28-01-2025
Why You Can Barely Afford Eggs Right Now, According to Experts
Egg prices are soaring across the country.
There are several reasons why they're so expensive right now.
Experts say it could be a while until things level off.
It's hard to miss the bare shelves in the refrigerator section at your local grocery store where eggs used to be. Even if your store happens to have eggs in stock, prices are astronomical right now.
While prices vary across the country, the United States Department of Agriculture has clear data that show a meteoric rise in price during the month of December. Wholesale prices (i.e. what the store pays purveyors) in New York, for example, jumped 52 cents to $7.24 per dozen. In California, that increased 72 cents to $8.76 per dozen. That's on top of prices that had already jumped up. And, unfortunately, they continue to rise.
Meet the experts: Richard Blatchford, Ph.D., a poultry researcher and associate specialist in Cooperative Extension: Small to Industry Scale Poultry at the UC Davis Department of Animal Science; Jonathan Moyle, Ph.D., poultry expert and extension specialist at the University of Maryland College of Agriculture & Natural Resources; says James K. Yarborough, extension agent of agriculture and natural resources at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences; Darin Detwiler, L.P.D., author of the book Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions and a professor at Northeastern University
If you're a regular egg-eater, those prices are a big deal. So, what's behind this and, more importantly, when will those prices go back down? Here's exactly why egg prices have gotten so high.
There are a lot of nuances to this—and it's not just an egg recall here and there that's causing the issue.
Bird flu is to blame, says Richard Blatchford, Ph.D., a poultry researcher and associate specialist in Cooperative Extension: Small to Industry Scale Poultry at the UC Davis Department of Animal Science.
The H5N1 avian flu outbreak hasn't just taken out a few flocks of egg-laying hens here and there—it's obliterated them across the country.
More than 20 million egg-laying hens died in the last quarter from bird flu, either directly or from being culled (i.e. selective slaughter after the virus got into a flock). Data from the USDA also show that 13 million commercial and backyard flocks have been impacted by bird flu in the past month. That's a lot of birds. 'Avian flu has been decimating the flocks,' says Jonathan Moyle, Ph.D., poultry expert and extension specialist at the University of Maryland College of Agriculture & Natural Resources.
Unfortunately, flock owners can't just swap in new egg-laying birds immediately. 'You have to get chicks hatched, but that process is a little more complex that it sounds,' Blatchford says. 'Most egg producers have their plan for the next couple of years out. They have to balance when flocks are going out of production and bringing new birds in.'
Blatchford says it's also hard to just go to a breeder and say you so need a bunch of birds. 'Once you do get them hatched, you have to wait about 18 to 20 weeks for them to become sexually mature and start laying eggs,' he says.
That means there is more premium pricing on the eggs that are going into circulation—and egg producers are having to shell out more to replace the birds they've lost.
Cage-free hens are able to roam around, which is considered more humane than keeping chickens in cages. Some states have even mandated that egg producers have cage-free hens, Moyle says. 'But cage-free is not as efficient for egg-laying,' Moyle says. 'You're getting less that way.'
Cage-free eggs also tend to be more expensive to purchase, he points out.
While egg producers are trying to replace impacted flocks, bird flu is still a threat. Meaning, farmers could replace a flock and have them get infected all over again, leading to even more issues—and cost.
'It's difficult to gauge when this issue will be resolved,' says James K. Yarborough, extension agent of agriculture and natural resources at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. 'Since the virus is so far spread and we can't directly control wild birds, it's a challenge to control the illness.'
It's not clear. Again, bird flu continues to spread in flocks across the country, making it hard for egg producers to get ahead. With all of the other issues facing producers, Moyle says we're likely to face egg shortages and high prices for the foreseeable future. 'There's no idea when this will be under control,' he says.
Can you get bird flu from eggs?
It's unlikely. 'The risk of catching bird flu, such as H5N1 avian influenza, from eating contaminated eggs is considered low, especially if the eggs are properly cooked,' says Darin Detwiler, L.P.D., author of the book Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions and a professor at Northeastern University.
That's also true of handling eggs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Government officials have put very strict surveillance in place for egg-laying hens across the U.S., making it very likely that infected poultry or eggs will be detected quickly.
'Avian influenza viruses are primarily spread through direct contact with infected birds, their droppings, or contaminated environments, rather than through the consumption of poultry products, including eggs,' Detwiler says.
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