Rising egg prices increasing interest in buying chickens

SPRINGVILLE, N.Y. (WIVB) -- If you've been to the grocery store lately, you might have noticed the price of eggs is on the rise. With costs soaring, many people are looking into purchasing backyard chickens as an alternative way to get their eggs.

A bird flu outbreak has increased egg prices across the country, including here in Western New York. Prices have gone up by more than 50% in cities nationwide. Now some people are taking matters into their own hands, wanting to raise chickens in their backyard.

"We see that interest kind of tick up any time there is an event like this or an issue with food prices going up," said Carrie Stiver, Executive Director at Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village. "People feel like they might be able to handle this on their own."

Tractor Supply is the largest retailer of live poultry in the United States. They said that interest has grown significantly, with the company selling around 10 million birds last year alone.

"Keeping backyard chickens can be very rewarding," said Stiver. "It can be a really fun hobby. It can be something that the whole family can do together."

But taking care of chickens is not as easy as you might think.

Jen Zeitler and her husband Shawn operate Open Farms, a local care farm. They've owned chickens for the past three years.

"I think for us, our unique experience on a care farm is that we get to share the caretaking with so many people that come here," said Zeitler. "We're able to share the eggs, share the caretaking, which might make it a little easier on us than your average person."

Zeitler said she supports people getting their own chickens, but she warns you have to be ready for the work that comes with it and the initial startup costs.

"When you're taking a look at what you need to get for the coop, for everything that they need, their medicine, veterinary care, you're not going to really regain those costs until maybe after the first two years," Zeitler said.

Depending on where you live, there are also rules and regulations around owning chickens, so it's important to do your research beforehand.

Stiver also emphasized the importance of considering the longevity of owning chickens. She said it's a multi-year commitment and is just as time-consuming as owning a cat or dog.

Zeitler said if you're trying to avoid the high price of eggs but aren't quite sure if raising chickens is right for you, you can always support your local farmers and backyard keepers.

"There are ways that we can get creative here," said Zeitler. "Maybe we can come together and try to come up with ways that we can avoid having these types of issues in the future."

The Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village offers an introduction to raising backyard chickens course. The next class will be held on March 19. For more information, click here.