Minnesota Egg Apocalypse Sparks Chick Frenzy

The high price of eggs has people looking into other options for their egg supply, including raising and keeping egg-laying chickens.

To capitalize on this trend, some retailers have begun selling chicks and the supplies needed to start your own egg empire, and clearly the demand is there, as retailers are selling out.

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Fleet Farm Joins the Chicken Craze in Hermantown

Fleet Farm recently announced that they started to sell chicks, which is a good fit for the retailer, as they already sell the supplies. Now you can get everything in one stop.

In a recent visit to the Fleet Farm in Hermantown, I was curious about the chicks, so I followed the floor stickers to the rear of the store where a pen was set up with four stock tanks being used as chicken coops.

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Unfortunately, the chicks were all sold out, and a sign attached to the pen says they’ll be back in stock on March 20th.

Chick Prices and Breeds in Short Supply

No pricing on the chicks was available at the store, but in general, you can expect to pay anywhere between $4 and $7 per chick.

A sign posted at the store says that only Cornish Cross Broilers are available for special order now due to a nationwide shortage. I’m not sure what breed or breeds they are selling in-store.

Other Minnesota Retailers See High Demand

Other retailers around the state are also selling out of chicks and are now taking orders for future shipments. For instance, Dan’s Feed Bin, located in Superior, Wisconsin, is taking orders for chicks arriving in mid-April.

It can take up to six months for chickens to start laying eggs, so any hope of getting quick relief from egg prices isn’t really realistic. You’ll need to put months of work and money into the chickens before you start getting any return.