chicken notes

These notes are maintained by Ben Discoe (Egg Farm / Blog)

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Egg/Meat Operations on the Island

• There were three major egg operations on the island.  What did they feed their birds?
  • Big Island Poultry in North Kohala, which no longer had chickens as of 2006.
  • Fire Mountain, in the Volcano area, shut down in 2007?
  • Hawaiian Fresh Egg Farm (HFEF) on the Kawaihae Road - David Davenport.  Gave up their last birds in 2008.
• Hawaiian Fresh Egg Farm (HFEF)
  • Hawaii Island Journal article, April-May 2007: The Last Big Egg Farm
    • gives an overview of HFEF, with some basic facts: 40,000 birds, sixty cases (21,000 eggs) a day.  It doesn't say anything about feed, other than the owner David Davenport saying "The average consumer won't pay more for a dozen eggs just because they're local or organic."
  • As of February 2008, HFEF is closing down.
    • "Davenport says that his egg operation is now down to 30 cases a day -- a case is 30 dozen eggs -- with about 25,000 hens laying on his 13-acre farm. That's down from a peak of 600 cases a week a few years back, and about 550 cases weekly a year ago with 45,000 egg-producing hens."  The planned closure of HFEF by the end of 2008 will leave only four commercial egg producers left in the state -- all on Oahu.
  • A sign on the HFEF entrance says "Organa Grow".
    • This is the brand name for some kind of compost/fertilizer produced from the chicken manure and green waste.  It does not mean anything is organically grown.  It's not clear how they'll move forward as a compost business when the chicken manure runs out in 2008.
• Besides us (Ahualoa egg farm), there are a few other small chicken/egg farmers:
  • Grady Keystone has some number of chickens in Honokaa
    • as of 2007 he is starting to feed organically i believe.
    • as of 2008, his eggs are often available at the Waimea Farmer's market.
  • Gaia's Farm (87-3022 Mamalahoa Hwy, Captain Cook, 937-9970)
    • does "Pasture raised Poultry and Eggs. Where a chicken still can be a chicken!"
    • Contacted them.  Pia wrote back:
    • Completely true-it's tough. Feed alone costs a fortune, even with my girls roam loose on the farm. Right now it's a bigger challenge: molting, egg eating, mongoose... When things are good, I have enough egg production to serve a small ranch store here in Kealia, and 12 dozen weekly at ChoiceMart in Captain Cook. Right now, I get a dozen every week if I'm lucky. I got Rhode Islands, Araucanas, Cuckoos, Rocks, Leghorns, and a bunch of mixed breeds.
  • Eric Cox in Fern Acres (Puna) wrote in Feb. 2008:
    • "We have been raising 300-500 hens for the last year to year and a half.   We reduced our flock from 500 to 300 about 6 months ago, then we acquired about 70 more adult birds and are wanting to have only about 200 birds so we are again reducing our flock. We will be bringing in some pullets as soon as we can to give some more young birds to the flock.  We feed them two-way scratch and layer 20 made by Neutrea. we purchase it from Miranda country store in Hilo."
  • Donna Mitts in Pa'auilo has done chickens for eggs (since 2005?)
    • perhaps in connection with the Pa'auilo School?
    • in 2007, her eggs were sometimes sold at the Waimea Farmer's Market.
  • Vicki Dunaway and her husband, in Kuhio Village, Waimea
    • They acquired some chickens in late 2006
  • Kona Hawk Farms, Doug Pittman, free range eggs (Honaunau)
    • Started in 2007. Eggs sold at the Keauhou Farmer's Market.
    • "We have about 300 hens and various roosters. We started about a year ago to seriously try free ranging in our avocado and mac orchards for weed and bug control as well as a small egg operation. We do supplement their diet with scratch and layer feed."
  • Angela, in Pa'auilo, 12 hens as of 2008
  • Cathy Perrins, (Ookala)
    • contact her (email cathyperrins (at) hawaii.rr.com) if looking to buy a small number of chicks or hens
    • "We have more hens than the backyard can support.  [..] Increased egg production is why I'm switching my flock almost entirely to Rhode Island Reds.  There will be a couple barred rock hens and a white leghorn hen and an Ameraucana hen in the final flock to add more colors to the egg collection and to create hybrid sex-linked chicks.  A RIR rooster crossed with a white leghorn is supposed to produce "Red Stars" which are a nice productive laying hen AND comes out color coded as soon as it hatches. The RIR/Barred rock cross is supposed to make "Black Stars" which are also good laying hens that come out color coded."
  • Jean Sunderland in North Kohala
    • as of November 2008, getting organic feed, supplying perhaps 8 dozen a week to the health food store
  • Keith and Lina, in Ahualoa on Kahana drive
    • as of December 2008, 40 birds, leghorn / rhode island reds / araucana
  • Garvin in Papaikou, Island Goode's
    • as of March 2009, "100 layers and 100 more that will start laying in a couple of months"
  • Three Ring Ranch, Kailua View Estates (Nani Kailua)
    • as of March 2009, "Hens who live in multi acre pastures and are fed on a diet of steroid and antibiotic free feed", $6/dozen, www.threeringranch.org
  • Shane and Christie Fox in Papa'aloa
    • as of June 2009, they are raising batches of free-range broilers, sold for meat, 938-5103
  • Sarah and Danny of Medeiros farm in Kaloko Mauka
    • mentioned in the press July 2009, they "supply organic eggs to the local community"
  • Ohana Living Farms, North Kohala, Lou and Meimei
    • from April 2010: "Offering fresh pasture raised chickens, currently in limited production, along with eggs. The next batch of chickens will be ready end of April, contact brian@ohanalivingfarms.com for details. Price are $7/lb chicken; $6/dozen eggs. We are also at the Hawi farmers market every Saturday if anyone would like to stop by and learn more."
• As of early 2008, Donna and Vicki were talking about the possibility of a poultry club for cooperative buying, etc. as well as exploring possibilities for local feed.

Egg Operations in the State

• Hawai'i Business magazine, July 2007 article Sunny Side Up
  • "Egg production presents challenges anywhere, but Hawaii companies face added obstacles such as rising fuel prices further boosting shipping costs of feed and equipment. Factor in high costs of land, water, electricity and labor and it’s no wonder only five commercial egg producers remain statewide (four on Oahu and one on the Big Island)."
  • Although nobody is growing commercial organic, the Oahu company "Ka Lei", which is the subject of the article, claims their chickens are "hand-fed, and the eggs are hand-collected."  That's pretty surprising for moving ~12,000 eggs a day.
• Theo Morrison, The Neighborhood Farm, Maui
  • 2007 March 4: "I am on Maui and raise 100 layers in addition to vegetables. Currently I purchase feed from Del's farm supply on Maui. They sell organic poultry feed for $20 a bag, but I buy the regular feed which, on sale, is $11 a bag ($12 regular price). However, buying feed from the mainland is not sustainable. Let's all keep experimenting with the potential local feeds you have researched. Even with a significant drop in egg production, a variety of local feeds might still be more economical since I consider the manure derived from the poultry side of my business an asset also."
• As of 2009, Island Fresh Eggs says there are four egg operations remaining, all on Oahu.
  1. Mikilua Poultry, the largest egg producer in the state (selling under the Ka Lei, Hawaiian Maid, Maile and Times brands).  Led by Phyllis Shimabukuro-Geiser and Lois Shimabukuro-Miyake.
  2. KK Poultry Farm
  3. Maili Moa
  4. Peterson Upland Farm