It's only February and we're in the thick of the great egg shortage crisis of 2023. Prices have continued to skyrocket as chickens have been laying fewer and fewer eggs. But one woman claims to have found the culprit. When she noticed one of her hens got out of the cage to roam, she took to TikTok.

@kierstengillman24 We’ve figured out why the price of eggs is so high. Tell us about your experience! #chicken #chickens #backyardchickens #eggs #chickenconspiracy #notwinter #pisgahpreschool #pisgahpreschoolpals #fresheggs #farmfresh #farmfresheggs #freerange #noeggs #zeroeggs #fyp #conspiracy #conspiracytheory #theory #feed #hens #layinghens #dozen #prices ? original sound - PisgahPreschool

The theory that the type of chicken feed used is an interesting one. But it seems as though that theory at least in part has been disproven. The idea that RNA sequencing is being used in feed and that's why chickens aren't laying eggs is completely false. RNA or Ribonucleic Acid is a naturally occurring nucleic acid present in all living things.

That includes humans, dogs, and you guessed it... Chickens. However, Kiersten does make another point that could possibly explain why chickens aren't laying. The fact that one hen got out of the cage to roam free, and then immediately spat out 7 eggs is fairly telling.

The decision to either cage your chickens or raise them free-range is just as important as what you're feeding them. Caged chickens typically have no access to the outdoors, very little space to stretch or bathe, and are exposed to diseases caused by overcrowding. 

If at all possible, it seems as though the free-range route is the way to go, especially during an egg shortage.