The United States has seen a sharp increase in egg prices since last year. According to the Federal Reserve Economic Data, eggs cost $1.93 on average in January 2022 and $4.25 in December 2022.
Egg prices reached the highest average cost in January 2023 at $4.82 per dozen, according to the data. Though prices are starting to trend downward, some people are looking to save money and expand their flock by purchasing chicks from local hatcheries.
Nathaniel Smith, administrative manager at Cackle Hatchery in Lebanon, Missouri, said the hatchery has seen very high demand for chicks this season.
“Our seasonal operation begins in mid-February and ends in late September,” Smith said. “We currently are shipping out roughly 150,000 birds a week and are booked for the rest of the season.”
Cackle Hatchery opened in 1936 under the ownership of Nathaniel’s great-grandfather, Clifford Smith. According to Nathaniel, the hatchery partners with 79 flock owner farms mainly located in Seymour, Missouri, which have 70,000 birds in production.
Nathaniel said the flock owners raise the chickens and collect the eggs, then send them to the hatchery. Once the hatchery receives the eggs, Nathaniel said they are then sorted and set in incubators strategically for the specified hatch days.
The hatchery is doing their best to fulfill orders as quickly as possible, but the hatchery has encountered issues since starting this chick season.
“We had to short and move quite a few orders on Monday,” one Facebook post from the hatchery read. “Frustrating for us and our customers.”
Nixa’s Tractor Supply Co. and Republic’s Orscheln Farm & Home have both encountered high demand for chicks. Faith Walker, receiver for Tractor Supply Co., said they have been selling their chicks out in 1-2 days.
Both Tractor Supply Co. and Orscheln receive their shipment of chicks starting in February, like Cackle Hatchery, and have seen lines of people waiting to bring their chicks home.
“People are very excited,” Walker said. “They’re sharing information around the (chicken) pen, talking about the different breeds.”
Walker said this year is different because people are “coming in groves,” and many of the customers are newer and haven’t had chickens before. Some of the customers are returning to replenish their stock, but Walker said this is not the case for everyone.
Nathaniel believes the main factor causing the high demand for chickens is uncertainty in the economy due to inflation.
“The egg prices increased due to higher feed costs, having less birds in production on commercial farms and inflation,” Nathaniel said. “When consumers see substantial changes in prices on their favorite breakfast item, they tend to look at sustainable options. Furthermore, there are a lot of people wanting to indulge in new experiences like raising chickens in their backyard.”
Though some are opting to raise chickens so that they can get eggs for cheaper, there are some things people should know before they pick up chicks at their local hatchery. According to Sandra Stuttgen, associate professor of agriculture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, chickens don’t start producing eggs until they are approximately 18-22 weeks old.
Baby chicks also have specific care instructions outlined on Cackle Hatchery’s website. Walker said chickens are a full time commitment.
Christi Miller, communications specialist for the Missouri Department of Agriculture, mirrored this sentiment.
According to Miller, the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Animal Health Division works with local hatcheries to ensure that their chicks are coming from healthy, reputable farms. This is accomplished through the Animal Care Facility Program, which works with farms to make sure they’re meeting the state’s standards on things such as feed, veterinary care, shelter and socialization.
Miller suggested that people interested in owning chickens do some research before purchasing them. First, Miller said to make sure the town they’re living in doesn’t have regulations against owning livestock.
According to the Springfield Animal Control website, “Springfield residents are allowed to keep chickens on their property as long as they keep no more than six hens per tract of land regardless of the number of homes or apartments on the land.”
Additionally, Miller said it’s important to ensure proper housing for the chickens to protect them from predatory animals looking for a quick meal. Miller suggested making connections with local veterinarians so that they can assist if the chickens are to be injured by an attacker or if they fall ill.
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