The avian flu outbreak is not only impacting egg prices, but supplies of chickens as well.
"We've never been sold out of chicken like this. It's crazy," said Heather Thelen, the owner of Hawthorne Country Store, a feed and homestead supply store in Escondido.
She said usually during this time of year, their pens are full of chickens, "And we're getting calls every day. Two, three, four calls every day. 'Do you have chickens? Do you have chickens that are ready to lay?' We're like, 'Nope. You gotta start from scratch at this point.'"
Feed stores are only getting baby chicks right now, and they won't be ready to lay eggs for another six months. Thelen says even the baby chicks they are receiving are getting sold right away.
She thinks the people really reaping the benefits right now are the ones that got pandemic chickens.
"During COVID-19, a lot of people got chickens and those people I think are happy right now. They might've been thinking 'Oh this is too much work. I don't know if I wanna add new babies.' But then thinking, 'Well maybe I do,'" Thelen said.
Thelen admitted chickens are a commitment — but there are people that help with the job, like Allison Andrews Canter, the owner of Cleaner Coops, a chicken coop cleaning service.
"As long as you keep up with maintenance, or hire somebody to do it for you, they're a wonderful addition to your family," Canter said. "They're great with kids. If you're a senior at home, they're lovely companions. There's nothing better, in my opinion, than coming out on a sunny day and having a cup of coffee with your flock."
Canter’s client didn't want to be named because their HOA doesn't allow chickens in their community. But the homeowner said the chickens have been a great hobby for their elderly dad, popular during family parties, and a nice investment with the recent high egg prices.
Canter says the avian flu outbreak highlights how important cleanliness is for a food source.
"That's one of the reasons why, if you do have backyard chickens, you need to be mindful that cleanliness is a really big deal, especially if you have little ones at home or any family members and other pets," she said.
Canter recommends setting up a hand washing station and dedicated shoes when handling the chickens.
"But I can tell you having a flock of your own is a wonderful thing," Canter said. "And the best part of having chickens is they pay rent with their eggs, and right now, we all know that's a huge value."
The other value, Canter said, is the taste of your own home grown eggs. She said, "There's nothing better than knowing what you feed your flock comes directly to you and onto your plate. And I will tell you, once you've had your own eggs from your girls, there’s nothing that compares."
To help with the recent interest in backyard chickens, Hawthorne Country Store is holding Chicken 101 courses in February.
