"The same thing kind of happened in 2020, when everyone went into quarantine and decided they were going to homestead," Lieurance said of people rushing out to buy chickens and later realizing it was a bad idea. Many people also don't realize that it could take four to six months for chicks, which are often purchased instead of full-grown chickens, to start laying eggs, or that they'll only produce eggs for a few years and live much longer than that. Pankratz also noted that backyard chickens are not necessarily the answer for people who view it as a more humane way to eat eggs, adding chicks are often coming from the same facilities that supply factory farms.Ĭhicken coops need to be set up to protect the birds from potential predators, including coyotes and hawks. In some cases, they underestimate the challenges associated with protecting birds from predation, the expense involved, the difficulties of wintertime care, or the general level of care and commitment," Ashley Pankratz, Farm Sanctuary's senior manager of rescue and placement, said in a statement provided to Insider. "Many guardians who reach out to us for help are new to caring for a backyard flock and are ill-prepared for the challenges of providing lifelong care. There are also some costs associated with backyard chickens that may not be clear upfront to a first-timer, such as ongoing food costs, which are becoming more expensive, and unexpectedly high medical bills due to chickens requiring specialty veterinarians and being at risk for health complications that could require ongoing treatment or medicine.įarm Sanctuary, which has locations in New York state and Los Angeles, said backyard chickens make up the majority of animal placement requests they receive. Over the past year, egg prices have risen by more than 70%, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.Įarlier this year, The New York Times, Insider, and others wrote about people turning to backyard chickens to address inflation.įarmers say they have been inundated with requests from people who are interested in getting some egg-laying hens of their own, a trend that even predates the "eggflation." Tractor Supply Co., a leading seller of chicks, told The Wall Street Journal its live chicken sales have more than doubled since 2018, and that they expect to sell 11 million chicks in 2023 alone. Altogether the bird flu has led to the deaths of more than 58 million farm birds since January 2022, through infection or culling, drastically impacting the egg supply. The appeal of backyard chickens - roaming around, grazing on grass, and producing fresh, delicious eggs - is clear, and the high price of eggs at the grocery store has made the idea of bringing chickens home even more enticing for some consumers.ĭriven by inflation and an avian flu outbreak decimating flocks, the price of eggs has soared. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |