Consumers frustrated with high egg prices may either decide to give up their favorite breakfast food, cut out the baking or take the plunge into raising their own laying hens.
But experts on raising chickens say there’s a lot to consider before planning on putting up a coop in your backyard and heading down to the local feed store.
Jonathan Moyle, with the University of Maryland Extension, is the state’s poultry specialist. He’s the go-to guy on all things related to the chicken — and the egg. He spoke to WTOP after wrapping up a class on small flocks.
The first hurdle to getting a backyard flock is buying the chicks — and Moyle told WTOP most of the hatcheries he’s familiar with “are sold out until late summer.” So, “unless you’ve already ordered your chicks, you’re not going to get them,” he added.
A check of local feed stores showed chicks are flying off the shelves when they do come in.
“I went to the feed store the other day in the afternoon. Their delivery was in the morning; they were already gone,” Moyle said.
And while he used to tell anyone ready to raise their own Rhode Island Reds or Leghorns that it’s not possible to save a buck by raising chickens for eggs instead of heading to the grocery store, “With the cost of eggs right now, it’s not true. You can actually raise them for less.”
But, he said, that’s looking at the practice over the long term, not within a few months or even a year.
Beware the Instagram depictions
Eileen Dykes, who runs Twin Post Farm in Somerset County, Maryland, said getting a solid return on your investment depends on a lot of things, and even then, would-be farmers might not be aware of the commitment needed to care for a flock — even a small one.
“Most people that do this aren’t taking into consideration the cost of the chicken, the feed, the cost of having a pen,” she said. “The realization that this is now a 365-day job.”
Dykes said protecting chickens, even in an urban environment, is important. Predators include “owls, hawks, opossums, raccoons, dogs, snakes,” and, of course, there’s the potential for the proverbial fox in the hen house.
Moyle said don’t expect to get one or two birds and be ready to serve up unlimited omelets to your family.
“I would tell you to get more than two,” he said, adding at least four or five is best. “They’re a flocking bird. And so if one of them dies, they need others to be around, otherwise, it’s really stressful for them.”
The amount of eggs a family can get from their backyard flock will depend on what kind of chicken they choose. One of the most popular chickens to get is the ISA Brown.
“They lay really good eggs, they lay a lot of eggs, and they’re easy to raise,” Moyle said.
One of the fun parts of raising chickens, Moyle said, is the possibility of getting varied egg colors depending on the bird you get. Common egg colors include brown, white, blue, even a blue-green, depending on the breed of bird a backyard farmer chooses.
But Moyle said novice farmers might not be aware that in most cases, “If you buy your chick today, it’s still going to be four-and-a-half to six months before it starts laying eggs.”
Dykes has run into the same thing when people new to raising chickens tell her they have a flock, and they’ll have eggs in a month.
“And I have to tell them how long it takes for the chicken to mature before you get eggs,” she said.
Prices at the farmer’s market
Dykes told WTOP she’s keeping a ceiling on the price of her eggs that she sells at the FRESHFARM Dupont Farmer’s Market in D.C. She charges $7 for large, $8 for jumbo and $6 dollars for medium eggs.
Dykes said she’s been told she ought to raise her prices, given the demand for eggs — particularly in an area that values farm-fresh eggs.
“Everybody’s hurting, and I don’t want to take advantage of a bad situation,” she said.
There have been discussions about limiting the number of eggs to sell to each customer at farmer’s markets, but Dykes is torn on that.
“What if somebody comes and they want two-dozen, or three-dozen? What if they’re going to do a lot of baking or they’ve got children?” she said.
Still, it’s a discussion that farmers are having.
Many people are adamant that they can actually taste the difference between a farm-raised egg from their backyards and what’s purchased in the grocery store.
“There was a time when we put people in a room and had a chef prepare all the eggs,” and the participants had a hard time distinguishing the difference, Moyle said.
“But I’m going to say this, if you feel good about it,” he said, it really will make a difference to you.
Health considerations
Dykes said her farm so far has been “blessed” that there has not been an outbreak of bird flu close by. But she’s extremely watchful: No visitors are allowed on the farm, and the chickens are outside for less time to prevent their exposure to the disease from affected wildlife.
Farmers across Delaware, Maryland and Virginia have been urged to maintain a high level of biosecurity on their farms, and Dykes said that’s been her approach.
“I’ve gotten to be very passionate about what I’m doing, and making sure I’ve got a good product, because this is how we’re staying on the farm,” she said.
Aside from the threat of HPAI, or bird flu, Moyle warned against excessive handling.
“There is always the chance of salmonella from your birds,” he said.
From a human safety point of view, Moyle said, “We do discourage holding, kissing, playing with the birds.”
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
