The average price of a dozen eggs in the U.S. was $4.21 in February 2023, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is more than double the price in February 2022 of about $2.00 a dozen, so it came as no surprise when community members began to reach out seeking information on starting their own backyard flock.  This inspired the Washington County County Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) Extension Agent to host a class on the basics of backyard poultry. The program was held in March with the goal of spreading information before chicks went on sale at local feed stores. 

This program covered selecting the right breed, housing, necessary equipment, nutrition, basic health, and more. Each participant was given a hand-out of the PowerPoint which included information compiled from publications created by the University of Kentucky Poultry Specialists. Several participants came with pre-prepared questions that were able to be answered throughout the presentation or were asked at the end. The ANR agent was able to provide information on the cost of feeding and housing layouts to producers that stayed after the program. One community member can be quoted saying "I have raised poultry for over 15 years and was still able to learn something new today.".