Embed from Getty Images
While the price of eggs was already high from pandemic-induced inflation and price gouging, the price skyrocketed even more due to the bird flu epidemic (and it’s sure to get worse as workers get deported). This is because the standard safety procedure that poultry farms follow when a case of the virus is detected… is to slaughter the entire flock, even (and oftentimes) when a single flock has numbers in the millions. That response seems excessive to me, but I’m neither a farmer nor an epidemiologist, so I’ll defer to the experts. Here are more details on this rotten egg of a situation:
Egg prices will increase by 20% this year: The average price per dozen nationwide hit $4.15 in December. That’s not quite as high as the $4.82 record set two years ago, but the Agriculture Department predicts prices are going to soar another 20% this year. Shoppers in some parts of the country are already paying more than double the average price, or worse, finding empty shelves in their local grocery stores. Organic and cage-free varieties are even more expensive. Some grocery stores have even limited how many eggs shoppers can buy.
Price hikes stem from the 2022 bird flu outbreak: Anytime the virus is found on a poultry farm, the entire flock is slaughtered to help limit the virus’ spread. And with massive egg farms routinely housing more than 1 million chickens, just a few infections can cause a supply crunch. The problem tends to linger because it takes months to dispose of all the carcasses, disinfect barns and bring in new birds. More than 145 million chickens, turkeys and other birds have been slaughtered since the current outbreak began, with the vast majority of them being egg-laying chickens.
How bird flu is spreading: Bird flu is primarily spread by wild birds such as ducks and geese as they migrate. While it is fatal to a variety of animals, those species can generally carry it without getting sick, which offers the virus a chance to mutate and thrive. The virus can be spread through droppings or any interaction between farm-raised poultry and wild birds. It’s also easily tracked into a farm on someone’s boots or by vehicle. Unlike previous outbreaks, the one that began in 2022 didn’t die out in high summer temperatures.
Dairy cattle getting infected made things worse: The virus found another new host when dairy cattle started getting sick last March. That creates more opportunities for the virus to linger and spread and unlike poultry, cattle aren’t slaughtered when they get sick because they rarely die from bird flu. More than five dozen people have also become ill with bird flu and one person died since last March. Nearly all of them worked around sick animals.
Biosecurity measures: Many poultry farms installed truck washes to disinfect vehicles entering their property and require workers to shower and change clothes before stepping inside a barn. They have also invested in duplicate sets of tools so nothing used in one barn is shared. Some poultry farmers have even invested in lasers that shoot beams of green light in random patterns to discourage ducks and geese from landing. Dairy farmers isolate any sick cattle and do additional testing before moving animals off the farm.
Farmers & the USDA are also feeling the pinch: “Over the last five years, my small farm alone has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on biosecurity,” said Minnesota turkey farmer Loren Brey. … The U.S. Department of Agriculture has spent at least $1.14 billion compensating farmers for the birds they have had to kill. A similar number wasn’t immediately available for how much has been spent to aid dairies. USDA spokeswoman Shilo Weir said the department also spent more than $576 million on its own response.
Eggs, and more groceries, are way too expensive now. I cosign that statement. That being said, I’m still just utterly baffled by the “logic” that seemingly played out last November: “Eggs cost too much, the Democrats are in the White House right now, therefore I have to vote for Trump so things will change.” So instead of my kingdom for a horse, it’s our democracy for a dozen eggs. But what I got from this article is how much government agencies help out farmers, encouraging them to invest in the best biosecurity practices and in turn, compensating farmers when crises like the bird flu emerge. And as consumers we’re dependent on still more government agencies to track diseases and protect our food supply. Meanwhile this week alone, Trump tried to freeze all federal funding, and the worm operating RFK, Jr.’s brain struggled through two confirmation hearings to run the Department of Health and Human Services. You know, the RFK who loves raw milk. Oh, here’s one more quote from the article that I didn’t excerpt above: “Raw milk is the only food product linked to illnesses so far.” As a country, we really laid an egg.
