Why There Are Still So Few Eggs At The Grocery Store
Stress-buying backyard chickens might come back into style as an egg shortage remains apparent in grocery stores around the United States. Avian influenza is sweeping its way through flocks and killing off birds at an alarming rate. In November and December 2024, a staggering 17.2 million egg-laying chickens died as a result of contracting the virus. The impact of these devastating numbers reaches consumers in more ways than just low egg supply.
Since 2022, the cost of the avian influenza outbreak has reached over one billion dollars. That high cost falls on consumers. Just as shoppers thought egg prices were coming down, they went right back up. At the close of 2024, egg prices had risen nearly 25% over the previous two months, for both the highest and the lowest quality eggs.
The number of affected birds remains high with the USDA reporting that, as of January 13, 2025, 10.7 million chickens have been confirmed as infected. These numbers include birds in both backyard and commercial egg-laying flocks.
How to protect your animals from avian flu
Once a bird falls ill with avian influenza, it's highly unlikely for it to recover. While backyard chickens may not save you from high egg prices anymore, it's important to try and keep your own flock safe and healthy. The first task, in case of infection, should be isolating the infected bird in order to protect the rest of the flock.
It is also possible for the virus to be contracted by other animals, including mammals, if those animals eat sick birds or birds that died from the virus. Drinking unpasteurized milk and consuming undercooked meat can also raise the risk of infection. While humans can catch avian flu through exposure to infected animals, that scenario is very rare.
The recovery process for the millions of egg laying chickens lost to the avian flu could take months. It isn't certain when eggs will be plentiful on grocery store shelves again, or when the prices will be a less frightening sight for consumers. In the meantime, it may be best to hold off on the eggs.