Chicken Shortage?

[nao57]

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 don't know about others, but this will be my 8th year gardening at the end of this year in November. People in my area have always been taught that gardening is good and self sufficiency should be encouraged. Both sides of my family did small time farming but part time.

So I suppose why I'm saying that, is that I hope that normal people who are just doing their thing won't be mistaken for hoarders.

And what if all the massive numbers of people on drugs right now (getting high, not medical types), had been doing what they should have been all this time? Maybe some of those are part of the shortfall? Or other recent disaster numbers also?

People are forgetting also all that midwest flooding, which impacted the high agriculture states with epic flooding. I would have to assume some of that flooding affected the poultry industry directly and indirectly(feed).

Anyway, I hope that helps.

People can be positive about this by sharing what they can produce.

 

[BlueBaby]

This just happened in Big Lake, Minnesota. 61,000 chicken's were gassed and egg's were just smashed on the ground! Oh, and ripe lettuce was plowed under.

https://www.startribune.com/egg-dem...minnesota-chickens-were-euthanized/569817312/

 

[Krazikatlady64]

We;re in SC. No eggs or milk in the grocery store. I am in a rural area and there is high demand for people being more self sufficient. Fear and loss of jobs is real. How do I feed my family better than fresh eggs? Might be able to sell some eggs too. Everywhere I have looked sold out of chicks. The local Tractor Supply sold out right away. Demand for everything is crazy. People are also at home, stressed and worried. Why not get those chickens that you always wanted. Easy to keep and cheap to start or add to a flock.

We are kinda the panic people that missed the first round of chicks and got the second. We wanted them for years. Started our coop/run in 2017, but finally said, now is the time. We got 12 and have 8. Now it's a bad addiction. My babies are at 2 weeks. Oh my! I love these birds and am home with them all day! They are in my kitchen, in a dog kennel, and we are formulating the plan to get them to their own space. Our new set back is... The coop/run is under a red oak tree. Trying to save the concrete slab we poured for the coop foundation (10' x 10'), but not posion the birds with the oak tree acorns. It's always something!

 

[Krazikatlady64]

This just happened in Big Lake, Minnesota. 61,000 chicken's were gassed and egg's were just smashed on the ground! Oh, and ripe lettuce was plowed under.

https://www.startribune.com/egg-dem...minnesota-chickens-were-euthanized/569817312/

This is so sad. We all really had no idea the "supply chain". I wish people could hold out a little bit and get things where they are needed. I hope changes come from this crazy system most people have no idea how it works. You can't just sell eggs out of the barn/garage either. I have learned a lot with this COVID stuff about how food moves. It's so sad for the animals and the people/farmers/family.

 

[BlueBaby]

This is so sad. We all really had no idea the "supply chain". I wish people could hold out a little bit and get things where they are needed. I hope changes come from this crazy system most people have no idea how it works. You can't just sell eggs out of the barn/garage either. I have learned a lot with this COVID stuff about how food moves. It's so sad for the animals and the people/farmers/family.

Yes, it is sad. Too bad instead of it all being wasted like that, that it couldn't have been at least donated to a food bank or something.

 

[nao57]

This just happened in Big Lake, Minnesota. 61,000 chicken's were gassed and egg's were just smashed on the ground! Oh, and ripe lettuce was plowed under.

https://www.startribune.com/egg-dem...minnesota-chickens-were-euthanized/569817312/

This is completely nuts.

You'd think they'd at least be willing to try to get volunteers first or something, before just destroying everything.

What a waste. This is another argument for needing inspired leaders that are patriotic and not just in it to fill their bank accounts.

 

[Chicken101-07]

Went to my local TSC to check what types of chicks they had,they almost never have any,but tend to put some for sale during easter,went at around 3pm and all of the bins where they put them were empty even the ducks had already been sold earlier...people are really nuts over the egg shortage ,I honestly don't understand why they are buying chicks that take more than 6 months in average to lay their first egg.

 

[nao57]

Went to my local TSC to check what types of chicks they had,they almost never have any,but tend to put some for sale during easter,went at around 3pm and all of the bins where they put them were empty even the ducks had already been sold earlier...people are really nuts over the egg shortage ,I honestly don't understand why they are buying chicks that take more than 6 months in average to lay their first egg.

Well...the 6 months to get eggs is real.

But if they are doing them for meat without any real homework they may be thinking they can do well with meat with a 4 month slaughter window?

I'm not condoning this or suggesting it, but just trying to guess what they are thinking. I don't like wasting animals myself.

I'm surprised ducks aren't more popular in some ways due to growing faster. Is it because the mess is a turn off? I hope it works out for you.

Would you have gotten a few more if they had some?

 

[Chicken101-07]

Well...the 6 months to get eggs is real.

But if they are doing them for meat without any real homework they may be thinking they can do well with meat with a 4 month slaughter window?

I'm not condoning this or suggesting it, but just trying to guess what they are thinking. I don't like wasting animals myself.

I'm surprised ducks aren't more popular in some ways due to growing faster. Is it because the mess is a turn off? I hope it works out for you.

Would you have gotten a few more if they had some?

It totally depends on what breeds they have for sale,they tend to put different ones every few weeks,if I'm interested in one I might get me some.

 

[Krazikatlady64]

This being my first time with chicks and having 4 die. I'm good for a while. I'll see what we can do with these 8. The shop has meat chickens, but I really am a vegetarian, don't laugh, and use the meat for dogs and my porkavor husband, so right now no meat chickens. People don't know about ducks. Our neighbors wanted to give us 2 and I said, "what do we do with those, we dont have a pond." Now that I belong to this group, I get it.