Eggs in Donald Trump’s America vs Canada. This week. pic.twitter.com/dKjwWVwuvu
— Morgan Cameron Ross (@Morgan_C_Ross) January 29, 2025
Expect record-high egg prices for most of the year https://t.co/LPT18xWkC4
— Mercury News (@mercnews) January 27, 2025
He’s doing the tariff raises against Mexico and Canada tomorrow. So that should be fun. Sigh.
And some GOP are trying to blame Biden for killing too many of the birds infected. And I went….I hate these people.
The bird flu outbreak has been causing egg shortages since 2022, and thereby raising the cost of eggs. Yet the news media never focused on this as the reason for rising prices, nor the fact that for public health and preventing the spread of infection, it is necessary to kill the entire flock. Before the election, it was all ‘Biden is so old’ and ‘Biden is so unpopular’. They kept repeating the latter until it was true, rather than giving the public real information. ABC, CBS, and NBC are getting what they deserve now – Tr*mp has his FCC chair investigating them for b.s., just to harass them.
They punted for another month, and are going to try to exempt Canadian oil so US gas prices don’t jump. Additional “benefit” to the right wing of interfering with Canadian unity as the exemption would favor only the province of Alberta, whose premier is all-in with Trump.
I saw $9.99 eggs last week at the grocery store. Sigh.
I paid 11.89 for a dozen and a half of the organic in Costco. Had to do a double take when they scanned as I hadn’t looked at the price when I grabbed the carton.
Unfortunately all the locals that have small flocks and sell eggs sell out before I get there. We’ve also had 100+ chickens in the next county get diagnosed and there are concerns it’s spread.
I paid 6.99 for a half dozen because I really needed eggs.
Omg what is happening in the US?!?!
In Germany we pay 4 € (in $ more or less the same) for organic eggs!
Do you even have organic animal products in the US? Sometimes it feels like you don’t really have it, while most people buy organic here.
I really pray for you that the next 4 years will not be as bad for you (and us) as I think…
We have organic and it’s much more expensive. Wait till you see what we pay for healthcare
We have organic everything–even eggs which are like $12 instead of $9 or whatever. Personally I’m selective about what organic stuff I buy (eggs are worth the extra cost to me) because some of it is just a marketing ploy/gimmick. But if you’ve ever cracked an organic egg next to a regular one, the difference in appearance is obvious. Potatoes, strawberries, kale apples, milk–organic is best IF you can afford it.
Ideally I’d just grow my own veggies but we are on less than a quarter acre so not ideal for a large garden.
I live in an apartment with no land and am able to grow all of my own greens, herbs, tomatoes (cherry), strawberries (if I choose), broccoli/cauliflower, peas, etc. I don’t have any fruit trees or bushes (like dwarf lemon, orange, apple, blueberry, etc.)…yet, and I’m not growing any root vegetables…yet.
The trick is to go vertical. I have a fantastic indoor hydroponic garden from Aerospring that has 27 planting spots and produces year round. It grows so much that I have to beg neighbors to come harvest what they want. They also have an outdoor version which is much easier to set up and looks great.
Starting Monday, I’m turning my 10 x 10 patio into a greenhouse so I can start growing root veg, onions, garlic, Brussels sprouts, and dwarf fruit trees. I plan to use a mix of tiered beds, vertical GreenStalk planters (MUCH cheaper and more versatile than the Aerospring!), and pots. My patio is covered so I will have to invest in some high quality waterproof grow lights but that is fine. I think we are going to start seeing all kinds of food shortages and insane prices so (my hope) is that the investment will pay for itself.
Check YouTube for urban gardening videos. You will be amazed at how much you can grow in small spaces. Especially if you go vertical.
That sounds like quite the operation. I have a friend who grows hydroponic herbs and stuff indoors. What kind of a climate are you living in?
I live in growing zone 8A (central NC). It is super hot and humid in the summer so I prefer to grow herbs and greens indoors. The Aerospring is actually aeroponic (not hydroponic) and about six feet tall/three feet wide so doesn’t take up a lot of space. Kale grows like crazy in it :- )
The Green Stalk vertical garden I plan to use outside uses soil and root veg, carrots, onions, etc., (apparently) do very well in it.
