Something to Cluck About: The Growing Opportunity in Backyard Poultry
11 Million U.S. Households Keep Backyard Chickens. Is Your Store Ready?
Why backyard chicken keeping presents a valuable opportunity for today’s retailers.
Backyard chickens are no longer just for farms. Across the United States, households are welcoming chickens into their backyards, embracing everything from fresh eggs and sustainable living to the companionship and entertainment these feathered friends provide.
According to figures attributed to the American Pet Products Association (APPA), approximately 11 million U.S. households kept backyard chickens in 2024, highlighting a significant consumer market that extends beyond traditional agricultural customers.
For hardware stores, garden centers, farm supply stores, and independent retailers, this presents an opportunity worth exploring.
Many of these customers may already be walking through your doors, purchasing gardening supplies, outdoor equipment, animal feed, and other essentials. The question is: Are you offering everything they need for their backyard flocks?
Backyard Chickens: More Than Just Fresh Eggs
While fresh eggs remain a major attraction, backyard chicken ownership is about much more than food production.
For some households, keeping chickens is an extension of their interest in gardening, homesteading, and producing their own food. For others, chickens are beloved pets with distinct personalities, daily routines, and a special place in the family.
Backyard flock owners often take an active interest in their birds’ nutrition, enrichment, and overall well-being. They enjoy interacting with their chickens, learning about their behaviors, and discovering products that enhance their daily care routines.
Figures attributed to APPA also suggest that approximately 8 million U.S. households considered their chickens pets.
For retailers, that distinction matters.
Customers who view their chickens as pets may be interested in more than basic feed and equipment. They may also seek nutritious treats, enrichment products, and convenient ways to interact with their flocks.
Much like dog and cat owners, backyard chicken enthusiasts can become engaged shoppers who appreciate products designed specifically for their animals.
Your Next Backyard Chicken Customer May Already Shop at Your Store
One of the most compelling aspects of the backyard chicken market is how naturally it overlaps with existing retail categories.
Consider the customers visiting your store for raised garden beds, soil, fencing, storage containers, or outdoor supplies. Some may already be raising chickens, while others may be exploring backyard flock keeping as part of a broader interest in self-sufficiency and homesteading.
This creates opportunities for retailers to introduce relevant products without necessarily attracting an entirely new customer base.
For example, a customer purchasing garden supplies may also need chicken treats, feeding accessories, or flock care essentials. Offering these products together can make shopping more convenient while creating opportunities for additional purchases.
Retailers don’t necessarily need a large dedicated poultry department to begin serving this market. A carefully selected assortment of accessible, easy-to-understand products can be a practical starting point.
For stores already carrying poultry feed, adding complementary treats provides an opportunity to expand beyond essential nutrition. For stores without an established poultry category, treats can offer an approachable way to test local customer interest.
Your existing customers could already be part of the backyard chicken market.
Why Chicken Treats Deserve a Place on Your Shelves
Feed is an essential purchase for chicken owners but treats serve a different purpose.
For many backyard flock keepers, offering treats is part of the enjoyment of raising chickens. Treat time can become a daily ritual, whether it’s encouraging chickens to approach their owners, rewarding positive behaviors when coop training, or simply watching the flock eagerly gather for a favorite snack.
Treats can also be used in enrichment activities that encourage natural behaviors such as pecking and foraging.
Unlike durable accessories that may only need replacing occasionally, treats are consumable products. When customers find a treat their chickens enjoy, they may return to purchase it again, creating opportunities for repeat sales alongside existing feed and flock care products.
Treats are also relatively straightforward to merchandise. They can be displayed near poultry feed, incorporated into backyard chicken sections, or positioned alongside products targeting homesteading and outdoor living enthusiasts.
Simple educational signage can help shoppers understand what the product is and how it fits into their existing care routine.
The Growing Interest in Natural Nutrition
Today’s backyard chicken owners have access to more information than ever before. Through online communities, educational resources, and conversations with fellow flock keepers, consumers are learning about different feeding options and the nutritional characteristics of the products they offer their birds.
