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Saturday, May 10, 2008
Backyard Flocks Taking Flight
Have you started going out into your backyard for eggs instead of the grocery store? If so, you’re not alone.
Mt. Healthy Hatcheries near Cincinnati is reporting demand for baby chicks is up nearly 50 percent from a year ago; demand fueled not just by farm types, but by hobbyists.
Rob O’Hara, Mt. Healthy’s president, attributes the growing demand to higher food prices and a slowing economy, as well as fading concerns about avian influenza, which had hurt sales for several years.
Mt. Healthy ships by mail many of the 4 million chicks it hatches each season.
Siegel’s Covington Country Store in Miami County has 700 chicks on order from Mt. Healthy, and “I think I could have ordered twice that many if the hatchery had been able to keep up,” Kathy Siegel said. Customers “want to know where their food comes from.”
Do you have a backyard flock or know someone who does? If so, I’d love to hear from you for an upcoming story.