I love growing my own produce. I don’t have to deal with one-use plastic packaging, worry about pesticides, or throw away produce I bought and forgot to use in time.
Kitten, our yard is about 646 square feet, some of which is dedicated to outdoor seating in the event of nice weather. Some of the leafy greens grow fairly well in partial shade. We have herbs growing in pots lining the searing area, grapes on the fence, and a square meter garden in which we rotate what’s growing. Plus edible [wild] flowers. Keep adding stuff to the soil, and you can crowd the veg a bit. You’ve got more room–I’d experiment if you have the time because the taste is so much nicer straight from the garden.🍀
Maybe Canada should sell them eggs with a 15% increase. Even if you add to this the 25% tax, it’s still cheaper… Nay, we keep our eggs.
You’re right. This is one of the many ways blanket tariffs like Trump’s just increase inflation and permanently raise prices. The foreign products that are super cheap allow importers to raise the price while still being competitive vs. the more expensive products.
The same then happens, albeit for a slightly different reason, on the American side. Because most foreign products get way more expensive — excluding the cheapest ones, which often means lowest quality), which just get “more” expensive (vs. “way more”) — American products can now raise their prices and increase profits while still not being “as” expensive as the heavily tariffed foreign ones.
So the super cheap/lowest quality foreign products and the American products get more expensive due to the cushion the tarriff gives them against their strongest competitors (which are now prohibitively expensive) and the only people paying, as a general matter, are the consumers–which is why people call tarriffs a “tax.” While, yes, Trump can and will victory once there a higher percentage of American products bought, it’s misleading in the extreme, as that victory lap won’t acknowledge the rise in overall prices or the retaliatory tariffs countries put on our products in return.
Tarriffs only work when super, super targeted and specialized. But we’re now in the era where, no matter what happens, victory will be claimed by people who don’t understand how any of it works.
I wish Canada would take over the US so we could live affordably, get government-subsidized early child care, and not have to worry that if we get really sick we’ll die because we can’t afford treatment even with what ever sh*tty health insurance we’re lucky enough to have.
We Americans are so inured to working our asses off for nothing.
I live in Manhattan. Our organic eggs have always been $8-$12 per dozen, depending on where you shop, even before the pandemic.
If we ever get out of the Tr*mp dystopia, there should be riots in the streets to demand campaign finance reform. These politicians do nothing for us; their jobs are just raising money to get through the next election cycle, so they can keep their jobs.
As someone who has lived in Canada on and off over the years I can tell you it’s not as affordable as you think. Rents can be sky high in the city, taxes are *very* high. And the Healthcare I didn’t find dissimilar to the US in terms of getting in to see a doctor. The difference being that it was *free*… except it wasn’t as it was taken out with taxes. Oh, and dental and glasses still weren’t covered.
Grass ain’t always greener…
I’ll agree that there are problems with Canadian healthcare system. But the proof that the grass is greener is higher life expectancy, lower maternal mortality rates and there’s about a million more metrics that show better health outcomes. I’m happy to pay higher taxes if it means that in a population level we’re healthier. The economic benefits of having that are massive.
@Elaine I love Canada don’t get me wrong, but a huge part of that is also genetics and the choices you make. My life is far better in the US than it was it Canada. to each their own.
Taxes are predictable and health care expenses are not. A serious illness or injury can bankrupt you in the US even with “good” insurance. That won’t happen in Canada. Prescription drugs are cheaper due to government buying power. And the feds introduced dental coverage for under insured groups. You strike me as young, lucky, and thus far well insured. But mostly lucky. That can change fast.
Genetics: what, the Canadian population as a whole somehow is more blessed genetically than the US population as a whole?
“The choices you make” – yes the Canadian populace has as a whole chosen politicians who support public health, higher taxes on tobacco and alcohol products, less access to guns, more preventive care including vaccination, supported parental leave, reproductive care and more. Our conservative and libertarian politicians are trying to tear those down, and we have to fight back but we do not dump all responsibility on the individual as the US
does. Basically healthier and whiter Americans discount the role of a larger system in enabling their health.
