Are backyard chickens still booming?

Vice President JD Vance announced his family welcomed several new avian members to the vice-presidential residence on Observatory Circle. The second family’s elaborate chicken coop, built to complement the Victorian-style dwelling, has inspired renewed interest in tending backyard chickens. Americans clamored for the egg-laying pets amid supply chain disruptions and skyrocketing egg prices during the COVID-19 pandemic. More time spent at home and burgeoning interest in domestic hobbies also fueled the urban farming trend. But are Americans still tending their flocks?

What happened after the pandemic craze? Soaring demand during the onset of COVID-19 lessened a bit as the pandemic wound down, Washington state–based chicken breeder Suzanne Chandler said. Chandler hatches specialty chicks for backyard chicken enthusiasts. Customers book an appointment online and pick up the chicks about three weeks later. Demand increased last year when an avian flu outbreak sent egg prices climbing to an average high of $4.95 per dozen in January 2025.

How many Americans keep backyard chickens? Roughly 11 million American households owned backyard chickens in early January 2025, according to data from the American Pet Products Association, and 8 million considered them pets. That’s nearly double the 5.8 million that reported ownership in 2018.

How are chick sales faring this year? As egg prices returned to normal, Chandler saw a corresponding dip in demand for chicks, especially among people embarking on chicken ownership for the first time. Most of her clients already own chickens and are purchasing chicks to replenish their flocks. Chandler also says higher energy prices mean less discretionary income to spend on chicks. In June, she noticed a slight increase in first-time customers thanks to the vice president’s chicken coop tour.

Do backyard chickens come with health benefits? That may depend more on the type of feed your chickens consume than where they are raised. Researchers at Penn State University found eggs collected from chickens allowed to free range on pasture contained higher concentrations of key nutrients like Vitamins A and E than those of commercial hens. Chandler says a backyard flock can provide a steady source of nutrition independent from far-away food systems susceptible to supply chain disruptions.

How many eggs do Americans eat per day? Americans consumed about 259.2 eggs per capita in 2025 for an average of 0.7 eggs per day, according to USDA data analyzed by Statista. That’s fewer than in 1950, when individuals ate almost 380 eggs per year. But egg consumption has risen slightly over the last decade: Americans consumed 256.3 eggs per capita in 2015.

What other homesteading trends are on the rise? Urban homesteading, dubbed “prairiecore” in some online circles, is still gaining steam, thanks to the Make America Healthy Again movement coined by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as well as social media influencers popularizing clean living and the “farm girl” aesthetic. Millennials and Gen Z report renewed interest in gardening, bread-making, canning, and other traditional crafts such as knitting.