For the past month, people have been lining up around 8 a.m. on Thursdays at Northern Star Mills in Chico. All have been waiting for the store’s new shipment of freshly hatched baby chicks to arrive.
Every week from February to September, the store sells chicks sourced out of Fresno. They usually are hatched the day before.
David Jespersen, the owner of Northern Star Mills, said their weekly shipment of chicks have been selling out within the span of 10 to 15 minutes. This is unusual for the store, which has been selling chicks for years.
Jespersen said that during the COVID-19 pandemic there was a rise in sales since people were interested in raising their own backyard flocks. Now, he said people who have been considering starting one for a long time are making the move.
“With the constant reminder of eggs being out of stock, the prices being up, it just kind of keeps that idea in their head, and that's what's really driven a lot of this,” Jespersen said.
Elisabeth Jorgensen attended this week’s sale. She was hoping to get chicks for herself and for some friends.
“My husband decided, after the prices of eggs are tremendously [on] the rise, that we will go and get our own eggs,” she said.
It’s not the first time she’s owned chickens. She says in her experience, eggs tasted better when she had her own flock nearly 25 years ago. She also says the chicks will provide her and her husband companionship.
“I hope this works out and that there are chickens left when it's our turn,” she said.
In California, a dozen large white eggs now cost on average about $9. That’s according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Weekly Egg Market News Report. The USDA also predicts that the prices will jump by 41% throughout 2025.
High prices are connected to the overall low supply of eggs. Avian influenza, or bird flu, has been on the rise in the past few months. USDA says in their report that nearly 30 million chickens in egg-producing flocks have died of bird flu since the beginning of the year.
Jespersen said that bird flu hasn’t impacted his business, but that people looking to own backyard flocks should protect them from contracting the virus.
The USDA recommends people can protect their flocks from avian influenza by washing their hands, disinfecting equipment, limiting visitors and avoiding wild birds.
Owning a backyard flock might not necessarily be more affordable than purchasing eggs from the store, if you factor in the cost of feed and setting up a coop. But Jespersen said that it can give people more control over how their eggs are produced. They can feed their flocks organic or non-GMO feed if they are more health conscious.
He also said that they provide other benefits.
“It's a good way to get rid of table scraps and kind of have your own little sustainable farm in your backyard,” he said. “So I think that's a much more appealing factor of having your own chickens than the overall price of eggs.”
Hens individually produce on average about 300 eggs a year, or about six eggs a week, according to the British Hen Welfare Trust. By owning multiple hens, people can get more than a dozen eggs per week.
However, it might take some time before people start seeing lots of eggs from their chicks. Hens normally lay eggs when they are about 18 weeks old.
What to know about buying chicks
When it comes to the sales at Northern Star Mills, Jespersen said people should plan ahead for what specific breeds of chicks they want. Each week, the sales host a different breeds, alternating between more than a dozen varieties.
If they’re looking for chickens that are better for laying eggs, the “layers” breeds are typically the best. That includes ameraucanas, barred rocks and Rhode Island reds. Meanwhile, breeds like bantams or New Hampshire reds are considered more beautiful varieties that are better for showing.
Eight out of every 10 chicks Northern Star Mills receives will typically be hens. The orders are pre-sexed, meaning the sex was determined before the eggs were hatched. This usually is 80 to 90% accurate.
The layer breeds of chicks currently go for $6. Jespersen said that the store is limiting five chicks per person to allow as many people as possible to get them.
With how quickly chicks are selling out, Jespersen said people should arrive early, before the store opens at 8:30 a.m.
People are able to buy the supplies for the chicks at the store.
“But it might be good to get everything set up before the day that the chicks arrive,” said Jespersen.
It’s also important to have your home prepared for raising chicks, as cities like Chico often have regulations around backyard flocks.
According to Chico’s Code of Ordinances, residents are able to own poultry flocks, but can only keep hens, not roosters.
Flocks cannot be kept within 20 feet of other adjacent residences and must be kept within 10 feet of the owner’s residence. They also must have at least 100 square feet worth of space per chicken.
Residents do not need to have any permits to own chickens in the city.
Jespersen said that people should also be courteous of their neighbors.
“As long as you're keeping your coop clean and it's not too loud, and [it] doesn't become a problem with the neighbors, there's not typically much complaint on it,” he said.
Erik Adams contributed to this reporting.
