2025 is already shaping up to be quite an expensive year - and with egg prices soaring, many Americans are turning to backyard chickens, some even opting to rent them. This trend has grown significantly, with 11 million U.S. households now raising chickens, making them the third most popular pet. Yair Ben-Dor has the story.
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00:002025 is already shaping up to be quite an expensive year, and with egg prices soaring,
00:06many Americans are turning to backyard chickens, some even opting to rent them.
00:12This trend has grown significantly, with 11 million U.S. households now raising chickens,
00:17making them the third most popular pet.
00:20According to Axios, this means good business for companies like Jen Tompkins' Rent the
00:26Chicken, who's taking reservations now across the country for renting to start in April
00:31or May.
00:32People truly want to know where their food's coming from, Jen says, and they're not trusting
00:37that the grocery store is going to have what they need.
00:41The Hen House Collection reports, the cost of raising chickens in the backyard is determined
00:46by many factors.
00:48Building a coop, buying the chickens themselves, buying feed, bedding, straw, cleaning, taking
00:53care of compost and all other miscellaneous things that come with the territory will
00:58add up, averaging at $69 a month.
01:03In return, chickens can lay 8 to 14 eggs weekly, though output varies by season.
01:09But despite the costs, chicken owners find joy in their backyard flocks, which is no
01:14surprise at all.
01:16Chickens can be very intelligent and loving animals who will enrich you and your family's
01:21life as well as feed them.
01:24The question is, how many eggs are you willing to start eating?