High egg costs will translate into higher costs for everything they go into: pastries, breads, all kinds of prepared food.
I am conflicted on this. The animals should be housed humanely. I don’t know enough about existing conditions or the law to comment but I am suspicious of anything coming out of California.
I wonder how many laying hens I need to get a dozen eggs a week? Maybe a couple of ostriches is a better investment. They can double as watchdogs!
There are a couple egg producers in the Chino / Ontario California area that I drive by frequently. They have drive up service open to the Public. I’ll have to keep my eye out if they are in business a year from now assuming they are not compliant with the new law.
Two.
One good laying hen will lay 1 egg a day, every day. So two chickens will give you 14 a week. Here in the Midwest when it gets real cold chickens will stop laying or when they "molt" losing their feathers.
Pretty much any major change in weather will shut them down for a few days. Stress from getting scared or some change in their lives will also shut them down.
Ideally you can get 1/day/hen but in reality I would figure 80%.
Molt happens in November/December just about the time you want eggs for the holidays. Molt is based on length of light and can be pushed until spring by leaving the light on and not letting them go outside of the house at night.
Our experience is with hatchery birds bred to lay eggs. We buy the chicks in the spring from the feed and seed store. Pullets start laying about 5-6 months later. They lay dependably through that first winter, the next spring and summer then slow down the second fall. They molt (lose their feathers) and usually take that winter off from laying, then start up laying again the following spring. That year they lay slightly less eggs but are still productive. Then each fall they molt and take the winter off, each spring resuming laying with again decreased production. We have five hens who lay between one to five eggs a day. We have more eggs than we can eat so we give them to family, friends and neighbors. They usually last for 3-4 years and then quit laying altogether. Then we butcher them to eat and buy new chicks in the spring to start the whole process over again.
Conflicted? Really? Don't make too much of this article. There are far more important things in life to worry about than thinking your chickens need to live in fancy digs.