This Easter, shoppers will have to pay extra for eggs.
In December, the average cost of a dozen eggs in the United States was $4.15. The price might climb even higher. Some grocery stores limit how many eggs shoppers can buy.
“Eggs used to be kind of a staple food for us,” says Sage Mills. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She bought eggs to bake a birthday cake last week. “But now . . . you might as well just go out to eat.”
What’s driving up prices?
A bird flu outbreak started in 2022. Wild birds like geese carry this avian influenza. They spread it to domesticated birds like chickens. The illness isn’t usually deadly for humans. But chickens die very quickly. To stop the spread of illness once it reaches a farm, farmers must kill the entire flock.
Farmers have slaughtered more than 145 million chickens, turkeys, and other birds since the outbreak began. Many of those were egg-laying chickens. That means there’s a smaller supply of eggs. If shoppers’ demand for eggs stays the same or goes up, prices usually rise. That’s because even if there’s less to sell, the person providing the product still needs to earn a certain amount to operate. Generally, consumers (people who buy products) will pay a bit more for the products they need—like food. (Read more about the law of supply and demand in Prices around the World.) Plus, farmers’ costs to protect the egg supply are going up too.
Farms try to keep chickens healthy. Many poultry farms have installed truck washes. Those clean vehicles entering the property. Others require workers to shower and change clothes before stepping inside a barn.
Some poultry farmers have even invested in lasers. They shoot beams of green light in random patterns. The lights discourage wild geese from landing on the property.
These safety measures helped. But each came with a cost.
Shoppers feel the pinch. Mike Vickers is a manager at a supermarket in Minneapolis. He isn’t stocking any organic, cage-free eggs right now. They’re too pricey. He understands the pain customers are feeling.
“It’s the first time in my life that I’ve ever had to be kind of embarrassed,” he says. “And it’s not our fault. We’re paying today $7.45 for a dozen eggs. We’re selling for $7.59. We’re making $0.14. That doesn’t pay the bills.”
