Like the title states, I’ve been looking into getting chickens for a couple of months. However, it seems that bird flu is popping off and it’s got me worried. Bird flu is a strain of flu called H5N1 and it is highly deadly to many kinds of birds. There is a 99% chance they die if they get it. It can be spread to domesticated birds by interacting with wild birds that are infected. Interaction with other domesticated birds can also spread it, so chicken flock interactions are a bad idea.
Given that I live in the woods near the Chesapeake Bay, there’s quite a bit of wild birds. These range from songbirds to turkey vultures, osprey, ducks, and geese. With the risk of bird flu, I’d have to be strict about keeping my chickens cooped up. This is to prevent them from getting bird flu.
Risk of Bird Flu Vs. Reward of Eggs
The doomsday concern that I have is that the price of eggs and chickens are both going to skyrocket due to bird flu. This means that the cost of groceries are going to also go up. Eggs are a fundamental ingredient used in baked goods and many other products. So, I’d like to get my hands on some egg-laying hens sooner rather than later.
With an increase in the cost of eggs, I expect to see an increase in the cost of all kinds of baked goods. Poultry meat is likely going to become more expensive as well. Thus, all other meats will soak up the demand that poultry can no longer supply. Consequently, the cost of all meats will likely increase. In general, the cost of proteins and the cost of calories will increase.
So, yes there is a risk that if I get chickens, they will die from bird flu, and I may end up contracting the disease myself. However, the risk of each is fairly low, and so is the risk of the doomsday hyperinflation of groceries. As an active risk manager, I would rather take the risk of getting chickens and having my plans go awry. I prefer this to not being prepared for “hypereggflation”.
Chickens and Eggs
I really do hope that I’m overthinking the chicken and eggs issue. However, the only way to set my mind at ease might be to build a chicken coop as a protection against bird flu causing hypereggflation.
Getting 2-3 egg laying hens and a rooster might make me a full-on prepper. Luckily, I live in a neighborhood with multiple other homesteaders with various specialties. I’m going to the chicken guy this weekend to see what he thinks about bird flu. I’ll take a look at his setup. Maybe I can trade some fruit tree cuttings or saplings for a chicken? Eh, I’ll probably just give him some fruit trees. The more the people around me have the less I’ll have to share!
Hopefully, all of the fruit that I’m planning to grow this spring will create enough food scraps for the chickens. This way, I don’t need to buy chicken feed and can better manage the bird flu risk.