chickens

Why the price of eggs is on the rise again

8:00am September 28, 2024

The price of eggs has risen by about 28% in the past year, largely due to outbreaks of avian flu. Those prices could continue to climb during the holidays, as demand for baked goods increases.

Health & Safety

Forget about the gym! Chicken-sizing will keep you fit. Bonus: Fresh eggs

2:46pm June 30, 2024

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Going to the gym is a great way to get exercise — once you get into your gym duds and motivate yourself to start working out. But in other parts of the world, there's a different way to stay fit.

Cases of eggs from Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., await to be handed out by the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce employees at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds in Jackson, Miss., on Aug. 7, 2020.

A bird flu outbreak at the largest U.S. chicken egg producer could affect egg prices

5:51pm April 03, 2024

by Ayana Archie

Cal-Maine Foods lost about 1.9 million chickens, or 3.6% of its flock, as a result of an outbreak at a Texas plant. The CDC says, however, that a person is unlikely to get bird flu from eggs.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says cows in multiple states have tested positive for bird flu.

What the CDC is doing to monitor and protect against bird flu

4:20pm April 03, 2024

CDC director Dr. Mandy Cohen tells NPR that while the risk of bird flu spreading to humans is low, the U.S. government is taking precautions to avoid spread of the virus.

In Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, the chicken factory is like a creepy Disneyland for chickens.

Arts

It took 23 years, but a 'Chicken Run' sequel has finally hatched

5:11am December 13, 2023

by Elizabeth Blair

It's Bond meets The Truman Show in Aardman's sequel to Chicken Run. This time, the chickens break in — not out — to save the flock. Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget premieres on Netflix this week.

The author's daughter, Rosy, with two of the family chickens. Among Rosy's discoveries: "When the sun goes down, they all go up into the coop and go to bed. Nobody has to tell them it's bedtime."

Health & Safety

The wonder of chickens (and their egg song) made me a better person — and parent

3:50pm April 28, 2023

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Our correspondent bought some mail-order chicks. They grew into hens. They changed her life for the better. And then one day ... she heard this wondrous sound.

Eye-popping egg prices have finally started to fall. Wholesale eggs in the Midwest market dropped by 58 cents to $3.29 a dozen at the end of January, according to USDA data.

Eggs prices drop, but the threat from avian flu isn't over yet

5:00am February 05, 2023

by Allison Aubrey

After months of eye-popping prices, egg lovers are finally seeing some relief. Wholesale prices in the Midwest fell by 58 cents at the end of January, but the days of a $1.50 a dozen may not return.

Human Interest

To Pet Or To Eat, That Is The Question

8:30am July 03, 2021

by Lynn Zimmerman

With 11 acres of land around her, Jennie thought that using some of it to raise chickens to sell as meat would be a great way to supplement her income.

Queue Listen Now

A chicken looks for food with her chicks June 3, 2020, in Tampa, Fla. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning people to refrain from snuggling with backyard poultry, citing concerns about spreading salmonella.

Don't Kiss Your Chickens, The CDC Says In A Salmonella Warning

2:34pm May 22, 2021

by Catherine Whelan

A surge in salmonella cases around the country prompts a warning for backyard chicken owners from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Chicken hatcheries say they're seeing a spike in interest from people wanting to raise the birds at home. A poultry expert says that for the average person keeping half a dozen chickens in the summer, "you would get plenty of eggs for the family."

'We Are Swamped': Coronavirus Propels Interest In Raising Backyard Chickens For Eggs

7:53pm April 03, 2020

by Bill Chappell

"We've never seen anything like this and I've been here since 1964," the owner of one hatchery says. For anyone looking to start their own flock, an expert has advice on breeds.