Egg shortage keeps backyard chicken owners busy in Georgia

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The national egg shortage isn’t just affecting local grocery stores and restaurants, but also people who raise backyard chickens in Georgia.

With egg prices reaching record highs and grocery store shelves running low, many people are looking to alternative sources.

This has led to a big boost in business for one chicken owner in Georgia, but it’s also brought challenges.

“We have 15 to 20 people reaching out daily for eggs, so we’re now at a three to five week waiting list,” said Katherine Zynosky.

Zynosky is the owner of Hippie Chicks Eggery where she said this level of demand is new for her business.

“We got about four to five requests a day, so it has about tripled,” said Zynosky.

Zynoksy has 18 chickens and said they usually produce 12 to 14 eggs per day, but now they’re only producing two to three due to the colder temperatures causing them stress.

“That is about one-fifth of what we normally would see, so it takes so much longer to get a dozen for people,” said Zynosky.

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM

Bird flu: Entire flocks are slaughtered

1. The main reason eggs are more expensive is the bird flu outbreak. When the virus is found on a farm, the entire flock is killed to limit the spread of disease. Because massive egg farms may have millions of birds, just one outbreak may put a dent in the egg supply.
2. The Agriculture Department says more than 23 million birds were slaughtered last month and more than 18 million were killed in December to limit the spread of the virus. Those numbers include turkeys and chickens raised for meat, but the vast majority of them were egg-laying chickens.
3. The good news is the bird flu seems to have slowed down in Georgia. The Georgia Department of Agriculture on Monday lifted a statewide ban on poultry exhibitions, shows and sales of live birds that had been put in place after the virus was found in a northeast Georgia commercial flock. Two parts of Elbert County will remain under quarantine.

With the bird flu spreading through commercial and backyard flocks, she said it’s too much of a risk to bring in new egg-laying hens.

“We’re now worried if we add a chicken that might have the bird flu to our hens, then we might lose our entire crop of them, and that is quite dangerous and a risk that a lot of us don’t want to take,” said Zynosky.

Despite the challenges, Zynosky said she’s grateful for the uptick in business and is optimistic that it will continue even after the national shortage eases.

“People that have tried our eggs have stayed on our eggs and it’s because they swear that they do taste different than a store egg. They’re just sweeter, and they’re bigger, and you just get more bang for your buck,” said Zynosky.

If you’re looking for farm-fresh eggs, it might be a good idea to send those requests weeks in advance.

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