Ok, what's up with egg prices these days? As you may have heard, a highly contagious strain of bird flu has been wreaking havoc on many of the countries large commercial eggs farms, causing egg prices to rise and supply to be unreliable. Here's a great Avian Influenza fact sheet from the Cornell University college of Veterinary Medicine.
Will Fat Chance Farm egg prices be going up? Currently I have no plans to raise prices. While demand for our eggs has certainly increased, my costs have thus far remained stable, so I have no need to increase prices for that reason.
How might bird flu affect our operations? Unfortunately, being a small flock of pastured hens is not protective against bird flu infection. The most common vectors for infection are from wild birds or from other infected farms. As spring progresses and migratory birds return our area, the wild bird risk does go up.
Is bird flu a problem in Vermont? Unfortunately, yes. In December 2022, a 50 bird flock right here in Lamoille county was infected and the virus has been detected in various parts of the state several times since then. Most recently, the virus was detected in a bobcat and two red-tailed hawks in southern VT.
What steps am I taking to mitigate bird flu risk? As with many risks in farming, this is another case of do what you can and then don't worry too much. I do plan to keep the chicken feeders inside the coop this summer, so the grain is less accessible and attractive to wild birds. Bio-security measures are an important strategy to prevent infection from other farms, for me this mainly means not allowing other people to have direct contact with my flock. If I go to another farm for any reason, I wear completely different clothes and shoes and make sure to wash and disinfect them before they come into contact with my flock.
Is bird flu a concern for meat birds? The chickens we raise for meat, the Cornish Cross broiler chicken, are harvested at 7-9 weeks old, while the laying hens are five to six months old before they even start laying eggs. Since bird flu prefers older birds, it is far less of a concern for the broilers.
Will there be restrictions on how many eggs can be bought at once? I currently have no plans to restrict egg buying, though some of the stores that I sell to may have limits. In fact I have encouraged once or twice a month egg buying for a while now, as our delivery routes go to certain areas only once or twice a month. This reduces the emissions needed to get the eggs from farm to fridge.