This Is Why There's A Huge Chicken Shortage, Tyson Says
There's a major chicken shortage all across the country, affecting your favorite fast-food chains and restaurants and their wings, tenders, sandwiches, and more.
This chicken shortage got me losing my mind? https://t.co/eb8WbbExOK
— HBCU Anime✊?? (@HbcuAnime) May 13, 2021
It started in February, and places like Bojangles and KFC are feeling the heat—and now we know why. Tyson, the world's second-largest processor of chicken, beef, and pork, says it's all due to the high demand right now, but also because of its roosters.
Related: 7 New Fast-Food Chicken Sandwiches Everyone Is Talking About
The company switched its male roosters earlier this year, but ultimately there have been fewer eggs and lower hatch rates. It estimates the problem accounts for about 50% of the shortage issue, according to the New York Post. "We're changing out a [type of] male that, quite frankly, we made a bad decision on," Tyson's chief operating officer and group president of Poultry, Donnie King, said during an analyst call on Monday.
A spokesperson then followed up with CNN and noted that it chose the new type of rooster because of characteristics that could improve offspring chicken's meat quality. Those roosters are now being replaced by the old ones, which is a time-consuming process. CNN says the company has not shared what will happen to the roosters that didn't meet the demand.
Other factors like the extreme popularity of fast-food chicken sandwiches and even the recent winter storms in Texas have jammed supply as well. And chicken items aren't the only things missing at places like McDonald's, Chick-fil-A, and other chains right now. Here are 5 Shortages Affecting Fast-Food Chains Right Now.
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