Keeping chickens and being careful: Backyard flocks and the dangers from bird flu

Ben Smith is one of the few Islanders who isn’t concerned about the price of eggs.

The issue of egg prices dominated the presidential election of 2024, and has been on the mind of everyone, especially those raising families. But Mr. Smith — owner and operator of Island Exterior Cleaning — and his wife Callie, get all the eggs they want from their flock of more than 50 birds in the efficient, clean, and well-maintained coop on their South Ferry Road property.

But Mr. and Ms. Smith have other worries when it comes to chickens and eggs. Their property is a quiet space where owls perch in trees, wood ducks glide on a small pond, and farther down a sloping lawn, the chickens live. At the far end of the property beyond the chicken coop, wetlands border a towering stand of bamboo.

Like all who raise chickens, from huge commercial flocks to those with private coops,  the H5N1 virus, better known as bird flu, has been an inescapable issue, ravaging not just chickens, but ducks — Crescent Duck Farm in Aquebogue, the last Suffolk County duck farm, was nearly put out of business in January by bird flu. The risk to humans remains low, but experts caution that those who maintain backyard flocks should be vigilant, taking extra precautions to avoid exposing their birds.

“The virus is carried through clothing, shoes, equipment, through infected feces and potentially through the air from the respiratory secretions,” said Kate Perz, 4-H Animal Science Program Coordinator for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County. “All it takes is a wild bird defecating and their feces landing on the ground and a bird walking through it, or a person walking through it, and then walking into a feed store, and then someone else walking through that and then entering their poultry coop.”

Mr. Smith is vigilant about keeping his coop clean. His real concern is other birds transmitting the virus to his chickens. “We’ve got to be careful,” he said, noting that the wetlands and behind his house is a place ducks and geese like to live. “We have to be careful because they could be carriers.”

But so far, so good, due mainly to the family’s dogs. “Geese don’t care about me or you, they just keep coming, but they don’t like the dogs approaching them.”

He’s noticed an uptick in people interested in backyard flocks. “People are buying chicks like crazy,” he said, although he’s not selling.

He has more than enough eggs for Callie and himself and their newest addition, baby Kai. He also sells eggs at his mother Becky Smith’s flower and garden shop in the Center at a lower price than most outlets.

Marcus Kaasik has kept chickens for years, but now is down to a rooster and “two-and-half hens.”  The half bird, he explained, is one-legged. He noted that the small flock now is not because of the newest virus, but other diseases, and predators like foxes and raccoons. “Raising chickens is not always a happy business,” Mr. Kaasik said.

But the rewards are many, including having a fresh egg every morning. “It makes you feel better immediately,” he said.

WHICH CAME FIRST?

Since chickens were domesticated about 5,400 years ago, they’ve been raised for meat, eggs and the pleasure of observing their quirks and habits.

No solid statistics are available on how many people are keeping chickens in backyards, but a recent survey by the American Pet Products Association found that about 10 million households raise chickens. NPR reported a large spike in birds being sold from hatcheries in 2022 with families adapting to disruptions brought on by COVID. NPR found that raising chickens could be “a rewarding project for Americans facing the prospect of spending weeks or months at home, with schools closed and workers laid off, furloughed or working remotely.”

The price of eggs continues to be a topic for discussion. According to the U.S. Farm Bureau, the daily national average price for a dozen large eggs was $8.15 earlier this month. In March 2020, the average price of a dozen eggs in the US was $1.51, an increase of 440%. Combined with the culling of hens from bird flu outbreaks, this surge in egg prices has caused a bump in interest in backyard poultry keeping.

Long Island Poultry, a Baiting Hollow farm that normally sees thousands of birds pass through their barns, has been struggling to source any poultry this year. The business does not hatch eggs for the public, but rather buys live chicks and laying hens from suppliers.

“It’s getting harder and harder to find baby chicks or laying hens. It’s nearly impossible,” said owner Wayne Meyer. “And we go all over the country — from here to Ohio, Missouri, Canada, California, we’re looking for birds. And there’s nothing.”

Flocks have been decimated by large-scale culling due to bird flu exposures. As a result, fewer eggs are being produced, driving both the increase in prices and the shortage of chicks and laying hens for the backyard chicken market.

There is a significant commitment to keeping chickens. By law, chicks in New York State can only be sold in groups of six or more. They must be kept indoors under a heat lamp until they grow feathers, usually between eight to 10 weeks.

Chickens do not begin laying until they are around six months old. They can live for 10 or more years but only lay for around five. It is also critical to review local ordinances before beginning any poultry setup. Each town on Long Island has different requirements for setbacks on coops and pens. There are also rules for roosters and disposal of manure.

Mr. Meyer implores individuals looking to save money on eggs by purchasing chickens to dig deeper before bringing home a batch of chicks. “A lot of people don’t do their research. They want to get some baby chicks because they think they’re cute,” said Mr. Meyer. “But if you’re running out to buy chickens because [eggs are] too expensive, the cost of the coop and the maintenance and all of that is going to be way more than buying eggs. You have high production birds, which usually start 16 to 18 weeks old, and they’ll go for about two years before they slow down. All other breeds will start in 22 or 26 weeks old and for five years, they’ll lay pretty good.”

To continue to collect eggs throughout the winter the birds require supplemental light, impacting electricity consumption. “Some people just want to just let nature take its course, and then other people have chickens for eggs. They want eggs throughout the winter,” said Mr. Meyer. “So chickens need about 15 to 16 hours of daylight to make eggs. You can put an artificial light in there to trick the birds into thinking that’s still daylight.”

While keeping chickens will not provide cheaper eggs, they will be fresher than any in the store. Chickens also eat insects when free-ranging and provide fertilizer for the yard. “Don’t run out and get chickens because you think [the eggs are] going to be cheaper,” Mr. Meyer said. “Because it’s definitely not.”