Breakfast is getting more expensive these days as the price of eggs skyrockets due to inflation and the bird flu.
Lee Stewart of north Phoenix doesn’t need to worry about going to the grocery store for eggs since she raises chickens in her own backyard.
“One thing you don’t want to do if you’re going to eat your bird is to name it. I don’t eat my birds so I name them,” Stewart says jokingly while feeding her hens.
She has 10 in all and they’ll each lay at least one egg per day.
In fact, she hasn’t bought a carton of eggs at the grocery store since 2010, when egg prices were less than $2 a dozen nationally.
As of last September, a dozen eggs in the western United States went for more than $3.
Stewart’s business, Veg Up Get Dirty, consults with residents about sustainable gardening and organic living, including building backyard chicken coops.
She says she's received 20 to 30 calls a week from people considering chicken coops for their backyards in the past month, citing the major uptick in egg prices.
“I’m seeing people calling me left and right, ‘Lee, can you build me a coop? What do I do about this? What do I do about that?’ I coach them about what to do. I consult with them about what to do. I think people are getting more on board with becoming more sustainable, having their own chickens right there,” says Lee.
When considering raising backyard chickens, Lee says to check with local law and ordinances in your city to make sure that it’s legal.
In the City of Phoenix, chickens can only be kept in backyards and within 80 feet of the residence as long as the homeowner and neighbors have written permission consenting to the chickens.
