Egg prices are already high – and could get worse.
Average price of a dozen grade A big eggs was $4.15 during the month of December, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics said – up from $2.51 in December 2023.
There are two things driving up prices: bird flu outbreaks and state cage-free egg laws.
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Patrick Penfield, a professor and supply chain expert at Syracuse University’s School of Management, told Nexstar Media that egg prices could rise as much as 20% before the end of the year.
This means that the average price is a dozen big eggs could be nearly $5 by the end of 2025, which would be the highest ever recorded average price for a dozen eggs.
Egg prices are expected to rise in the coming months due to the bird flu epidemic. (iStock)
The previous high price for eggs was in January 2023, when the average price of a dozen large eggs was $4.82. However, by August 2023, the average price had dropped to $2.04.
Penfield predicted that egg prices could surpass that record as early as February.
Current bird flu outbreakwhich is technically known as “highly pathogenic avian influenza” (HPAI), has resulted in a record number of deaths in laying hens, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in a recent report.
In the last quarter of 2024, more than 20 million laying hens died.
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“Unlike past years, all major production systems experienced significant losses in 2024, including conventional caged, cage-free and certified organic species,” the USDA said.
Once bird flu is detected, the farm must destroy all the birds in the flock. This has had a devastating impact on the egg industry, as it takes approximately five months for a chick to mature.
Hens start laying eggs around the fifth month of life. (Reuters/Mike Blake)
“When a hen is five months old, she can lay one egg a day,” Penfield said.
There are currently no vaccines or medical treatments for bird flu, he said. The only defenses are “biosecurity practices” – keeping chickens protected from wild birds and away from people, keeping enclosures covered and “minimizing large puddles and standing water.”
Penfield hopes the chickens will develop “some sort of natural immunity” against the outbreak, but warned Nexstar that could take years.
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“We haven’t seen that yet and it will take many years for that to happen,” Penfield told Nexstar. “Also, if so, we don’t know if this immunity will protect chickens if the avian flu virus mutates.”
In addition to bird flu, several states have laws that require all eggs sold to be “cage-free,” meaning that the birds are not raised in cages. They are usually more expensive than conventional eggs even without an outbreak of bird flu.
The entire flock must be destroyed if a hen tests positive for bird flu. (iStock)
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While egg expert Lisa Steele told Fox News Digital that pasture-raised chickens produce “gold standard” eggs, these birds are exposed to an increased risk of disease.
“Poultry acquires HPAI from infected waterfowl (ducks and geese) and seagulls, which may frequent wetlands on farms. Therefore, poultry raised outdoors or with access to the outdoors are at greater risk of HPAI,” according to the University’s website in Minnesota on bird flu.
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“Infected poultry can spread the disease to new flocks through contact with birds, people, manure and equipment. HPAI viruses can persist in bird droppings for several months, especially under conditions of high humidity and low temperature,” said the University of Minnesota.
