Egg supplies in the US are down like 5%. The price bullshit isn’t just from that.
EDIT: Because I know some people will want some hard numbers, I looked some up quickly.
USDA report puts some hard numbers on American egg production (Published: February 20, 2025, so these are 2024 numbers)
The average number of egg-laying hens fell to 375 million, a 2 percent drop from the previous year, while egg production declined 1 percent to 109 billion eggs. The total U.S. chicken inventory also decreased by 2 percent, reaching 514 million birds.
Despite a modest rise in broiler chicken prices, egg prices have surged. In late January, the wholesale price for large eggs in New York soared to $7.46 per dozen — more than double last year’s $2.94. USDA now projects an annual average egg price of $4.44 per dozen.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza remains a major driver of price fluctuations. Though the report does not account for recent bird losses in 2025, economist Bernt Nelson of the American Farm Bureau Federation estimates that 43 million birds were lost in January and February alone — representing 25 percent of all birds affected since the outbreak began in 2022. These losses suggest continued price volatility as producers work to rebuild flocks.
Now, the article does mention the recent bird infections being higher at 25%, however look at the specific wording used. “representing 25 percent of all birds affected since the outbreak began in 2022”. So it’s saying the recent infections and kills represent that amount from the last 2+ years of avian flu infections, not a sudden spike of 25% of the current supply.
Egg supplies in the US are down like 5%. The price bullshit isn’t just from that.
EDIT: Because I know some people will want some hard numbers, I looked some up quickly.
Now, the article does mention the recent bird infections being higher at 25%, however look at the specific wording used. “representing 25 percent of all birds affected since the outbreak began in 2022”. So it’s saying the recent infections and kills represent that amount from the last 2+ years of avian flu infections, not a sudden spike of 25% of the current supply.