Eggcellent alternative: High egg prices causing people to rent and raise their own chickens
TUXEDO PARK (WABC) -- The cost of eggs is only getting higher in grocery stores and on menus in restaurants around the country.
The price tag is pushing many to seek alternate options like renting or raising their own chickens.
While it may seem like a good idea, many are warning it might not be the most affordable.
"So we can pick up the eggs, and they're fresh and delicious," Windy Rosengart said.
Windy Rosengart has been raising chickens in her backyard in Tuxedo Park for a decade and says it is very much a labor of love.
"Foxes will actually climb your coops so there's a wire under us then dirt then straw and an electric fence around the outside," said Rosengart.
Given the egg shortage brought on by bird flu and the resulting skyrocketing cost of eggs, more people than ever are considering raising chickens for a steady, seemingly endless supply.
Rosengart's "fowl Friday" TikToks have generated interest and questions.
"How is it to have chickens? What do I need to do to get started? Is this a good time of year to get started? You can order chickens in the mail, it's crazy," Rosengart said.
You can also get chickens at a local farm supply store.
One couple picked up a half dozen chicks, which in a few months should begin producing eggs.
Another option is a service like "Rent The Chicken," which supplied customers with birds and coops starting in April.
"We have been answering online inquiries like crazy, and our phones are ringing like mad. People really want an alternative to depending on the grocery store for eggs," said Jenn Tompkins from Rent The Chicken.
Eggs are such a hot commodity Rosengart has been inundated with requests not just from followers, even businesses are asking.
"People text and they're like can we make an arrangement? Can we do a contract for eggs? Can we arrange to get this many eggs a week because everybody is freaking out about the egg shortage. They're good until you wash them and eat them and they really are delicious," Rosengart said.
For a growing number of people, an eggcellent alternative.
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