As an American living in Canada nearly 13 years now, I save thousands per year on prescriptions and healthcare. I wouldn’t move back to the US unless you found me a super wealthy husband with gold star healthcare, otherwise I would be worried about healthcare costs at every turn since I never had great healthcare through any job I had in the US. I am not “bad” genetically either. The food is a heck of a lot healthier in Canada along the the portion sizes.
It’s so depressing because between bird flu, tariffs, regulation-slashing and mass raids of our vital agricultural workforce we will 100% see a rise in the cost of goods. Trump will blame DEI or Biden or antifa or insist that it’s fake news. His supporters will back him up. Rinse, repeat. When Biden was unable to lower the cost of goods it was all we ever heard about from the Right. Now when it’s Trump who will inevitably be responsible for an *increase* in the cost of goods it will be crickets. Sigh.
I hate it here.
Given some of the things he comes out with I’m waiting for the post about WOKE CHICKENS VERY BAD BIRDS ALL DEI HIRES
It was never about the price of eggs. Yes, people in exit polls were saying that. Do you really think most people would say outright “Because I hate women and people of color and want them to suffer?” No. But that’s why these people will continue to support Trump even as their own lives get worse because of him.
Exactly right, but so many actually had themselves convinced it was about the conspiracy theories and price of eggs, because it allowed them to not have to face that they were racist or sexist. They repeated those lies to themselves until they genuinely believed them.
Totally agree. Nobody wants to admit they’re an a-hole.
I don’t eat eggs very often, they upset my tummy as I’ve gotten older, but I remember as a single mom of 2 eggs were quite the staple in our home. My heart hurts for all those who have so affected by Felon47.
I want to know where in Canada eggs are costing that! Groceries are typically higher there over all. It impacts my town because I live close to the border and tons of people cross to come to Costco and Trader Joes for less expensive dairy etc. My mom is Canadian and her main inexpensive protein is eggs. She’s in her 70’s and on a strict budget and was telling me they were over $7 a dozen last week. Our Costco was out of them so I’m resorting to tofu scramble for breakfast. Anyway, it’s a whole mess.
Do you have a good recipe for a tofu scramble? I like the idea but I’m wary of it ending up like the worst of tofu rather than a reasonable alternative to eggs!
I just made myself some tofu scramble this morning 🙂 As a vegan it’s a regular breakfast for me. I use the firm tofu (not extra firm), mash in a bowl and add tumeric, and a dash of salt and pepper. Then add to a lightly oiled pan at a low heat. I also like to sautee peppers and onions and add those to it. And this morning I had some broccoli left over from dinner last night so warmed that up and added it too.
It’s also good over avocado toast.
I also get the firm tofu and crumble it with my fingers. I tend to like a southwest scramble so lots of onion, peppers, definitely salsa in there too it adds a lot of flavor to the tofu. I find it helps to season the heck out of the plain tofu and cook it until it firms up. I can’t even tell it’s not eggs to be honest!
I basically do this but with garbanzo beans rather than tofu. It doesn’t look or taste like eggs, but it has a comfort food breakfast vibe.
I’ve been making tofu scramble for 30 years with nutritional yeast , it will make the tofu look and taste like eggs. I recently came across a NYT recipe that called for soy sauce, maple syrup, sage,, to mimic sausage flavor. It’s so good I’m not going back..
I’m in rural eastern Ontario and a dozen large eggs were $3.98 yesterday.
I wonder if it’s because she’s near Vancouver and near the border then. I’m happy for you!
Like milk, egg prices are somewhat regulated in Canada. Lots of grocery items are more expensive due to our supermarkets being an oligopoly (that’s the big reason, everything either belongs to Loblaw, Sobeys or Metro), cost of transport and not producing that much food ourselves given that we’re a northern country and winter is a thing BUT! my dozen of eggs cost $3.77 in Montreal last week
Yeah. I think our entire food supply chain is about to be thrown into chaos. I’m also really worried about safety. We already have so many recalls. What happens when Trump guts safety inspections and processing plants have to cut corners because of attacks on undocumented workers?
