GREENE COUNTY — The prices of eggs have lots of people looking at ways to be more self-sustainable and we saw this with COVID.
People started their own gardens, making their own bread and purchasing livestock. News Center 7′s Gabrielle Enright has chickens of her own, so she knows the benefits. She also knows what it takes to raise them.
When Andrea and John Hancock found their farm in Fairborn in 2016, they had a vision and a pecking order.
“I said I want chickens if we buy this place,” Andrea said. “He said, ‘Happy wife, happy life’ and that’s how we knew what to name the farm,” she continued.
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But they didn’t have any experience with raising chickens. “They laid eggs. That’s what we knew,” Andrea said.
However, the Hancocks did months of research and by the end of 2016, they were selling eggs.
“I started out with three customers,” Andrea said. Almost 10 years later – business is booming.
“I sell about 60 dozen a week without even batting an eye. I currently have 38 dozen on my waitlist,” Andrea said.
Across the country, egg prices have skyrocketed and health officials blame the bird flu.
Last year, a dozen eggs cost about $2.52. This year, the average price has jumped to about $4.95 for a dozen, if you can find them.
Many stories are sold out or limiting egg supplies, leaving people who love them and restaurants that need them scrambling.
The egg shortage has lots of people thinking about backyard flocks. Stores like Rural King, which sells chicks, often run out.
Online hatcheries are taking lots of orders to ship chicks to people wanting to take a crack at raising them.
Homestead Bill Goessl with Rent The Chicken and Hatch The Chicken lives in Xenia Township and offers something a little different.
Four years ago, he turned his chicken hobby into a business.
“I think I’ve got about 32 of these to rent out, and I rented out all but three last year. The year before that, I rented almost 40 of them out,” Goessl said.
For $495, Goessl said you can rent two hens, and a coop and get feed for six months. The price also includes pick-up, drop-off, and a book about care. A larger coop and an additional hen will cost you a bit more.
“It’s a good way to see if you like chickens rather than invest a whole lot of money. You can see what it’s like and how much care you need,” Goesll said.
Chickens do need to be cared for, and their setup can be costly. News Center 7 checked and a coop, heat lamp, feed, and water can cost up to $1,000.
John and Andrea Hancock often adopt chickens, while others buy on impulse.
“We saw the back end of people who were poorly educated, and the chickens that suffered because of it,” John said. The couple teaches a beginner’s guide to raising chickens class.
“They learn everything essentially from birth to death for a chicken,” Andrea said. There are a dozen slots, and they fill up fast.
“We’ve already got a second class because our first one sold out,” according to Andrea.
The Hancocks love their flock and don’t want you to be chicken about raising them. They just want you to know the facts so you don’t buy them, and get egg on your face.
If you are thinking about a flock, you should know that backyard chickens are not legal in all places. So, the first thing you will want to do is check the laws in the community where you live and make sure owning chickens is allowed.
For more information about how to rent chickens, visit the following websites:
https://www.rentthechicken.com/p/dayton-ohio-and-surrounding-areas.html
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