Chicken Shortage?

[nao57]

So...I forgot where it was at, but just like 3 hours ago I was looking through new posts and some poster in Canada said there was a chicken shortage in Ontario, and they were looking for hatcheries still selling.

I paused and was tired and didn't think about it.

But then I remembered that there was a shortage of new chicks in my area also in the agriculture stores in this area. (Utah).

I wondered is this shortage going on everywhere?

Also the entire airline industry is like a deficit black hole right now. And its not the only industry going through this. This economic slump isn't good. Its too big. There's also the oil war with Russia and Saudi Arabia that was very messy also, just a few days ago. I could name other things going on.

The point isn't to fear though. The point is to try to figure what's up and what to do about it proactively. Proactive...how to do some good.

Feel free to post.

A few possibilities to consider; if this thing is real and if they think it will take a while to rebuild economically, people could think about hatching extra chicks to give to friends, family, and people in your local churches, or others.

Other possibilities are that if there's too many problems going on, people will have to be more wary of the 2 legged predators than the 4 legged ones.

Just saying...

 

[Handymum]

There's a big jump here in Seattle on people wanting to be more self sufficient. Gardening supplies are selling off the shelves faster than they can stock them some places, not flowers just produce stuff. Same with chickens. I've been trying to talk my husband into chickens for 9 years and finally got him to agree. But with the lock down and virus and food in grocery stores selling so fast people are trying to feel like they have some control and that seems to be resulting in chickens selling out.
I've had a garden for years, and suddenly the nurseries are selling out of all the stuff I usually get.
The tractor supply and Wilco and other farm stores are selling out of chickens in an hour every day they get a shipment and many places are taking numbers and selling out before they even arrive!
I was actually debating hatching my own as I have a supply of fertile eggs, but really wanted some specific breeds.

 

[centrarchid]

Our local farm stores are having a hard time keeping chicks in stock. There was a brief reduction of feeds in stock, but that appears to have corrected either by demand going down or suppliers ramping up. Based on availability charts of our largest in state chick vendor, they are having major troubles keeping up.

I reduced by 2/3's my capacity to produce full-blood American Dominique hatching eggs to reduce operating cost if job lost or feed supply interrupted. Latter appears unlikely although former, well that does not look so good even if economy starts to open back up.

 

[centrarchid]

I am going to switch over to producing more hatching eggs. We were going to raise a couple batches of meat birds but that will be halved so we can produce maybe 100 chicks for sale.

 

[aart]

Have seen it all over, not quite as bad as TP hoarding, but just as stupid.

 

[nao57]

Its wonderful that many of you are so alert and trying to be careful. I think such traits should be emulated by others.

 

[rosemarythyme]

There's not an actual shortage (where less chicks were born or somehow died off before shipping) - there's a massive increase in demand because people are panicking and hoarding, and it gives them some sense of control in an out of control situation to have some way of producing something they need.

 

[centrarchid]

There's not an actual shortage (where less chicks were born or somehow died off before shipping) - there's a massive increase in demand because people are panicking and hoarding, and it gives them some sense of control in an out of control situation to have some way of producing something they need.

I am not seeing evidence of chicken hording. The demand is simply outpacing supply in some areas. There is not a lot of overcapacity built into the chick market so when demand goes up, it is hard to adjust chick production up as you have at least a 3 week lag assuming hens not already at maximum output.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I am not seeing evidence of chicken hording. The demand is simply outpacing supply in some areas. There is not a lot of overcapacity built into the chick market so when demand goes up, it is hard to adjust chick production up as you have at least a 3 week lag assuming hens not already at maximum output.

I meant hoarding in general (i.e. the toilet paper shortage), which is leading to people panicking over supply and leads to more hoarding. In the case of chickens, it's the fear that eggs and/or meat will become more scarce or unavailable if the pandemic becomes drawn out.

 

[centrarchid]

It appears to me more people getting their six hens.