As egg prices soar, the deadliest bird flu outbreak in US history drags on

[NickB79]

11. Except, they're not

A Cornish cross, the hybrid breed used for meat, is a speed-demon monster. It grows massive breasts and thighs in only 8 weeks, and will get so overweight it will die of a heart attack before even getting old enough to lay eggs. You don't breed them at home; they have to be purchased as chicks. Last time I raised them, they tried to strip my garden bare before I decided it was time to fill the freezer.

The main white egg layers today are Leghorns, which are scrawny things that MIGHT yield enough meat to make a pot of chicken noodle soup. Practically no breast meat to speak of. But they'll lay up to 300 eggs a year!

Personally, I raise old-fashioned, dual-purpose breeds like Wyandottes, Orpingtons, Australorps and Brahmas that give meat AND eggs. Or at least, I did originally. I've been letting my flock breed and sustain itself for so long, they've all crossed into something unique to my farm.