Growing market equals extra sales opportunities.
People who acquired chickens in lockdown are now hooked on their feathered friends and fresh eggs.
Equestrian retailers – and feed merchants in particular – can take heart at the extra opportunities for sales of poultry feed and equipment.
Between March and August, chicken ownership rose to 1.42 million UK households, according to ChickenGuard, maker of automatic coop doors.
And of all those new to poultry keeping, 80% had a long-held ambition to own chickens as pets and for a supply of fresh eggs.
Among domestic chicken owners, just under half have between two and five birds, a third have six to nine, and 22% have more than ten chickens.
Ben Braithwaite, founder of ChickenGuard, said he wanted to discover people’s motivation for keeping chickens.
“It’s not surprising to see that a high percentage wanted to make use of the eggs,” he said. “During lockdown, panic buying led to a real concern that food would be in short supply, so we must take that into account.
“What is delightful is seeing how many want to keep chickens as pets for them and their children, as they are wonderful creatures.”
