If eggs are the goal, remember that it takes planning and investment to raise the chickens and protect against bird flu.

Is Raising Chickens Actually Cheaper Than Buying Eggs? The short answer is, no, it's not automatically cheaper to raise chickens than buy eggs, especially considering the substantial upfront costs.

The Agriculture Department predicts egg prices could rise another 20% this year. That might have some families rolling up their sleeves to go straight to the source.

Local hatcheries say chick season is booming, with more people looking to raise hens for eggs. But raising chickens takes planning, especially as bird flu spreads.

Peter Cortez started raising chickens in his backyard in 2017. His first few years didn’t go so well; it was a learning curve, but he quickly caught on.