Rising egg prices have more people looking at chickens in the backyard

New York (AP) – thinking of chickens in the backyard When egg prices are hovering? Think hard, especially in the light of the bird flu outbreak.

Keeping chickens in the home as a pastime has continued to grow since the pandemic. But if eggs are the target, keep in mind that it takes planning and investment to raise the chickens and protect against bird flu. Costs can go far beyond the nationwide average of $ 4.15 a dozen, as commercial eggs sold in December.

“Anyone who has done an ounce of research will very quickly understand that there are no free eggs, there are no cheap eggs to hold chickens,” said Kathy Shea Mormino, a home chicken blogger and writer who has about 50 of The birds on her Suffield, Connecticut, home.

“You will pay more, especially in your first several years, in your setup and in your birds. And there is a huge learning curve for how to care for animals that are really unusual pets, ”said Mormino, who has been holding chickens for 15 years and calls themselves The chicken chicken.

Cost varies game from about $ 200 to $ 2,000 for a Coop alone. Feeding and wanderers range from about $ 8 to $ 50 or more, depending on the size and type.

Bird flu have forced farmers to slaughter Millions of chickens a month that contribute (along with inflation) to the steep price of commercial eggs and result in some sparsely stored stores around the country. Button and high prices make some look for a backyard -alternative.

“We have recently seen a real uptick in calls from people who want to start their own backyard flocks. With egg deficiency in grocery stores, many are excited about the idea of ​​raising chickens and taking steps towards sustainability, ”said Matthew Aversa, a co -owner of Winding Branch Ranch, A nonprofit sanctuary and Farm Animal Rescue outside San Antonio.

“We adopt whole flocks. We receive at least one dozen queries a week, ”he said.

Kate Perz, the animal science coordinator of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, New York, said that unlike other pandemic pastime, breeding home chickens has only grown.

“It’s not always cost -effective,” she said. “You really have to look at how many eggs you eat and what the cost of them is courage, what you would use.”

Of course, there are other reasons to keep chickens at home, not least of them is the pure joy of their presence. Mormino and other “chickens”, which she calls home enthusiasts, have a Coop full of tips on how to get started.

Have a tendency for legal questions

You may be ready to dive right in. Your city may not be. Mormino, who wrote “The chicken chicken’s guide to chickens in the backyard,” said the first thing to consider is whether chickens are right for you. Then you do not assume that your county, city or city permits.

Turn up zoning and building codes yourself if you feel able. Otherwise, consult a lawyer who specializes in municipal law in your area.

Don’t trust mouth to mouth or even a city worker to know ins and outs. Is a building permit required to build a COOP? Are Roosters prohibited under noise order? Sometimes regulatory codes are silent on the subject. Don’t suppose it is a green light. Many codes are “permitted use” regulations, said Mormino, which essentially means that if the code does not say you are allowed, you are not!

If chicken herd is allowed, there is a limit to how many birds? There are limitations to where a COOP can be built in relation to neighboring countries. Most homeowners -associations have rules for animal husbandry.

Mormino lives in an agricultural town and had a neighbor who held three horses and a small bunch of chickens, so she assumed they were legal. They were not. She called Town Clerk’s Office to ask if a building permit was required to build a Coop and was told it wasn’t. It was.

In the end, she successfully defended a lawsuit against her (she is a lawyer) and won in a long battle to change the law and legalize the backyard of chickens in her city.

What about bird flu?

Bird flu is very contagious. It mostly spreads by migrating waterfowl in their drops. Chickens are far from immune if they spend some time for free in the area or in a race without protection against wild chicken drops.

“There are a limited number of things that we can do because our birds live where wildlife lives,” Mormino said. “People need to know if they have a bird or birds that suddenly die from some of the symptoms, they have to contact the USDA to get the postmortem exam and the birds tested for bird flu.”

Do not bring sick birds into the house for care. It increases the risk of transmission to humans. Once the virus is confirmed, the whole flock must be killed, she said and Perz.

Symptoms of bird flu include: sudden death without clinical signs; Swelling of the head, eyelids, comb, wattles or hocks; diarrhea; stumbling or falling down; Reduced egg production and/or soft -scaled or incorrectly shaped eggs; and coughing and sneezing.

Do not feed any wildlife in areas where your chickens live or roam. Wash your hands thoroughly after tending to chickens and dedicate a pair of shoes or boots strictly to use around them.

“The biggest mistake in the backyard is to bring new chickens into their flock that have lived somewhere else. It’s the fastest way to bring illness in your chicken farms, ”Mormino said.

Consider your costs

Sarah Penny has transformed her 7,000 -square -foot home in Knoxville, Tennessee, into a beautiful garden and chicken home. She has nine birds and grows more than half of the food she and her 13-year-old son eat.

She has had chickens since 2021 and estimates her starting costs at about $ 2,500.

Monthly costs vary based on what chickens are fed and how Coops are stored. For example, Penny uses the deep cold method and compost from her Coop, which means she doesn’t muggle her Coop more than twice a year.

“But the cost of starting with chickens in the backyard is definitely quite expensive. I don’t know if many people know it, ”Penny said.

Her Coop alone, as her family built herself, cost about $ 2,000. It had to be equipped to keep predators out, including rats that tunnel underground.

Many people start by buying RUGE, which just became more expensive to send through the US postal service due to new fees. Raising hatching requires a chick bridge that involves a separate enclosure, heat lamp, feed and other supplies.

Penny buys a bag of feed every other week for $ 15 to $ 20 per Bag. There are also the cost of calcium, such as oyster shells, and gravel to help digestion if chickens are not free -range or get these elements in their feed.

She estimates her monthly costs for about $ 60 and saves a little by also feeding her chickens healthy human remains. She is careful not to include foods that are toxic to chickens, including onions, potatoes and avocado.

It’s all worth it for Penny.

“We eat a lot of eggs,” she said. “We are probably undergoing a dozen every other day. We bake a lot. We are an ingredient household, so most of our food is cooked from scratch. Eggs are an important staple for our breakfast. “