MORROW COUNTY, Ohio — Prices at the grocery store aren’t going down anytime soon, and to combat the rising cost of eggs, more and more people are flocking to chicken coups to produce their own.
Dylan Goodman is a third generation farmer in Cardington in Morrow County. His family sells meat, soybeans and wheat, but has recently been bombarded with phone calls for chicks.
"I've been getting a lot of calls, everyone knows we sell meat chickens, so everyone thinks we sell baby chicks as well,” Goodman said.
More people want to raise their own chickens to combat the soaring egg prices, Goodman said.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the price of eggs went up by nearly 12% last year.
This year it's expected to rise by nearly 24%.
“We had a supply issue in the ag production, especially last year, the avian flu has hit the egg farms, and it's substantially affected the production level and now we don't have enough stocks,” said Seungki Lee, from the Ohio State University Agriculture Department.
Goodman said raising a flock might not be the smartest move.
“You definitely won’t be saving money if any at all,” said Goodman. "A full grown chicken only lays about an egg a day when in full production.”
Goodman said most haterchies require a minimum purchase of six chicks. He estimates at least $400 minimum for a fence, chicken coup, the baby chicks and the feed.
Some benefits to raising your own chickens for eggs is knowing where your food comes from and teaching your children responsibility.
However, Jen and Phil Thompkins who own “Rent the Chicken,” say if you’re going at it alone, the average person could spend about $1,500 in start-up costs. They recommend renting with guidance from the experts before making the commitment.
"Having chickens is really not that hard. But not everybody knows where to start,” says Phil Tompkins. "Once everything has been paid for, all you have to do is pay for the chicken feed. And that comes out to between $1.20 and $1.50 per dozen eggs to keep those birds with your home.”
For more information on how you can get started with the experts, click here.