Conner Calderon holds one of his many laying hens.
In Nebraska, many people are aware of the rising price of groceries due to inflation. One example, which is a staple in many refrigerators, is the price of eggs. The price of eggs has increased more than 80% since October 2019 and is currently the highest it’s ever been.
Conner Calderon, a student at Sandy Creek High School in Nebraska and a Sandy Creek FFA member, decided to do something about this issue. After carefully planning and constructing for more than five months, he started an egg-laying operation in February 2024. Calderon started his operation after receiving the Governor’s Award of Excellence Grant, sponsored by NIFA, for $1,000. He then purchased chicks, a brooding area and supplies for a chicken coop, which has almost doubled in size since he started it.
Calderon’s “Cougar Coop” after months of planning and construction.
“Back in 2023, I saw that families had started to struggle with the rising cost of groceries,” Calderon says. “I wanted to find a way in my community to apply my passion and knowledge of caring for animals. I decided to start an egg-laying operation, where people can purchase high-quality eggs for a low cost.”
Calderon sells eggs in his community for $3 a dozen, which is more affordable than the $4.25 they are currently averaging in Nebraska.
All profits from his eggs go back to the coop, but Calderon donated more than 150 eggs to the Clay County Food Pantry. He also hatches eggs with the local preschool and kindergarten classes to teach them about the chicken life cycle. Not only does Calderon use this project to help feed the members of his community, but he also uses it to bond with and comfort struggling students.
“Last spring, there was a student who was having a hard time with upcoming changes,” he says. “We met twice a week to spend time with the chickens. It became something they really looked forward to. Creating a bond between that child and the chickens helped them get through some tough times.”
Although teaching students about poultry care and education was not something he expected to implement at the beginning of his operation, seeing other children express interest in this area because of what he’s been able to teach them has been extremely rewarding for Calderon.
Today, he has 13 Wyandottes, five Barnevelders, four Marans, three Welsummers and one Australorp, making up a total of 13 laying hens and 13 chicks.
“My future plans for this project are to move the chicks into the coop when they are old enough and expand the run come spring,” Calderon says. “I would also like to continue showing at the county and state levels. It’s my goal to start a breeding program, and further educate youth about poultry.”
