At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic last March, Erica Libby of Walker County, Georgia, headed to the local Tractor Supply Co. and picked out a half-dozen chicks.
“I wanted a small backyard flock for a learning experience for my son,” Libby said of her 6-year-old. “I thought, ‘What better time to try something new?'”
She wasn’t alone – baby chicks were a hot commodity last spring, as panic buying led to shortages and higher prices of eggs and chicken in stores and people looked for ways to fill their time while quarantining at home.
Interest in raising chickens in urban environments has been growing over the past decade, with some people citing the ability to more sustainably and ethically raise their own food as reasons for adding chickens to their backyards.
Several local municipalities have in recent years introduced ordinances related to keeping chickens in response to requests from citizens.