Chickens cluck and huddle together in David and Lori Teter’s backyard as they throw feed into the coop. The birds started as something for the New Ringgold residents to do with the space in their backyard. Now, 10 years later, the chickens help them as egg prices rise in Northeast Pennsylvania.
The rising cost of egg prices is a topic on the minds of many Americans — especially with Easter this weekend. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average nationwide cost of a dozen eggs in March of this year was $6.22. This is a 108% increase over the $2.99 cost of eggs at the same time in 2024.
This week in Wilkes-Barre, egg prices were about $5.50 per dozen, with some stores selling eggs for closer to $6.50. With rising egg prices, stores selling chicks have seen an increase in their sales. The Nescopeck Agway has seen an increase in the number of people wanting to buy their chicks.
The increase in egg prices comes as the number of bird flu cases rise. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the total number of birds that have been affected by the virus since 2022 totals over 167 million. Over the last 30 days alone, 2.16 million birds have been affected. Each time a bird is found to have bird flu, the entire flock needs to be culled to stop the spread of the virus.
David Teter has raised chickens long enough to see the trends in both egg prices and bird flu cases. Yet, with his flock, there are other worries occupying his mind.
“We opened the coop door one day, and there was a racoon sitting inside looking at me holding a fake egg,” Teter said, referencing the fake eggs he buys to get the chickens to lay on them. “We’ve had hawks kill them…We also have netting over the top so nothing can really get into it, but you will see hawks sitting in the trees nearby in the backyard.”
His current flock, which is his third or fourth batch, consists of five hens and one rooster that he received in a barnyard mix. He says that raising chickens is not very hard, but that there are certain factors that need to be considered when raising chickens, such as the cost and quality of feed.
“As with everything else, the cost did go up, but like any other pets, you can get them very cheap food…the egg production might not be as great if you have something with a higher protein level or higher calcium level to make the eggs,” he said. “You know, you could feed something McDonald's everyday or you could have a home cooked meal, you know what I mean?”
Teter said that while the price of feed is dependent on how many chickens someone has, it can range from approximately $10 to $40 per bag. The Teters currently go through about 40 pounds of feed every month and a half.
With his current flock, Teter gets about three eggs per day, but he got up to 15 when his flock was larger. He tries to give the extra eggs to people he knows who could use them. He spoke about how his costs have been balancing out since the price of eggs has increased.
“With the rising cost of the food, the amount you put into the food, you will get back in your eggs.” he said.
With the cost of eggs rising so rapidly, more people are going out to buy their own chicks. Tim Lehman, the owner of the Nescopeck Agway, has seen an increase in chicks being sold at his store this year.
“I think there’s definitely a higher demand this year. There was a high demand during COVID for chicks, just because people wanted something to do and they wanted to raise chickens,” he said. “And this year has been extremely busy for us as well, mostly just due to egg prices being elevated.”
Lehman cites people wanting to raise chickens to beat the higher egg prices as part of the increased demand. This is different from what he saw in previous years, when more people were raising chickens as a hobby or for the better quality of the eggs they received compared to store-bought eggs. He mentioned that Easter has also consistently been a time when people go and buy their own chicks.
The struggles with the increased demand for chicks affect more than the stores that sell them. Orders for chicks made to different hatcheries also make it more difficult for customers to receive chicks.
“This year it just seemed like every week we were adding to our orders, and there came a point where the hatcheries just started to run out of chicks,” Lehman said. “At this point, there’s really not a lot available to pick from unless you are willing to get chicks later on in the year.”
Chickens are not hard to raise, but the process is a commitment that people need to understand before attempting, according to Lehman. While chickens may help raisers stay ahead of egg prices, the inconsistency of how many eggs are laid within a flock and the cost of feed means that those who are in it only for the money may want to reconsider.
David Teter echoed these thoughts. The initial cost when starting to raise chickens can be large. The space necessary to properly care for the chickens is also not something that everyone can accommodate, he said.
“If you’re going to do it just purely to raise eggs and try and get ahead, I don’t think it’s worth it,” he said. “Unless you’re eating huge amounts of eggs.”