Afraid of backyard hens because of the skyrocketing cost of eggs? Give it careful thought, particularly in view of the avian flu pandemic.
Since the epidemic, raising chickens at home has been an increasingly popular hobby. However, if you want eggs, keep in mind that raising hens and keeping them safe from bird flu requires preparation and money. Prices could be far higher than the $4.15 per dozen national average for commercial eggs sold in December.
According to Kathy Shea Mormino, a home chicken blogger and author who keeps roughly fifty of the birds at her house in Suffield, Connecticut, anyone who has done even a little research will quickly realize that there are no free eggs or cheap eggs in keeping chickens.
You will have to pay extra for your setup and your birds, especially during the first several years. According to Mormino, who has owned chickens for 15 years and goes by the moniker “the Chicken Chick,” there is a significant learning curve when it comes to caring for animals that are truly unique pets.
Prices range greatly, from roughly $200 to $2,000 for just a coop. Depending on the size and type, feeders and waterers can cost anywhere from $8 to $50 or more.
Millions of hens are killed each month by farms due to bird flu, which raises the price of commercial eggs and causes several retailers across the nation to be understocked. Some are searching for a backyard option because to the high cost and limited supply.
People who wish to start their own backyard flocks have been calling us more frequently lately. According to Matthew Aversa, co-owner of Winding Branch Ranch, a charity sanctuary and farm animal rescue west of San Antonio, many people are thrilled about the prospect of growing hens and moving toward sustainability in light of the grocery store egg shortages.
We take in entire flocks. According to him, we receive at least a dozen inquiries per week.
Unlike other epidemic pursuits, home chicken keeping has only gotten more popular, according to Kate Perz, animal science coordinator for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, New York.
It’s not always economical, she stated. You should seriously consider how many eggs you eat and compare the cost of them to what you would otherwise spend.
It goes without saying that the pure joy of having hens at home is just one of the many reasons to do so. There is a wealth of advice on how to get started from Mormino and other chickeneers, as she refers to home aficionados.
Tend to legal matters
Maybe you’re prepared to jump straight in. Maybe not in your town. The first thing to think about is whether hens are right for you, according to Mormino, author of The Chicken Chick’s Guide to Backyard hens. Don’t assume that your town, city, or county will permit it after that.
If you feel capable, research building and zoning codes on your own. If not, speak with a local lawyer who focuses in municipal law.
To learn the ins and outs, don’t rely on town employees or even word-of-mouth. Does constructing a coop require a building permit? Do noise ordinances forbid roosters? Zoning codes can be silent on the topic at times. Do not take that as a sign of approval. According to Mormino, a lot of codes are permissive usage rules, which basically indicate that if the code doesn’t specify you’re allowed, you’re not!
Is there a cap on the number of chickens that can be kept if it is permitted? Are there any limitations on the location of coops in respect to adjacent property lines? Most homeowner organizations have policies regarding the keeping of animals.
Since her neighbor had three horses and a small flock of chickens, Mormino, who lives in a farming town, assumed that they were allowed. They weren’t. When she called the town clerk’s office to inquire about the necessity of a building permit for the construction of a coop, she was informed that one was not. Yes, it was.
She ultimately triumphed in a protracted campaign to change the legislation, allowing backyard hens in her community, and successfully defended a lawsuit against her (she is an attorney).
What about bird flu?
A bird flu outbreak can spread quickly. It primarily spreads through the droppings of migratory birds. If chickens spend any time in a run or free-ranging environment where they are not shielded from the droppings of wild fowls, they are far from immune.
According to Mormino, there are just a few things we can do because our birds coexist with animals. In order to have a postmortem examination and have their birds tested for bird flu, people should get in touch with the USDA if they have a bird or birds that pass away unexpectedly due to any of the symptoms.
Avoid bringing sick birds inside for medical attention. This increases the possibility of human transmission. She and Perz agreed that the entire flock must be put down once the illness has been proven.
Swelling of the head, eyelids, comb, wattles, or hocks; diarrhea; stumbling or falling down; decreased egg production and/or soft-shelled or malformed eggs; coughing and sneezing are all indicators of bird flu.
In locations where your hens live or travel, do not feed any wildlife. After handling chickens, wash your hands well and wear shoes or boots that are only meant to be worn around them.
Adding new hens to their flock that have lived somewhere else is the largest error backyard chickeneers make. According to Mormino, that is the quickest way to introduce disease into your poultry yard.
Consider your costs
Sarah Penny has created a stunning garden and chicken house on her 7,000-square-foot property near Knoxville, Tennessee. More than half of the food she and her 13-year-old son eat is grown by her nine birds.
She estimates her initial expenses to be at $2,500 and has raised chickens since 2021.
Depending on what the hens are fed and how the coops are maintained, monthly expenses can change. For example, Penny doesn’t muck out her coop more than twice a year because she composts from it and employs the deep litter method.
However, starting with backyard hens is undoubtedly somewhat costly. Penny remarked, “I’m not sure if many people are aware of that.”
The cost of her family’s self-built coop alone was approximately $2,000. It needed to be equipped to keep out predators, such as underground-tunneling rats.
A lot of individuals begin by purchasing hatchlings, which now cost extra to ship through the USPS because of increased charges. A chick brooder, which includes a separate enclosure, heat lamp, feeds, and other supplies, is necessary for raising hatchlings.
Every two weeks, Penny spends $15 to $20 for a bag of feed. If chickens aren’t free-ranging or receiving those nutrients in their feed, there’s also the expense of calcium supplements like oyster shells and grit to help with digestion.
She saves a little money by feeding her chickens nutritious human leftovers, which brings her monthly expenses down to approximately $60. She takes care to exclude things like avocados, potatoes, and onions that are poisonous to chickens.
For Penny, it’s all worthwhile.
She answered, “We eat a lot of eggs.” Every two days, we most likely go through a dozen. We do a lot of baking. Since we are an ingredient-based home, most of the food we eat is prepared from scratch. A key component of our morning is eggs.
— The Associated Press’s Leanne Italie
