As Egg prices skyrocket across the country, some Denton County residents are finding other ways to get them by buying their own chickens and collecting eggs. The decision has boosted Chicken sales and the local farm shop in Denton is feeling the pressure.
D&L Farm and Home has increased the number of chickens sold in Denton on Fort Worth Drive. Employee Abigail Griffith said the store had run out of chicken and chick sales this week. She said that the phones were constantly ringing and asking if they had chickens.
Griffith said there was one chicken at the location Friday morning, more are expected to arrive in the evening, and more next week. She expects to receive 200 to 400 chicks next week.
Regular and new customers say they are getting more chickens because of the bird flu outbreak, Griffith said.
“We have a whole list of people we have to call when we get the chickens because they have been in line for a week now,” she said.
Griffith said the company sold about 200 chickens last January. So far this month they have sold about 500 chickens. Sales tend to be higher at the end of the year – Griffith said D&L sells about 1,000 chickens a month during the summer.
Griffith said bird flu was not a problem at the Denton store. However, if there was an outbreak, she said they would follow protocol, sanitize the chickens, including other birds they own, and quarantine them away from others.
Can you keep chickens and sell eggs in Denton?
So, you can buy chickens, but it’s also important to know what’s legal in Denton. Let’s break it down.
The short answer is yes. But no more than eight chickens can be kept on one piece of land in a residential area. Any structure used to house chickens must be at least 50 feet from any home, business or place of business or office, school, hospital or nursing home.
Pens, chicken coops, sheds, and other enclosures must be maintained to avoid public nuisance, to avoid odors, and to avoid attracting insects or animals that threaten public health, safety, or welfare, in accordance with section 6.26 of the city’s ordinance code.
Regarding the sale of eggs in Denton, Denton Animal Services cannot confirm if local residents are allowed to sell eggs, but no city ordinance prohibits the sale of eggs.
Section 13 of the city code mentions that anyone who sells eggs at a farmers’ market must follow state rules.
Any farmer’s market food vendor who offers or sells food commonly known as “farm-grown”, “farm-originated”, or “farm-derived”, and who has a permit to own private or public property, must comply with the regulations. The Texas Food Enterprise is set out by the Department of Public Health pursuant to Section 13.2 of the City Code. Farm grown foods include whole foods, plants, nuts, certain meats, honey, eggs, and pasteurized dairy products.
Griffith said she recommends that those who want to raise chickens first try having chickens before raising chickens. She recommends doing research on how to properly care for chickens.
