A farm animal rescue in Bulverde said over the past few weeks, they have received dozens of calls from people interested in adopting chickens.
BULVERDE, Texas — As the bird flu drives up egg prices across the country, some people in South Texas are considering raising their own chickens.
A farm animal rescue in Bulverde said over the past few weeks, they have received dozens of calls from people interested in adopting chickens.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Bureau of Labor Statistics, since January, the average price of eggs has risen 15%.
However, Executive Director of Winding Branch Ranch, Matthew Aversa, said having your own chicken coop is not going to save you money.
“If you’ve got four birds in your backyard, you’re going to spend over $60 a month in feed for those birds,” Aversa said.
He added building the coop is not necessarily cheap, either. For a small coop, it can cost a few hundred dollars.
“They’re just like any other pet,” Aversa said. “They’ve got personalities, they’re lovable.”
Out of precaution, Aversa said right now they are not rehoming or accepting farm animals.
“We want to hold off on taking anybody in here for the next few weeks to a month just to be safe,” Aversa said.
According to the Texas Animal Health Commission, in January, the bird flu was detected in backyard flocks in Burnet and Brazoria County.
Aversa said they have implemented different precautions around the farm since it is open to the public for free. Any guest will have to wash their hands when they arrive.
However, he said he is mostly concerned with the wild animals who have contracted the virus.
“We’re just taking steps to make sure wild birds aren’t using any of the animals feeders or water,” Aversa said.
The current strain of bird flu has been around since April 2024, so Aversa said he does not expect it to go away anytime soon. But he is hopeful in the next few weeks, he will be able to continue his mission of helping farm animals find safe homes.
“We’ve rescued 251 animals as of today and we’ve rehomed 120,” Aversa said. “So we’ve rehomed probably dozens and dozens chickens in the past. So. as Spring comes we’ll rehome more.”
Winding Branch Ranch is currently fundraising to help build a new chicken coop. For more information, click here.