The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way most of us cook, shop and eat, as we dread trips to the grocery store and consider growing some of our food . And the cost of eggs, a major staple for U.S. consumers, has dramatically increased, rising 16%, according to the latest report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

So it follows that Google has seen a steep rise in the search terms live chickens and backyard chickens their highest interest in the past 12 months and hatcheries have been inundated with calls and emails for orders as people try to keep birds as pets and produce their own eggs.

The urge to raise backyard chickens has even affected such international hotties as Tom Holland , who caved to the trend, and in so doing racked up close to a million views on his Instagram story.

But just because youre bored in the house doesnt mean you should purchase chickens. HuffPost chatted with Rebecca Cowans, the owner-operator of Down by the Bay Backyard Poultry in Prince Edward Island, Canada, as well as Tom Watkins, the vice president of Murray McMurray Hatchery in Webster City, Iowa, about some of the unexpected challenges and benefits for newbie backyard chicken farmers.

First of all, you cant just go out and buy a laying hen

Newbies may be unaware that purchasing a hen whos at the laying stage isnt common (meaning, you cant drive down to your local farm and pick up a hen this afternoon and expect eggs tomorrow morning for your frittata).

Instead, baby chicks are typically available from February to October at hatcheries and farm stores. According to Cowans, youre highly unlikely to find someone selling hens because the only time youre going to be able to purchase a ready-to-lay hen is if somebody is thinning their flocks or if somebody is getting out of [business]. And thats only in the fall, when everybody has raised their birds and theyve got too many.

This means that most beginners will be in the market for chicks, which take between 16-24 weeks to grow to egg-laying maturity .

The first few months are the most time- and labor-intensive

While both Cowans and Watkins assured that it isnt complicated to raise chicks, the first few months require extra attention and some equipment. Chicks must be kept safe and warm for the first four to six weeks while they grow out their feathers to prepare for their entry to the outside world.

Some hatcheries, such as Murray McMurrays , offer kits to help support that process. You can also set up a brooder box at home , which can be as simple as installing a safely fixed heat source (such as 40-watt light bulbs or brooder plates) into a giant Rubbermaid container.