BRYAN COUNTY, Ga. (WSAV) — As egg prices rise and the bird flu becomes a concern, more and more Americans are considering getting their own backyard chickens.
According to the latest Consumer Price Index, a dozen eggs costs around $5, but many are having a hard time finding a carton.
Megan Lescano lives in Richmond Hill with her husband and three kids. She's one of many looking to buy baby chicks.
"The biggest reason is knowing what's in your food, knowing where it comes from," Lescano said.
She tells News 3, their grocery bill oftentimes matches the amount of their mortgage each month.
"We need a lot of food. It's a growing food budget," Lescano said.
While they're looking to save money, they know this is an investment. Some say having backyard chickens isn't very cost efficient. Lescano's neighbor has a coop which cost them around $3,000 plus the materials for the pen and buying the chickens.
Lescano isn't expecting to spend that much money, maybe a few hundred dollars. She says, for her it's about the experience too.
"We can teach our children about the whole process. We try to be less wasteful, we recycle and everything, and then we can give the scraps to the chickens and then they give us eggs. It's a great transaction," Lescano said.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, prices aren't expected to go down anytime soon.
What are the regulations?
WSAV looked into the "chicken ordinances" in our area.
In Bryan County, a coop has to be kept at least 50 feet from property lines in a neighborhood. Chatham County has no ordinance relating to keeping chickens, but Chapter 22 names chickens in their Animal Control Ordinance.
Effingham Countyresidents have to apply for a "hen permit" which is reviewing by the zoning board. In South Carolina, Beaufort County views a coop as an accessory structure, and no permit is needed.