High egg prices have led to a boom in live chicken sales

Americans are buying chickens to lay eggs as a hedge against a steep rise in prices resulting from millions of birds being culled due to avian influenza. “We’re already sold out on a lot of breeds — most breeds — until the summer,” said Meghan Howard, who runs sales and marketing for Meyer Hatchery in Ohio. “It’s those egg prices. People are really concerned about food security.”