‘Everything goes down, you’ve still got your farmer’: Eggflation has more turning to Panhandle farmers

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - In the Winter, chickens typically produce fewer eggs, but add bird flu to the mix and you have “egg-flation.”

Finding eggs at the grocery store has become harder and it’s now coming with a large price tag.

Although the cost is up at stores, it has an advantage to our area farmers, as the demand for farm fresh eggs has gone up.

Farms in the Panhandle say they have had to raise prices a little, but it is still cheaper than what you’ll find at the grocery store.

“About two to three messages every day that are just like ‘hey, do you guys have any eggs? When are you going to have eggs?’ and so we have a small wait list right now because of that,” said Joann LeBlanc, Spicy Acres Homestead.

Customers are willing to wait and not just for the cheaper price, but for the quality.

“When you’re buying from us or your local farmer, you’re not buying from a stressed animal, we’re not forcing our chickens to lay,” said Melissa DeFever, egg farm in River Road area.

These chickens are free-range and have a well-balanced diet.

With the demand for farm fresh eggs, it also allows for education on the importance of supporting local farmers.

“We don’t do it for ourselves, we started this because we had excess and we knew that the community needed it. Support your local farmers because that’s all you’ve got, everything goes down, you’ve still got your farmer and you’ve got your food, you’ve got a supply, you’ve got a passion from somebody who’s willing to sit there and plant a tiny seed,” said LeBlanc.

For those considering raising your own chickens to try to save money, farmers want you to know it’s not as cost effective as you may think.

“It may be five to seven months before you ever get an egg out of them, so it’s a lot of money invested in them before you ever get anything out of them to feed you, to put that back on the table,” said DeFever.

DeFever also says many times with baby chicks, only one out of three survive.

Farmers support the idea of backyard chickens, but tell you to make sure you do your research and know what you are diving into.

DeFever delivers eggs to your home. For information click here.

For information on Spicy Acres Homestead, where a dozen of eggs is only $4, click here.

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