Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins suggested that Americans begin raising chickens as a means of avoiding egg prices.
Speaking to “Fox & Friends Weekend” anchor Rachel Campos-Duffy, “I think the silver lining in all this is how do we, in our backyards — we’ve got chickens too in our backyard — how do we solve for something like this?’ Rollins said. “And people are sort of looking around thinking, “Wow, well, Maybe I can get a chicken in my backyard,’ and it’s awesome.”
Rollins’ comments mirror those she made in a recent opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal, where she declared the USDA wants to “make it easier for families to raise backyard chickens.”
The Trump administration official further explained her “five-pronged strategy” to eradicate avian flu. The strategy involves dedicating “up to $500 million to helping U.S. poultry producers implement gold-standard biosecurity measures,” making “up to $400 million of increased financial relief available to farmers whose flocks are affected by avian flu,” considering the use of vaccines, removing unnecessary regulations on egg producers, and considering importing eggs.
The number of Americans seeking to raise chickens has increased following the COVID-19 pandemic due to the desire for self-sufficiency, the high costs of eggs, and bird flu concerns.
Arkansas-based chicken breeder Whitney Bissonnette told Fox Business that she has received 50 to 100 messages every day from people looking to purchase chickens. She explained that the influx of messages began in 2022, noting that the high demand is “flooding everyone’s inboxes.”
Director of Program and Partnership Development at the National Environmental Health Association, Gina Bare, told the outlet that the “rise in backyard chicken coops reflects an exciting trend in local food production, with families increasingly interested in raising their own flocks for fresh eggs and educational opportunities.”
