This Trendy Pet Laid a Rotten Egg
Imagine rolling out of bed, taking a sip of morning espresso, and stepping outside to an Instagram-worthy chicken coop for freshly laid eggs and the soothing cluck of a half dozen pet hens. Thousands set this charming aspiration into motion when California settled into a long haul of COVID-19 restrictions. Backyard chickens became as much of a 2020 pandemic trend as sharing sourdough starters and Zoom cocktail hours.
Now, as Californians scramble to return to work, school, and a life that doesn’t involve hoarding toilet paper, what’s to become of these once-popular pet chickens? Are people returning live poultry to shelters and sanctuaries across the state in droves? The answer is yes, but not for the reason you might think.
“So many people were buying chickens at the beginning of the pandemic—in particular, they were purchasing chicks in the mail,” explains Kelcie Leach, program and outreach director at Animal Place, which has locations in Grass Valley and Petaluma. “When you purchase chicks, there’s a high probability that you’re going to get a rooster.”
