Backyard farmers, experts warn against raising hens to cut grocery costs

ELYRIA — Boots covered in mud and muck, Kristen Paras wove her way through her homestead, surrounded by chickens, ducks and a few roosters. Paras and her husband bought their Carlisle Township home in 2021, and by the next spring Paras had decided she wanted to homestead. First, it was chickens and ducks — and a turkey meant to be Thanksgiving dinner — then a few pigs, now she's looking to add mini cows. Her farm spreads out across 2 acres, with the 30-plus hens in her care able to roost in a coop or in a large barn. Her dog, Zoli, a 2-year-old great Pyrenees, keeps watch over the flock and help guards them from racoons and other predators. She has more space than the normal backyard chicken farmer, but she started out like many do by getting a six hens and a small coop and diving in from there. "I grew up in a farming family," she said. "My grandmother taught me how to garden and I have always wanted to be able to offset the cost of our grocery bill. My husband works in a factory and doesn't make a ton of money. … It just kind of turned into I'm going to do it all." As egg prices have continued to rise, teetering between $5 and $8 per dozen in several local stores, it may prompt some Lorain County residents to raise the livestock on their own. But backyard farmers like Paras warned: Do not get into it just to save a trip to the grocery store. Tim McDermott, an assistant professor and extension educator with the Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, saw an increase in the number of backyard chicken farmers around the pandemic and is seeing that rise in interest again as egg prices continue to skyrocket. "In general it's not outweighing the cost, it's not cheaper," he said of backyard flocks compared to grocery store prices. But for those who want to have a backyard brood for the right reasons, it can be a rewarding pastime. "I'm finding people really enjoy it," McDermott said. "Chickens are really social. They're easy to handle and based on the number of (backyard farms increasing), people are really enjoying the process." He offers an online certificate course for backyard chicken farmers, giving those new to agriculture the groundwork for a successful flock. The $25, self-paced online course teaches disease management, nutrition basics and biosecurity — or how to keep a budding flock safe from avian influenza and other risks. Avian influenza has forced farms to slaughter millions of egg-laying birds. While Ohio has a high rate of the virus, most cases are in Darke and Mercer counties. The risk is still there for backyard birds, McDermott warned, as the virus can be spread by wild birds coming into contact with their more domesticated cousins. He recommends backyard farmers keep their birds in enclosed runs and coops — so wild birds cannot interact with them or defecate in an area where hens may roam — and limit their contact with outsiders to just the people who take care of them. For those getting into the hobby, he said new farmers should get their chicks from National Poultry Improvement Plan, or NPIP-certified hatcheries. The NPIP program, overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Ohio Poultry Association, monitors flocks and hatcheries to ensure they are clean of salmonella and other disease-causing germs. While hatcheries may be able to guarantee, more or less, that a chicken someone purchases is a female, picking up a yellow ball of fluff from Tractor Supply Co. or Rural King is more of a gamble, he said. And while hens are often allowed in municipalities and townships, roosters are not. In Lorain County most cities, even if they allow hens, do not allow roosters. And if one accidentally makes its way to a backyard farm, it might be difficult to be rehomed unless it could be sold as a meat bird, McDermott warned. Friendship Animal Protective League Executive Director Greg Willey said his organization gets a handful of rescue chickens each year. While hens are generally easy to place in other regional farms, roosters are a bigger concern. "When you're looking at hens, it's very easy to find placement," he said. "Roosters … it can be almost impossible. That means most of them will have to be put down because there is avian flu and no one wants to cross-contaminate (by moving roosters across state lines)." Like McDermott, he cautioned new backyard farmers to do a lot of research before getting their first birds — and know the cost of the animal and the laws surrounding them so they do not have to be surrendered because they are illegal where someone lives. Zoning codes range wildly in Lorain County. Poultry is often allowed in townships and villages, with limitations based on lot size. In cities, it varies from Lorain's outright ban, to North Ridgeville's limit of 10 hens on larger parcels. Christina Jensen, of LaGrange Township, moved to the more rural part of the county from Elyria several years ago — and was determined to find a property that allowed chickens. "It was just something that I always thought was adorable," she said. Her husband built a coop based on plans he found online, then built an attached, extended run for the birds to allow them green space while keeping them safe from predators. "I would recommend people don't get chickens because of the price of eggs," she said. "Our chickens are going on 2 years old and I calculated they still cost us about $30 per dozen (eggs)." She estimated they spent about $3,500 to build their coop and get all the other supplies in place. They need medicines, vitamins, feeders, a brooder with a heat lamp or plate for chicks and other supplies. They also need ample space, she said, or the birds will peck at one another — and that can cause injuries that need taken care of. While a cute, pre-made coop may be available in some stores, it often does not hold as many birds as it advertises, she said. Jensen has seven chickens and one rooster — which was supposed to be a hen when he was purchased from the hatchery, she said. Because of where she lives, Wally the rooster (previously Winnie), was allowed to stay, but if she lived in a city she would have had to rehome him, she said. It also took about six months until her hens — Lexie, Bonnie, Betsy, Ellie, Emma, Alice and Olivia — were ready to lay eggs, she said, and they often do not lay year round. She plans to get four additional hens next month. She cautioned those not coming from an agricultural background to be prepared to deal with injuries or illnesses. Despite all the precautions she and her husband took, Wally got frostbite and lost part of a toe over the winter, she said, and she has had some problems finding a vet that will care for the birds. McDermott teaches Ohio State University's fourth-year poultry rotation to veterinary students and encourages new vets to see poultry. He suggested farmers call their local vet before showing up with the chicken — or really any animal — but noted the nice thing about hens compared to larger livestock is they can be crated and taken to the vet, rather than finding one to come out to a person's property. Paras said she has had to become her own vet for her birds, which have a designated first aid kit on her farm. She, like Jensen, has had a hard time finding someone to provide veterinary care for her birds. Even with the problems the "little dinosaurs" can cause, Jensen said they are fairly easy to maintain once everything is up and running. Jensen uses construction sand for the birds' bedding to catch their droppings — allowing her to scoop it like cat litter. In the years she has had her flock she said each bird's personality has blossomed, and they have learned to come to her for treats. "I'm just a crazy chicken lady now," she said with a laugh. "I went from not knowing anything at all, never holding one in my life, now I love them to death. There's nothing better than to go outside and watch them." For Paras, homesteading is a way to help her community, which lacks a grocery store since the Aldi on Oberlin-Elyria Road closed, and feed her family of four. Chickens, or any livestock, are not just spring or summer projects — they require care whether it is 100 degrees or 20 below zero, she said. The amount of eggs they produce can vary, especially as they age or when they molt, and even though her hens are free range, she still buys feed for them every week. "When people get chickens, they expect to have free eggs, it's the opposite of free," she said. "My grandpa made the joke when I was like 'I'm getting chickens' he's like great, your first egg will be worth $4,000 — he wasn't wrong." She added later, "You have to be dedicated enough to actually do it. If you realize after doing research (it is too much) … find your local homesteader, find your local farmer. … There's people that sell eggs all over the place. You don't have to do the work. It helps my family, and helps your family." Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.