With the impact of the bird flu leading to the culling of over 150 million birds and grocery stores enforcing limits on egg purchases, residents of Sacramento County are increasingly turning to raising their own chickens as a source of eggs. The rising cost of eggs, which have reached $7.34 per dozen according to the USDA, has driven demand for baby chickens at local feed stores.
Emmett Boyer, the store manager at Western Feed and Pet Supply in Carmichael, reports a significant increase in sales. The store receives about 175 baby chickens every Thursday, which used to last a week but now sell out in just 2.5 days. This surge in demand is attributed to the high cost of eggs and supply constraints due to the bird flu.
However, Boyer advises that raising chickens may not necessarily be a cost-saving measure. While it allows people to have a steady supply of eggs, the expenses associated with feed and other commodities mean the costs are comparable to buying eggs at the store.
