The Fence, the Tree, and the Hidden Cost of Eggs

We had an incident this week that reminded me why so many people leave agriculture.

This morning, a massive tree limb, that was about 2,200 pounds based on how much our tractor struggled to move it, fell right onto the fence that protects our egg-laying chickens. That fence is critical. It’s six feet tall and built to keep predators out. We have hawks, coyotes, foxes, and more that all think chickens are tasty. Chickens out in the open don’t last long around here.

When they do get loose, they panic. They don’t fly away like you’d think. They scramble around trying to figure out how to get back in. It’s not safe for them, and it’s not good for us.

That tree limb didn’t just bend the fence; it crushed about 50 feet of it, well beyond a patchable fix. We also have a hot wire that runs about 6 to 8 inches off the ground to help deter ground predators. That was damaged too and needed full wire replacement. Luckily, the charge box survived.

The Difference Between Planning and Scrambling

When Arlin first designed the pasture layout, we measured everything. He drew it out by hand and calculated the materials needed so we could plan the budget. We knew how much we could sell eggs for, so we could estimate how long it would take to break even on that investment.

We shopped around for fencing, chose the best type for the price, and had it shipped in. That’s the kind of decision-making you hope you get to do on a ranch… slow, smart, and intentional.

But when nature happens, that luxury disappears.

You can’t comparison shop when your flock is vulnerable to predators and the fence is crushed. You can’t wait until Monday. You go to three stores (because inventory “in stock” online rarely means anything these days), and you spend the entire day fixing it instead of working through your to-do list.

Why It’s Harder Than It Looks

We expect a level of maintenance. That’s part of the deal.

But surprises like this of things that are outside our control are hard to budget for. You can’t take down every tree, and no matter how solid your planning is, something always finds a way to fall over, break down, or blow loose.

Eggs already don’t have a big profit margin. We supplement with feed as we don’t have enough kitchen scraps for variety. Cartons cost money. And now, this surprise fix will eat up any “profit” from eggs for the next two months, assuming nothing else unexpected happens in that time.

And yet, this is why you see so many farms, ranches, and homesteads evolve. They try new things, shift their focus, pivot to survive. Not because they don’t love what they do, but because they have to in order to keep doing it.

And Still — It’s Worth It

Honestly, if we didn’t sell out of eggs every week to amazing customers who get it, we’d probably have to call it quits on eggs entirely. But we’re grateful. Your support is what makes this work feel sustainable, even when it’s not always at the most effective margin.

It’s a myth that farmers and ranchers are heavily insured. I wish that were true. But the truth is, no one really wants to insure small producers like us, especially not for fencing, livestock loss, or predator damage.

We carry the risk ourselves. We carry the cost. And we carry on.

Because this life, even as unpredictable as it is, is still one we’re proud to live.