GAINESVILLE, Ga. – With the continued spread of bird flu and higher egg prices, many consumers are opting to start their own backyard flocks.
This increased demand is making chicks quite the hot commodity. In some local feed stores, galvanized tin tubs sit empty when this time of year they are normally brimming with chirping baby birds.
“While we are very early in our Chick Days season in Tractor Supply stores, we can say we are seeing a high demand for poultry,” said Karen Callahan, a Tractor Supply Company spokesperson. “Last year, Tractor Supply sold more than 10 million live birds, and we expect to sell more this year.”
Retailers like Tractor Supply Co. are not the only ones with higher demand for their chicks. Breeders like Meyer Hatchery, which sells about 75% of their chick inventory to individuals, quickly ran out of available stock.
“We have definitely seen an uptick, comparable to the early days of COVID,” Meyer Hatchery Director of Sales and Marketing, Meghan Howard said. “We sell the same number of chicks in a year no matter what, since chickens can only lay and hatch a set number each week, but we sold out into the fall within a matter of days a few weeks ago!”
As of March 20th, over 168 million poultry have been affected by bird flu. This has sparked concern amongst consumers, making them wonder if they should begin raising their own.
Companies like Rent the Chicken are great options for those who do not want to commit to keeping their chickens but are interested in seeing if it could be a good fit for their family.
