Egg prices drive up demand for chicks in Des Moines

Axios

25-03-2025

It's like Black Friday at Bomgaars, but this season, everyone's scrambling for chicks.
Why it matters: The cost of eggs is driving people to buy their own backyard flocks.
Midwest large eggs were $5.23 per dozen last week, down 39%, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but Easter could cause prices to soar again.
Average egg prices in 2019 were $1.50 for a dozen.
State of play: The demand for chicks is so high right now that there's a long line of people who wait for the weekly shipment at Bomgaars in Des Moines for them, Emma Rice, a supervisor at the shop, tells Axios.
Rice, who helps order the chicks, says Bomgaars gets around 2,000 chicks weekly that they split for sale over two days.
In the past, they've helped customers preorder chickens from hatcheries, but the demand has been so high that they haven't been able to offer that service this year.
People drive from as far as Marshalltown to get chicks, she says.
By the numbers: Taking care of hens instead of buying eggs at the store isn't really a cost-saving strategy, according to Jenn Tompkins, co-owner of the backyard chickens company Rent the Chicken, which rents in Council Bluffs.
Here's an approximate breakdown of what keeping two backyard chickens looks like:
You get eight to 14 eggs a week total during the spring and fall (winter and summer can be slower), if your two hens are younger than three years old, says Tompkins.
A coop can cost more than $250.
It costs $20 a month for food and upkeep, plus two pints of water a day.
Plus: Each city in the metro has its own rules regarding keeping chickens, so make sure you check before you invest.
The bottom line: If you do try to get chicks, Rice recommends calling Bomgaars before making the drive and showing up to the store early.