Well, this should not sound like Doom and Gloom and Portents of Calamity. But I'd like to tell you a bit about how Fred and I maintain a lot of self-sufficiency.
First, the Chickens. When we bought this place years ago, it came with a flock of chickens we named the Motley Crew, as they were all sorts. We named the two roosters Chicky Noodle and Pacho Villa. And there were 25 Buff Orpington chicks in a brooder in the bathroom. Yes, it was that kind of a house.
So in a short time we had excess of 40 chickens and a very steep learning curve.
Eggs and Meat (as in chicken) is not going to get any cheaper any time soon. And it will never be as cheap as it once was. That's how things work. They never go back to being the price they once were. Avian Influenza is not going to vanish. It's a fact of our lives now.
Now, if you take the path I've chosen, eggs will be cheaper than what you will pay at the store. But not free. And your meat supply will be cleaner because you will keep it that way, every day of the animal's life. I do no hormones, no pesticides or herbicides anywhere near the chickens, and everything as clean and natural as I can keep it.
We have a flock of 9 hens and a rooster named Red. Some of the hens are a bit old but we get from four to 9 eggs a day. We supply ourselves, our extended familiy and some of our neighbors. They have a nice, tight chicken house, with clean litter. They come and go outside as they please, in a very large open pen.
Our favorite source for chicks is Murray McMurray hatchery. We have used them for years. I order chicks in batches of 25, some for eggs and some for meat. They come to the post office ina box, we bring them home and put them in a brooder. We always order them vaccinated against pullorum. A brooder can be as simple as a box or tub, and a heat-producing bulb in a clamp on fixture. Clean water, chick-starter from the local hardware or farm store, and you are off. They CAN be kept in your bathroom, but I don't recommend it. A garage or outbuilding that is safe from mice, rats, cats etc and in a few weeks, they will have feathers and be too big for the brooder. That is when you will need a tightly built chicken house and a generous pen. Don't go too small with either of those. More room means you can keep them cleaner and safer. I feed mine a mixture of cracked corn and pellet. Any vegetable waste from the household goes to them as well.
This is obviously a very short summary and if you are thinking about it, it's best to go to the library and check out a few books on chicken keeping. Some cities say you can keep chickens in your back yard, usually four, but no rooster. Check your local regulations before you get in too deep. Remember that cats, dogs and curious kids can be a hazard to them.
I'm not going to talk about turning birds into meat here, except to say that we get much better meat than any I could buy at the store.
Vegetables. They are going to cost more, too. If you have any dirt of your own, you should, in my opinion, buy garden seeds now and plan your garden. Seeds are going to be in more demand as people realize that food prices are not going to come down. Vegetable starts from the nursery are also going to cost more as demand goes up. A lawn is something you water, feed and cut, and then do it again. If you devote a portion of what was lawn to vegetables, you will water, feed and harvest and eat. If you don't have a yard, but have a balcony, a lanai or a sunny windowsill, you can still grow a few things. In some places, you can apply for an allottment or a garden plot.
I am making my garden 1/3 larger this year. I will be making some of my acreage available to extended family if they want to tend a garden plot of their own.
It's a lot of work. The food you will grow is far from free, but it will be clean and taste better than anything you can buy in the store. As you get good at it, your plants will produce more and the cost per tomato or bean will go down.
The library is your friend for learning about growing your own food. I recommend a TV show called Gardeners World. A big book called Organic Gardening is very good. I am sure there is stuff on YouTube but that isn't my cup of tea.
But for now: If you are going to try growing food, buy your seeds now. If you are considering chickens for eggs or meat, begin your research now.
I fear that food prices are going to soar and that there are hard times ahead. I sincerely hope I am wrong.