The Price Of Chicken Is Going Up
What happens when Chicken Little isn't so little anymore
It's no secret America loves chicken. We sing songs about it, write James Beard Award-winning tributes to it and somewhat nonsensically refer to non-chicken items as "chicken-fried." However, it looks like farmers are having trouble keeping up with the country's love—and demand—for the bird.
After years of breeding chickens so they grow both faster and larger than usual, many of the nation's chicken farmers have found that their roosters have become so large and top-heavy that they've become completely disinterested in reproducing, Consumerist reports. This lack of libido, while—let's be honest—somewhat funny at first, actually has wide-reaching consequences. According to the Wall Street Journal, just a 1 percent drop in the rate of egg hatches equates to around $121 million that is lost in the poultry industry.
RELATED Think You Know the Difference Between 'Cage Free' and 'Free Range'? "
Until farmers find a way to get their roosters and hens, er, excited again, there's a good chance this problem will translate to higher grocery store prices for America's favorite meat.