"Stocking up on chickens" Covid-19 chat

[Ursuline Chick]

I want to say that I would fall into the first time chicken owner during COVID. When I posted pictures of them on Facebook, multiple people commented with articles about people panic buying chickens. I didn't realise it was a thing!
Regardless, I have been lurking this site a bit (I did do research before I got mine, this site helped) and I just signed up for an account. So far I have been thankful for how welcoming and helpful everyone has been!! When I learned there was a trend of people buying chicks, I was worried people might be standoffish when trying to get help/learn. So happy that hasn't been the case!!!

@Tigerkity Welcome from New Orleans. This is a great place to come for information and just to chat. There are very knowledgable, caring people, who will be happy to help with the simplist questions. Most are understanding and will call on others to help you if they don't know the answer. Glad to have you here and don't forget to check in on your state's site. Last year I got 4 beautiful pullets from a member 45 mins away. Hope you enjoy BYC as much as I have.

 

[Kafen]

I want to say that I would fall into the first time chicken owner during COVID. When I posted pictures of them on Facebook, multiple people commented with articles about people panic buying chickens. I didn't realise it was a thing!
Regardless, I have been lurking this site a bit (I did do research before I got mine, this site helped) and I just signed up for an account. So far I have been thankful for how welcoming and helpful everyone has been!! When I learned there was a trend of people buying chicks, I was worried people might be standoffish when trying to get help/learn. So happy that hasn't been the case!!!

I didn’t realize it was a a thing either! I think we’re both in the same category. I don’t even have my chicks yet since they’re all sold out right now and I have to pick up in June. But it has always been my plan to get chickens and so I see this as unfortunate timing more than anything.

 

[Tigerkity]

@Tigerkity Just wait until they are grown up and you can sit outside and watch chicken TV. It is the best way to unwind ever. My chickens freak out when I toss them some BOSS, but them come running back and chatter away as they look for the treats in the grass. Once, one of mine found a big June-bug and I got to watch Chicken Football as a bonus.
Welcome to BYC!! Home of the Chicken enablers

I have some pretty awesome coworkers to keep me company during my work conference calls.

 

[Tigerkity]

@Kafen I don't think I would be able to hatch chicks myself!

Also something that might help around here where I live is when I bought my chicks, the store took down my name and address, phone number. He said the state ag department (or some state department) required they send all that info for people who buy chicks. I do wish though that they had copies of the various chicken ordinances for the nearby cities or had it posted how many chickens you could have. I mean I would hope that one already did research before they were at the store and bought chicks but I think it would be responsible for the store to post just in case.

 

[wyoDreamer]

@Tigerkity If you have some time, maybe you could make up such a list and offer it to the store. The only problem is that ordinances change and if the list is posted with the wrong info, it would be a problem for the store.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

@Tigerkity and @Kafen I don't think y'all fall into the panic buying thing. Both of you are doing research, asking questions and joining a site that will help with first timer questions. As one of you said you just happen to be starting a flock at an unfortunate time. I think your flock will be happy and healthy and I hope you enjoy them.
We have a granddaughter, when she stays here, she loves to get up in the morning and help DH feed the girls, feed treats (they even let her pet them ) I guess she is the treat toddler. She gets to pick up any eggs that have been laid early, and loves to sit in her high chair to watch the egg she just got from outside scrambled and cooked. Then she eats it. She thinks this is a wonderful thing, you take care of the hen and the hen takes care of you.

 

[hysop]

I believe it will be too much work for people, besides the need for a coop and feed and bedding and a place to put the dirty bedding and they will tear up the landscaping and they make noise.

A co-worker was thinking about getting some chicks since "the stores are having a hard time keeping eggs in stock". I mentioned that a chick has to grow up into a pullet before it will lay eggs. "how long is that?" Minimum of 14 weeks - depending on what kind of chicken you get, maybe 16 weeks or more. "That is 5 months!!" No, that is 4 months, lol. "Oh, yah, lol. Do you think 3 hens will be enough for my family?" I advised to get the max number that her town would allow - 4 chickens. I also let her know that chickens lay one egg a day and not every day - maybe 3 to 5 eggs a week for each chicken. Some breeds lay more, some less - so out of 4 chickens, she should expect 2 to 4 eggs a day. "But with 3 kids, that won't be enough." That's why I live out in the country where I can have as many chickens as I want. I smile and walk away.

I didn’t think about the old bedding! I live out in the country too so I just throw it into an unused field that I am gonna turn into my compost area soon. But what about the people in small cities or small properties.

 

[Friendly_Lurker]

I think people will buy them with the intention to keep them, but they might not do enough research.

 

[Tofu the chicken]

I think people will buy them with the intention to keep them, but they might not do enough research.

I don't think anyone or at least I hope nobody gets an animal with intentions that they won't keep it, it's just people don't understand the responsibility

 

[hysop]

Yeah, I personally agree with it, who knows the supplies could be infected with COVID 19 and also discourages people to over stock on stuff (buying most or all of a stock and hoarding is illegal even when it's not a pandemic because then other people can't get supplies like how it is now) and as soon as stores started no return polices on to panic buying stopped or at least it saw a giant slow down

Yes, I think it was a good decision not to allow them to return it. Because it will encourage other customers to think before buying warehouse amount of stuff.

Has there been data on how many chicks are being bought by first time chicken owners? I’m curious if chicks are being bought out by just a small handful buying a lot of chicks at once OR if it’s a bunch of new customers (chicken owners) buying just a small handful each.