For retailers, this creates an opportunity to carry products with clear ingredients and straightforward nutritional benefits.
One increasingly relevant ingredient in backyard poultry nutrition is black soldier fly larvae (BSFL).
Black soldier fly larvae are naturally rich in protein and fats and provide calcium, making them an appealing ingredient in treats for backyard chickens.
Insects are a natural part of a chicken’s varied diet. Chickens instinctively peck and forage for insects and other food sources when given the opportunity.
Dried BSFL treats provide a convenient way for owners to offer insect-based treats without the handling or storage requirements associated with live insects.
For consumers familiar with traditional mealworms, BSFL offer another point of differentiation: black soldier fly larvae are naturally higher in calcium than mealworms.
Of course, treats should always be offered in moderation alongside a nutritionally balanced feed appropriate for the flock.
Meet Peak Beak: Natural Nutrition for Backyard Flocks
As consumers explore natural nutrition options for their chickens, Peak Beak offers retailers a way to expand their poultry assortment with products designed for backyard flock owners.
Peak Beak Dried Whole Black Soldier Fly Larvae Treats are made from 100% black soldier fly larvae, offering a single ingredient treat with naturally occurring protein, healthy fats, and calcium.
Produced in Canada and packaged in the United States, Peak Beak brings together natural nutrition, convenience, and a commitment to more sustainable production.
Peak Beak treats can be scattered for pecking and foraging activities, offered during flock interaction, or used as a reward during training and coop recall routines.
The dried format also offers practical convenience. Customers can store and portion the treats without refrigeration, making them easy to incorporate into everyday flock care.
Packaged in a convenient 1.65 lb container, Peak Beak is designed for backyard flock owners who appreciate both nutrition and ease of use.
For retailers, these features provide several clear selling points:
• Simple ingredients: Made from 100% black soldier fly larvae.
• Natural nutrition: A source of protein, healthy fats, and calcium.
• Product differentiation: Naturally higher in calcium than mealworms.
• Everyday convenience: Dried treats that are easy to store and portion.
• Sustainability: Produced in Canada with a focus on making better use of resources in insect farming.
These benefits can help store associates introduce the product to customers who may be unfamiliar with black soldier fly larvae.
More Ways to Support Backyard Flocks
Beyond treats, Peak Beak also offers two targeted nutritional supplements designed to address different needs throughout a flock’s life.
Peak Beak Feather Support is formulated with amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics to support healthy feather growth and development, including during molting periods.
Peak Beak Layer Support is designed to provide targeted nutritional support for laying hens, complementing their regular balanced feed.
A Year-Round Opportunity for Retailers
While spring often brings renewed interest in gardening, chicks, and backyard flock keeping, chicken ownership is a year-round commitment.
Existing flock owners continue caring for their birds through summer, fall, and winter, adapting their routines to seasonal conditions.
As colder weather approaches, flock owners may be reviewing their feeding routines, preparing their coops, and stocking up on essentials. Nutritious treats can remain part of their regular routines throughout the year, providing opportunities for interaction and enrichment regardless of the season.
Retailers can take advantage of these seasonal conversations by featuring relevant products alongside their existing poultry and homesteading assortments.
During fall and winter, messaging can focus on keeping customers stocked with their favorite flock treats. In spring, the focus can shift toward welcoming new flock owners and introducing them to backyard chicken care essentials.
Give Your Customers Something to Cluck About
With an estimated 11 million U.S. households keeping backyard chickens, the opportunity to serve this customer segment deserves attention.
Whether your customers raise chickens for fresh eggs, companionship, or a more self-sufficient lifestyle, they share an ongoing need for products that help them care for their flocks.
By expanding your assortment with natural, convenient treats and targeted nutritional products, you can give these customers another reason to choose your store.
Ready to expand your poultry assortment? Peak Beak 100% Black Soldier Fly Larvae Treats are available to order through Arett today.