Egg Prices Soar; Can You Have Chickens At Your House In Colorado?

In a classic case of what comes first - the chicken or the egg - we all know the chicken came first, because who would lay the eggs? But then if chickens come from eggs, who (or what) laid the first egg?

That's a debate for another time, because as of today, with the cost of eggs being what they are due to a number of different factors impacting the egg industry, what we really want to know is if eggs are so expensive, couldn't you just get a couple chickens to keep at your house to lay eggs for you? Good question.

The short answer? Maybe. Clear as mud, right?

Cities across the state of Colorado are varied on their ordinances regarding whether or not you can have chickens in your yard, and when you factor HOAs into the mix, the rules get even more varied and in some cases, confusing.

Most cities will allow residents to have up to 8 chickens in their yard at a time, assuming you've filled out the proper applications and paid the fees to your city.

The real crux of the situation though is whether or not you live in a neighborhood with a Homeowners Association. That's going to be the first place to check, because in many cities that actually allow raising chickens, the HOA will supersede the law of the city and prohibit it.

Step one, find out if your HOA allows it. If they do, move to step two, hit up your city government to find out how to get the application to have them and how much the fees are. Step three, get yourself some chickens and cook up all the eggs you want.