NEW YORK — (AP) — Thinking about backyard chickens as egg prices soar? Think hard, especially in light of the bird flu outbreak.
Keeping home chickens as a pastime has continued to grow since the pandemic. But if eggs are the goal, remember that it takes planning and investment to raise the chickens and protect against bird flu. Costs might go well beyond the nationwide average of $4.15 a dozen that commercial eggs sold for in December.
“Anyone who’s done an ounce of research will very quickly understand that there are no free eggs, there are no inexpensive eggs in keeping chickens,” said Kathy Shea Mormino, a home chicken blogger and author who has about 50 of the birds at her Suffield, Connecticut, home.
"You're going to pay more, particularly in your first several years, in your set up and in your birds. And there's a huge learning curve on how to care for animals that are really unusual pets," said Mormino, who has kept chickens for 15 years and calls herself the Chicken Chick.
Costs vary wildly, from about $200 to $2,000 for a coop alone. Feeders and waterers range from about $8 to $50 or more, depending on the size and type.
Bird flu has forced farmers to slaughter millions of chickens a month, contributing (along with inflation) to the steep price of commercial eggs and resulting in some scantily stocked stores around the country. The scarcity and high prices are causing some to look for a backyard alternative.
"We've seen a real uptick in calls recently from people wanting to start their own backyard flocks. With the egg shortages at grocery stores, many are excited about the idea of raising chickens and taking steps toward sustainability," said Matthew Aversa, a co-owner of Winding Branch Ranch, a nonprofit sanctuary and farm animal rescue outside San Antonio.
“We adopt out whole flocks. We're receiving at least a dozen inquiries per week,” he said.
Kate Perz, the animal science coordinator for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, New York, said that unlike other pandemic pastimes, raising home chickens has only grown.
“It’s not always cost-effective,” she said. “You have to really look at how many eggs you’re eating and what the cost of those are versus what you would be spending.”
There are other reasons, of course, to keep chickens at home, not the least of which is the sheer joy of their presence. Mormino and other “chickeneers,” as she calls home enthusiasts, have a coop full of tips on how to get started.
You may be ready to dive right in. Your town may not. Mormino, who wrote “The Chicken Chick's Guide to Backyard Chickens,” said the first thing to consider is whether chickens are right for you. After that, don't assume your county, town or city will allow it.
Look up zoning and building codes yourself if you feel capable. Otherwise, consult an attorney who specializes in municipal law in your area.
Don't rely on word of mouth or even a town worker to know the ins and outs. Is a building permit required to build a coop? Are roosters banned under noise ordinances? Sometimes, zoning codes are silent on the subject. Don't assume that's a green light. Many codes are “permissive use" regulations, Mormino said, essentially meaning that if the code doesn't say you're permitted, you're not!
If chicken-keeping is allowed, is there a limit on how many birds? Are there restrictions on where a coop can be built in relation to neighboring property lines. Most homeowners associations have rules on animal keeping.
Mormino lives in a farming town and had a neighbor who kept three horses and a small flock of chickens, so she assumed they were legal. They weren't. She called the town clerk's office to ask whether 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's an attorney) and prevailed in a long battle to amend the law, legalizing backyard chickens in her town.
Bird flu is highly contagious. It spreads mostly by migrating waterfowl in their droppings. Chickens are far from immune if they spend any time free ranging or in a run without protection from wild fowl droppings.
“There’s a limited number of things that we can do because our birds live where wildlife live,” Mormino said. “People need to know if they have a bird or birds that die suddenly from some of the symptoms, they need to contact the USDA to get the postmortem exam and the birds tested for bird flu.”
Don't bring sick birds into the house for care. That raises the risk of transmission to humans. Once the virus is confirmed, the entire flock needs to be euthanized, she and Perz said.
Symptoms of bird flu include: sudden death without any clinical signs; swelling of the head, eyelids, comb, wattles or hocks; diarrhea; stumbling or falling down; decreased egg production and/or soft-shelled or misshapen eggs; and coughing and sneezing.
Don't feed any wildlife in areas where your chickens dwell or roam. Wash hands thoroughly after tending to chickens and dedicate a pair of shoes or boots strictly for use around them.
“The biggest mistake backyard chickeneers make is to bring new chickens into their flock that have lived someplace else. That's the fastest way to bring disease into your chicken yard,” Mormino said.
Sarah Penny has turned her 7,000-square-foot home lot in Knoxville, Tennessee, into a beautiful garden and chicken home. She has nine birds and grows more than half the food she and her 13-year-old son eat.
She's had chickens since 2021 and estimates her startup costs at about $2,500.
Monthly costs vary based on what chickens are fed and how coops are kept. Penny, for instance, uses the deep litter method and composts from her coop, meaning she's not mucking out her coop more than twice a year.
“But the cost of starting with backyard chickens is definitely quite expensive. I don’t know if a lot of people know that,” Penny said.
Her coop alone, which her family built themselves, cost about $2,000. It had to be outfitted to keep predators out, including rats that tunnel under the ground.
Many people start with buying hatchlings, which just got more expensive to ship via the U.S. Postal Service due to new fees. Raising hatchlings requires a chick brooder involving a separate enclosure, heat lamp, feeders and other supplies.
Penny buys a bag of feed every two weeks for $15 to $20 a bag. There's also the cost of calcium, such as oyster shells, and grit to aid digestion if chickens are not free-ranging or getting those elements in their feed.
She estimates her monthly costs at about $60, saving a bit by also feeding her chickens healthy human leftovers. She's careful not to include foods that are toxic for chickens, including onions, potatoes and avocados.
It's all worth it to Penny.
“We eat a lot of eggs," she said. “We probably go through a dozen every two days. We bake a lot. We're an ingredient household, so the majority of our food is cooked from scratch. Eggs are a main staple for our breakfast.”
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