Egg prices skyrocket to record levels due to the bird flu

• Wholesale prices for eggs have hit a record high. The continued spread of the bird flu has caused prices to rise.
• The wholesale price hike quickly trickled down to retailers and grocery stores.
• Some stores have even limited the number of eggs that can be sold per customer, while restaurants have upped prices for eggs on the menu.

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Wholesale egg prices continue to soar as the bird flu spreads. Egg prices have reached record levels, leading shoppers to experience sticker shock at the grocery store.

How expensive are eggs?

On Friday, Feb. 7, the average wholesale price for a dozen large, white shell eggs hit $8, according to Expana.

An Expana reporter told CNBC that the previous all-time high was in late December 2022, when the price hit $5.46 a dozen. He said there is a lag of a few weeks between the rise in wholesale prices and what consumers pay at the grocery store.

Also, prices vary from store to store.

What is the primary factor for the jump in egg prices?

Experts said the highly pathogenic bird flu is the primary driver of egg price inflation.

The disease has killed millions of chickens at commercial egg farms and reduced the egg supply nationally.

Farmers are forced to kill entire flocks to prevent the spread if they detect just one case.

How many chickens have died because of the bird flu?

Advanced Economic Solutions, a consulting firm that specializes in agriculture commodities, reported that more than 40 million egg-laying chickens died in 2024, or about 13% of the national chicken population.

This has created a supply shortage.

What is the effect on retailers and restaurants?

Retailers have implemented limits on egg purchases, such as one dozen per customer at Trader Joe’s or three dozen per customer at bulk supply retailer Costco.

Some restaurants, including Waffle House, have passed down the increased cost of eggs on the menu to customers.