Although backyard chickens have no problem eating off the ground, feed bowls make it easier to measure out portions. Millie, a black-and-white Barred Plymouth Rock, noshes with Shadow, a Black Australorp, and Buffy, a Buff Orpington. Bob Wieland/The Wylie News

The last time the price of eggs spiked was during the COVID-19 epidemic as demand outstripped supply. That was partly because of demand by panic buying – the same people were probably stockpiling toilet paper – and supply chain shortages caused by the sickness of production workers.

The current supply shortage resulted from outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza type H5N1, or bird flu. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports more than 100 million chickens have died from bird flu or have been euthanized since the outbreak began in 2022. That number includes both commercial and backyard flocks across the country.

Accordingly, the wholesale price of large eggs has ranged this month from $7.64 to $9.17 per dozen, depending on the region of the U.S.

In response to the pandemic, my wife Kris and I decided to raise a flock of backyard hens to ensure a steady supply of eggs for our family at a reasonable price. 

Choosing which chickens to buy took some research to find breeds that would be good egg layers while hardy enough to survive 100-plus Texas summers and sub-freezing winters.

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By Bob Wieland | [email protected]