FOOD NEWS
Egg Prices Are Getting So Bad People Are Buying Their Own Chickens
By Julia Mullaney
If you've been to the grocery store in the last few months, you're likely aware that the cost of a dozen eggs is much more than it used to be. CBS reports that egg prices increased by 60% between December 2021 and December 2022, with the national average for a dozen eggs rising from around $2 to $4.25.
However, many resilient Americans are getting around the problem by purchasing their own chickens, which has become quite common in light of rising egg prices. In fact, Iowa-based Murray McMurray Hatchery reports that it has already sold out of most breeds until the summer.
Chloe Nevarez, a California egg farmer who owns a relatively small egg production business with 15,000 chickens, says she currently has a six-month wait list full of people wanting to buy chickens. Even Google search interest in raising chickens climbed from 24 to 96 (the interest operates on a scale of 1-100, with 100 meaning "peak popularity") between December 2022 and January 2023.