Egg prices may soon be on the rise, says expert – here's why and how much

Egg prices are already steep – and mightiness beryllium getting worse. 

The mean terms of a twelve Grade A large eggs was $4.15 during the period of December, said the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – an summation from $2.51 successful December 2023. 

There are 2 things driving the terms increases: the vertebrate flu outbreak and authorities laws astir cage-free eggs.

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Patrick Penfield, a prof and proviso concatenation adept astatine Syracuse University’s School of Management, told Nexstar Media that ovum prices could emergence by arsenic overmuch arsenic 20% earlier the twelvemonth is over.

This means that the mean terms of a twelve large eggs could beryllium astir $5 by the extremity of 2025, which would beryllium the highest-ever recorded mean terms for a twelve eggs.

Egg prices are expected to emergence successful the coming months owed to the vertebrate flu epidemic.  (iStock)

The erstwhile precocious ovum terms was successful January 2023, erstwhile the mean terms of a twelve ample eggs was $4.82. By August 2023, however, the mean terms had dropped to $2.04. 

Penfield predicted that ovum prices could transcend that grounds arsenic soon arsenic February. 

The existent bird flu outbreak, which is technically known arsenic "Highly pathogenic avian influenza" (HPAI), has resulted successful a grounds fig of deaths of egg-laying hens, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said successful a caller report.

In the past 4th of 2024, much than 20 cardinal egg-laying hens died. 

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"Unlike successful past years, successful 2024, each large accumulation systems experienced important losses, including accepted caged, cage-free, and certified integrated types," said the USDA. 

Once vertebrate flu is detected, a workplace indispensable cull each the birds successful the flock. This has had a devastating interaction connected the ovum industry, arsenic it takes astir 5 months for a chickenhearted to mature.

Hens statesman laying eggs astir the property of 5 months.  (Reuters/Mike Blake)

"Once a hen is 5 months aged it tin laic astir 1 ovum per day," said Penfield. 

Presently, determination are nary vaccines oregon aesculapian treatments against vertebrate flu, helium said. The lone defence is "biosecurity practices" – keeping chickens harmless from chaotic birds and distant from humans, keeping enclosures covered, and "reducing ample puddles and lasting water." 

Penfield hopes that chickens volition make "some benignant of earthy immunity" against the outbreak, but warned Nexstar that this could instrumentality years. 

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"We person not seen that yet and it volition instrumentality galore years for that to happen," Penfield told Nexstar. "Also, if they do, we bash not cognize if this immunity would support hens if the vertebrate flu microorganism mutated." 

Apart from vertebrate flu, respective states person laws requiring that each eggs sold to beryllium "cage-free," meaning the birds are not raised successful cages. These are typically much costly than accepted eggs adjacent absent an outbreak of vertebrate flu. 

An full flock indispensable beryllium culled if a chickenhearted tests affirmative for vertebrate flu.  (iStock)

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While ovum adept Lisa Steele told Fox News Digital that pasture-raised chickens nutrient the "gold standard" of eggs, these birds are astatine an accrued hazard of illness.

"Poultry get HPAI from infected waterfowl (ducks and geese) and gulls, which whitethorn predominant wetlands connected farms. Thus, poultry raised outdoors oregon with outdoor entree are astatine greater hazard of HPAI," said the University of Minnesota's website connected avian influenza. 

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"Infected poultry tin dispersed illness to caller flocks done interaction with birds, people, manure and equipment. HPAI viruses tin beryllium successful vertebrate discarded for respective months, particularly nether high-moisture and low-temperature conditions," said the University of Minnesota.