
4. Pastured layers require a combination of indoor and outdoor space: a brooder to keep young chicks warm and safe; a well-ventilated coop that provides protection from predators and a place to lay eggs, sleep and stay dry; and pasture paddocks rotated to provide birds with fresh forage access. Do have a location that would fulfill these site needs?
Yes
No
No
5. Egg production largely stops during molting — a once-annual period when birds lose feathers — and a hen’s productivity typically declines after laying for two years. To operate feasibly, egg producers must monitor the cost to maintain a flock relative to the flock’s laying productivity. Do you have the skills needed to do this analysis and then decide when to retain hens or cull them?
Yes
No
No
Your ResultsX
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Respond to the questions for an enterprise. Each question touches on a key factor that affects an enterprise's sustainability on your farm.2 of 3
Icons to the side of questions direct to other decision tools that share detailed information about a question's topic.3 of 3
After completing all questions for an enterprise, calculate your score. A pop-up page will share your results. Scores closer to 100 suggest the enterprise would align well with your farm. Scores closer to 0 suggest the enterprise would not fit as well, based on your responses to the questions.