Thinking of Raising Egg-Laying Chickens?

Story, photos and recipes by Cynthia Nobles

Does the high price of eggs have you clucking? Maybe you should consider what many inflation-shocked consumers are doing, raising a small flock of chickens. 

Chicken coops used to be a normal part of a Louisiana farm landscape. This ubiquitous backyard structure began disappearing in the mid-1900s, when advances in chicken breeding spawned commercial production powerhouses. 
 
Then came the 1980s natural food movement, and the recent covid shortages, higher food prices, and an outbreak of avian bird flu. Lo and behold, egg-laying chickens have once again become a hot commodity. Even residents of our state’s large cities have been getting in on the chicken-raising act.

If you want to raise chickens from eggs, you must first have fertile eggs. You can actually buy fertile eggs online, or ask a friend with roosters to sell you some. For a successful hatch you’ll need an incubator. The eggs must be “set” at the right temperature and humidity, and turned 3-5 times a day until day 18. Chicks typically hatch at day 21. 

Landry’s Feed Store in Crowley sells hatched baby chicks. “During the last six months I’ve seen a much larger interest in raising chickens,” says store manager, Ken Landry. Some of the most popular egg-laying breeds Landry’s sells are Rhode Island Reds, Barred Plymouth Rock, White Leghorn, Buff Orpington, Golden Sexlink, and Easter Eggers, a hybrid whose eggshells can come out of the chicken blue, green, brown, olive, or pink. Landry’s also sells the slightly less productive but more showy variety call Silver Laced Wyandotte, as well as other exotics. 

“We order chicks and receive them when they’re two days old,” Landry says. “Just remember, when you buy them that young, you have to raise them until they’re old enough to lay.” 

​The prime period for nurturing chicks to adulthood is mid-February through May. From chick to egg-laying hen takes 16-28 weeks, depending on breed. Getting a chick to that stage involves an investment in a brooder, which is a container to keep the chicks safe. You also need heat lamps, litter, and a feeder and drinker. 

“Chicks definitely need special feed and supplements,” Landry says. They can be prone to maladies such as the gut disease coccidiosis, as well as vitamin deficits, leg problems, feather picking, and deformed beaks. You also have to remove poop buildup from the brooder vent daily, or your chicks can succumb to the uncomfortable-sounding disease called pasty butt, which develops from too much heat. And aside from the sexlink hybrid, it's hard to tell a hen from a rooster in young chicks. 

Your best bet for finding mature hens is to locate a nearby farmer who has a flock. Full-grown chickens thrive best in a secure coop that opens to the outdoors and a fenced area known as a chicken-run. “Hens also need special feeds, as well as occasional supplements of vitamins and electrolytes,” say Landry. “You also have to watch for evidence of worms. If the egg shells are soft, you need something to harden them, like ground oyster shells.”

Obviously, raising chickens requires a steep learning curve. And although it seems like an economically sound step to take, according to my sister Judy Burton and her husband, James, the savings aspect of raising chickens for eggs might be overblown. 

These relatives live a short distance down my rural Acadia Parish highway, and a few months ago James bought six pullets, the term for a teenage female. The hens are finally laying a few dozen eggs a week, but James tells me that the cost of feed, fencing for a chicken-run, and a chicken coop “sure ain’t chicken scratch.” 

Then there’s the commitment of time. Hens need physical attention two times a day. In the morning they should be let out to peck in the grass. At dusk, they need to be penned and locked back up. 

When Judy and James recently went on vacation, I was assigned the daily tasks of getting their “girls” in and out of the coop. This hen-sitting duty was surprisingly stressful, mainly because Henrietta, a friendly Rhode Island Red, had recently been decapitated in broad daylight by a mink that somehow squeezed through the chicken-run fence. Fortunately, on my watch the remaining five hens survived. 

Even though raising hens requires a little patience and discipline, there are unexpected perks. Aside from laying eggs, they provide free fertilizer. Since chickens are omnivores, they eat table scraps, as well as weeds, grubs, bugs, and other pests. Chickens are also a source of entertainment, as they are for my sister’s three-year-old granddaughter, Madeline, who likes throwing them treats, and who excitedly checks the nests for eggs every day. 

