Bay Area families adding chicken coops to backyard to combat soaring egg prices
WALNUT CREEK -- It's a problem for families across the country: the rising costs of eggs on top of other inflationary surges.
As of January 20th, the USDA reports the local average price for a carton of eggs was $5.97. It comes as somewhat good news as it is a decrease of 11% from the week prior.
But when it is compared at the same week of egg sales across the country, New York was averaging at $3.36 a dozen, the Midwest at $3.87, and central states as low as $2.40.
Faced with the steep prices, families in the Bay Area are now taking matters into their own hands.
"This is Boss Lady, she is in charge, the red one is Stella Skygems, the black one is King Nakamura, and then we have John Candy, the big guy over here," Daniella Magana of Walnut Creek said describing her backyard flock.
As it is entertaining to watch this flock frolic in their yard, the Magana family can also ignore the rising cost of eggs in the stores.
"We are getting around 4-6 a day which for a family of four is perfect," Daniella said.
Lately, these four chickens are a gift that keeps on giving.
According to new data from the Consumer Price Index, egg prices in December rose 60% from a year earlier.
For California in January, the USDA reports the average price for a dozen eggs hit $7.37, that is up from the average of about $4.84 in just early December. In January of 2022, the average cost for a dozen eggs was $2.35.
The soaring prices are a mixture of inflation plus an outbreak in avian flu thinning out farm flocks across the United States.
As of early January, the USDA says nearly 58-million birds have been infected, making it the deadliest outbreak in U.S. history.
Egg supply has weakened as birds who are infected must be slaughtered. And it is going to take time for farms to replace their lost hens with a new uninfected flock that is ready to lay eggs.
"It's been very nice with the egg prices going up and I have heard of even people not even being able to find any eggs at the store so to have them has been a luxury," Daniella said.
A luxury that comes with other environmental benefits.
"We crush the eggshells and use them as fertilizer in our citrus plants," Daniella said. "Another great thing is that they eat all of our scraps so we have a lot less food waste."
Less in the trash and more protein on the table for her family. With minimal upkeep, it is a simple price to pay.
"Surprisingly easy, we were worried it was going to be a lot of work but it's like having any other pet at home like a dog," Daniella said.
With just cleaning the coop out, weekly feeding and water refills, it is a cost that is mildly low compared to what Americans are paying for just one carton of eggs at the store.