The coronavirus pandemic is heightening interest in raising young chickens for a reliable supply of eggs, with hatcheries saying they’re seeing a flood of new customers. “We are swamped with orders,” says Nancy Smith, owner of the Cackle Hatchery in Lebanon, Mo. “We can’t answer all the phone calls, and we are booked out several weeks on most breeds.” For families adapting to disruptions brought on by COVID-19, raising hens is seen as an answer to vexing questions about the availability of staple items at grocery stores. Starting a backyard flock could also be a rewarding project for Americans who now face the prospect of spending weeks or months at home, with schools closed and workers either laid off, furloughed, or working remotely. Folks who are feeling cooped up, in other words, may want to start a coop of their own. “People are at home so they’re looking for something for their families to do while they’re home,” says Kendall Fox of the Freedom Ranger Hatchery in Lancaster County
The Y'allywood Reporter
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