Demand for backyard chickens increases among Iowans amid high egg prices

WEBSTER CITY, Iowa (KCCI) - More people in Iowa want pet chickens as egg prices remain high.

Tom Watkins, the vice president of Murray McMurray in Webster City, Iowa, which has more than 100 varieties of chicks, says demand for backyard chickens has skyrocketed since January.

Each chick costs an average of $5, and then it’s about $20 for feed until they start laying eggs. Each chicken can lay up to five eggs per week.

The hatchery says this $25 investment up front could mean savings over time.

“Egg prices will go down. But the interest in backyard chickens is is kind of its own movement,” said Watkins.

At one day old, the chicks are off to people across the country.

In one week, Murray McMurray is expecting 100,000 chicks.

Copyright 2023 KCRG. All rights reserved.