←back to thread

Egg prices are soaring. Are backyard chickens the answer?

(civileats.com)
310 points greenie_beans | 10 comments | 19 Feb 25 21:46 UTC | HN request time: 0.643s | source | bottom
Show context
memsom ◴[20 Feb 25 10:21 UTC] No.43113082[source]▶
Wow! I wondered about this article - US centric. I wondered because eggs are not expensive here. I just looked [1] [2]. I can get a dozen free range for about US$4 at the current conversion rate. They are a supermarket own brand, but even the "fancy" ones are something like that for 6, but some are actually still close to $4 for 12.

The US chicken market (not necessarily eggs specifically) was in the Morgan Spurlock documentary follow up to "Supersize me", and it looked like the chicken "mafia" controlled the business.[3]

[1] https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/search?query=eggs&inpu... [2] https://groceries.asda.com/search/eggs [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Size_Me_2:_Holy_Chicken!

replies(6): >>43113765 #>>43115159 #>>43115695 #>>43118137 #>>43118966 #>>43120325 #
1. zoky ◴[20 Feb 25 12:11 UTC] No.43113765[source]▶
Hmm. After Spurlock lied through his teeth in his first film, why would anyone trust him ever again?
replies(3): >>43114296 #>>43115456 #>>43116640 #
2. portaouflop ◴[20 Feb 25 13:19 UTC] No.43114296[source]▶
Spurlock can be a fraud and the food market still be controlled by a cartel — both can be true at the same time. I’m no US citizen so I don’t really care but what I read about your potato market was wild, so I wouldn’t be surprised if eggs are also controlled by a cartel.
replies(1): >>43114952 #
3. zoky ◴[20 Feb 25 14:21 UTC] No.43114952[source]▶
That’s as may be, but if Spurlock is a fraud then you need to provide more substantial evidence than whatever Spurlock says. That’s kind of the point I was making, actually. Supporting your thesis with evidence from a known and provable liar pretty much undermines your thesis in its entirety. So, maybe don’t do that?
4. jahnu ◴[20 Feb 25 14:58 UTC] No.43115456[source]▶
Well he’s dead now so I guess they never will.
5. shkkmo ◴[20 Feb 25 16:24 UTC] No.43116640[source]▶
"lied through his teeth" isn't an accurate description. His openness about his history of drunking wasn't ideal and did damage his credibility. However other people have partially reproduced the health effects of what he did and his level of drinking is pretty common in the USA so it's not like he's some crazy outlier.
replies(1): >>43118923 #
6. zoky ◴[20 Feb 25 19:20 UTC] No.43118923[source]▶
> His openness about his history of drunking wasn't ideal and did damage his credibility.

That’s a euphemism if ever there was one. He was a raging alcoholic, and his alcohol consumption (which he denied entirely) accounted for pretty much all of his negative health effects during the film.

> However other people have partially reproduced the health effects of what he did

But nobody has been able to reproduce it entirely, or even account for the weight gain and ill health effects he experienced based solely on his food consumption. And several people recreated his stunt and were perfectly fine, or even had their health improve. It’s not about what food you eat, it’s about how much and your overall lifestyle.

> and his level of drinking is pretty common in the USA so it's not like he's some crazy outlier.

He was reportedly drinking a fifth of vodka per day. That is excessive by any metric.

replies(1): >>43120269 #
7. kelipso ◴[20 Feb 25 21:13 UTC] No.43120269{3}[source]▶
Fifth would be 150 ml, so around 3 shots. It’s slightly excessive but I wouldn’t call that raging alcoholism level.
replies(2): >>43121922 #>>43122321 #
8. zoky ◴[20 Feb 25 23:31 UTC] No.43121922{4}[source]▶
Where are you getting that measurement from? A fifth is 750ml, basically a standard sized bottle.
replies(1): >>43123258 #
9. alexthehurst ◴[21 Feb 25 00:06 UTC] No.43122321{4}[source]▶
A “fifth” of alcohol is a 750ml bottle (about a fifth of a gallon). So someone drinking a fifth is drinking more like 15 shots.
10. kelipso ◴[21 Feb 25 02:11 UTC] No.43123258{5}[source]▶
Lol my mistake, I thought it was a fifth of that bottle.