People flock to raise chickens amid rising egg prices

LIBERTY, Mo. (KCTV) - Egg prices started to fall after a spike in February, but that doesn’t appear to be slowing consumers looking for backyard chickens. Quite the opposite.

Through mid-April, Feldmans Farm and Home store in Liberty receives a weekly shipment of chickens on Tuesdays. Typically, they’re held in tanks near the front of the store where people can stop by to see or buy their new flock. But this year, most people will find empty tanks.

“We’ve had them sold in as quickly as three hours. Last week was an exceptional week; they were gone in one hour,” Feldmans Assistant Manager Mike Sileski said.

That’s about 600 to 700 chicks each time, gone. This is why they’ve put a 20 chick cap per customer.

“We have people waiting outside the door before we open,” he said.

One of those Tuesday customers was Susan Cory. She drove 50 miles to the Feldmans location to ensure she was on site for the shipment. She already has a flock of 20 chickens but says the demand for farm fresh eggs is incredibly high.

“I enjoy having the farm fresh eggs,” she said. “I sell them to [friends], people, I give them away, but most of them are for regulars who me for eggs.”

Sileski says he understands this run on chicks as someone with his own. But owning may not be as easy or cheap as some may believe.

“Do the research. Know what you’re getting into. The time frame to when they start laying eggs and what it takes to raise these chickens to the point they can lay eggs,” he said.

Experts say even though prices are dropping, prices are expected to rise another 20% with Easter nearing.

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