Not surprisingly, James and Judy’s chickens have become part of their family. And that brings up another problem. Chickens lay best for only 2-4 years, but they live from 5-10 years. Some chicken owners have no problem relegating older hens to the gumbo pot. But I do not fear that fate for the chickens down the road — Judy has already assured me that her hens will spend retirement as pets.      
 
 
​Do you have a Louisiana agriculture story or a recipe you’d like to share? Contact me at [email protected].
 
Cynthia Nobles is the cookbook editor for LSU Press and the author/co-author of several historical cookbooks, including A Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook, The Delta Queen Cookbook, and The Fonville Winans Cookbook.
            
 
 
Deviled Eggs
Makes 12 
 
6 large eggs
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
¼ teaspoon ground dry mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon finely minced red onion
2 teaspoons minced green onion, tops only
Garnish of your choice, such as paprika, minced red bell pepper, chives, thinly sliced pickled jalapeno, or even caviar!
 
1. In a large saucepan, add eggs and top with enough water so it covers them by at least 1 inch. Over high heat, bring water to a boil, boil 1 minute and remove pan from heat. Cover pan and let eggs sit 12 minutes. Run eggs under cold water while peeling.
2. Slice eggs in half crosswise, remove yolks to a bowl, and reserve egg white halves. Mash yolks with a fork and stir in mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, salt, and pepper. Stir in red onion and green onion. Spoon mixture into egg white halves. Cover and chill 30 minutes to 8 hours. Garnish just before serving. 
 
 
 
Pickled Eggs
Makes 12 
 
1 dozen hard-boiled large eggs, peeled
2 cups white vinegar
½ cup water
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
8 black peppercorns
2 peeled garlic cloves
1 tablespoon whole pickling spice
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
 
1. Sterilize a quart jar and lids. Place boiled eggs in jar, making sure there’s at least 1 inch of space from neck of jar.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring vinegar, water, sugar, salt, black peppercorns, garlic, pickling spice and red pepper flakes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. 
3. Remove pickling liquid from heat and pour over eggs in jar, making sure all egg surfaces are completely covered. Place lid on jar and refrigerate immediately. Refrigerate 2 weeks. Consume within a month and always keep refrigerated.
 
 
Scotch Eggs
Makes 8 (Recipe is by Melinda Winans of Baton Rouge)
 
Common in British supermarkets and convenience stores, these sausage-coated boiled eggs are a great finger food for parties or with a salad for a light lunch.
 
1 pound lean ground pork sausage
2 raw eggs, in separate bowls and each beaten
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon dried dill
8 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
¾ cup fine bread crumbs
For serving: English Hot Mustard, or any mustard
 
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix sausage with 1 raw egg and divide into 8 parts. Flatten each portion into a round. 
2. Mix flour and dill and lightly coat boiled eggs with seasoned flour. Shape a portion of the sausage completely around each coated egg.
3. Roll each sausage-encased egg in the remaining beaten egg and then in bread crumbs. Press crumbs gently into the sausage.
4. Bake eggs on a rack in a shallow pan until golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes. Cool eggs completely and slice into quarters. Serve with mustard. Can be made ahead and refrigerated until ready to cut.
 
 
Egg, Chili, Sausage, and Potato Breakfast Casserole
Makes 8 servings 
 
This make-ahead dish can be assembled the night before it’s baked.
 
1 (28-ounce) bag frozen, shredded hashbrowns or mini tater tots, thawed
1 pound spicy bulk sausage, cooked, crumbled, and drained
2½ cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
½ cup finely chopped onion
1 bell pepper, finely chopped
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chilis, drained 
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
8 large eggs
1½ cups whole milk
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
 
1. If baking immediately, preheat oven to 350°F. In either case, grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. In a very large bowl, gently mix together the hashbrowns, cooked sausage, 2 cups cheese, onion, bell pepper, green chilis, and cilantro. Spread evenly into the baking pan. 
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the hashbrown mixture. Sprinkle on the remaining ½ cup cheese. (If assembling the night before baking, at this point cover the casserole with aluminum foil and refrigerate.) 
3. Bake the casserole, uncovered, until the center is set, 55-65 minutes. If refrigerated unbaked, remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before putting in the hot oven and allow an extra 10 minutes baking time.