“Our sale of poultry has doubled or perhaps even tripled,” says John Berry. The Fokker from Houston in the state of Texas benefits from the shortage of eggs in the United States.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, more than 24 million laying chickens have been slaughtered since December because of the unbridled bird flu. Eggs are rare, expensive. That is why more and more people want to keep chickens themselves.
“We sell a hundred or more chickens a week,” says Berry, director of Wabash. “People buy them because the price for eggs has risen or because there is just no one anymore.” In some supermarkets, a dozen eggs of the top quality cost more than ten dollars (9.65 euros), the cheapest are available for six dollars. That is more than twice the usual price.
Restaurant chain requires supplement for egg dishes
In some stores the egg boards are empty, in others a maximum of a dozen eggs per customer are sold. The restaurant chain Wafle House requires an extra cost of 50 cents for each egg in a dish. Last week 500 eggs from the storage space of a restaurant in the middle of the night were stolen in Seattle.
The American consumers who are used to spending little on this basic food are restless. More and more want to take care of their breakfast egg. Most customers who have now bought chickens would have no experience with attitude, Berry said.
A chicken for $ 40
Arturo Becerra has never had chickens. Nevertheless, he recently bought ten pieces for $ 400, the feed costs another $ 20 a month. And Becerra wants to keep more poultry. “I have a large family,” says the 57-year-old. “I think it will be cheaper to buy and put on chickens. I am satisfied with an egg per chicken per day.” But none of his children ate an egg from his own position. The young animals have a few more weeks needed to start laying.
Fear of bird flu
Some cities and municipalities in Texas allow private individuals to keep chickens at home if they meet certain health regulations. However, the Epidemic Control Authority warns that “people who come into contact with birds or in their spare time with birds or others are exposed to a higher risk of infection with the bird flu virus.” In the United States, not only poultry farms, but also dairy cows are influenced by the plague. 68 people have been stuck since the beginning of last year.
Becerra does not seem to scare this danger. “I have room to house the chickens,” he says calmly. The building contractor Billy Underhill has been holding chickens for years. Now he buys two more. “I buy a few every few months because they stop laying and dying at some point and I want to maintain the addition of eggs for my family,” says the 62-year-old.
Shares are announced
It is no problem for private chicken farmers to buy chickens. But there is not enough to replace the gender poultry. “You should have predicted it and thousands or even millions of extra chickens have to breed,” says Berry. “It takes two or three months or maybe even longer before things normalize again,” predicts the breeder. Until then, he advises consumers to create supplies. After all, eggs are easily durable.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