Since the election, I’ve been telling people to stock up (within their budget) on as much food as possible. I’ve gotten a lot of weird looks but have spent the last three years writing about people who fled Italy because of starvation (and they were farmers!) and then lived through the Great Depression. My 81 year old mother is from the first generation, kind of ever throughout the history of man, to not have to deal with issues of unattainable food. Scarcity and widespread hunger in the Western world are much more recent than many people realize.
Yep, as an historian, I’m terrified. We know just how complex and fragile these systems are, not to mention what it looks like without them. Sigh
Amen. We are in serious danger. Everyone with a heart and conscience is all over the place right now, wanting to protect others from the onslaught. But people need to put their own oxygen mask on before assisting other passengers.
I was living in South Africa when Mugabe went after white farmers in neighboring Zimbabwe. The country was a bread basket but, within a year, hunger was everywhere and hyperinflation was a thing. Venezuela was another breadbasket and they are all on the “Maduro Diet” now. Pre-Brexit UK was a land of unlimited plenty but, now, more than 13% of the population is at risk of needing food banks to survive. I don’t know about the UK, but in Zimbabwe and Venezuela, people fled for their lives.
Ironically, our best hope here in the US is that everything collapses fast, sparking backlash from every direction.
I’m well aware that this post is probably too intense for a CB.
I’ve seen quite a few MAGA gaslighting people over the egg situation with “libs are so crazily fixated on the prices! What weirdos! Of course it’s bird flu related” as if Trump wasn’t the one harping on it last year as being Biden’s fault and JD Vance didn’t do that insane grocery store “visit”.
When shopping this week I went to the egg section and the price was a little less than $7.00 per dozen. And above the price they had the bird flu warning. I heeded the warning and spent that seven dollars on something else. This is sad and trump promised his minions that the price of eggs would go down on day one.
Where I’m at, the local farm stands, growers are selling them for pretty much the same prices they have for years.
IIRC, pre-pandemic it was $3-4 dollars
Went up a bit in 2020-21 to ~ $4.50 US id
(And the one place that used to have 1st dozen at $2.50, $2.99 for every additional dozen stopped that promo)
And that’s pretty much where it’s at now.
I know I’m fortunate to have 5-6 places near me that raise their own or source them locally. (They had fresh produce all of 2020 and some added outside pickup, weekly delivery and partnered with other local providers to expand offerings then to) And they all have protocols in place to prevent bird flu infection in their flocks, so hopefully their flocks will stay healthy.
One set of my grandparents had their children late in life and lived through the Depression as young adults. They were always so grateful for their tiny social security checks and Medicare. They never would have voted for mango or fell down the Q hole. The current hatred of Democrats that kept millions of Americans from starving during the 1930s onward boggles my mind. Egg prices nearly doubled (despite being higher than I have ever seen them before the election) and strict 2 carton limits were put into place within a week of the inauguration here. Gas prices have also went up. Rural whites appear happy to be led to jump off a cliff in any situation as long as someone else doesn’t get something and the federal checks don’t stop for THEM. It is bizarre. I know someone who benefitted ultimately from DEI and still moans about it. Blows my mind. Sexist practices kept her (and hundreds of thousands) of women from advancing and the company blantantly paid women less for the same jobs than they paid men. In a process that took a couple years, she got a significant wage increase, but ultimately her wage became close to a standard wage for new hires, so people getting hired in made approximately the same amount she did. Her joy over making a decent salary is totally muted by her anger that other people didn’t have to struggle for a decade on an unlivable wage if the sexist hiring practices weren’t ended through the courts. Southern rural white folk have been totally left behind by trickle down economics, but there is something really f#cked with their mentality that makes them easy to exploit. The TN state legislature just voted yesterday to destroy public education and put millions of taxes into extremist Evangelical pockets while openly lying that taxes will have to increase on the poor to pay for it. (The state has an incredibly regressive tax system that relies heavily on sales tax on everything. We pay nearly 10% sales tax on everything we buy, including food). I cannot imagine the impact his tariffs will have.
I’ve heard it before so I feel it must be repeated. The US is the nicest, richest country in the world-for millionaires. For the rest of us plebs, between the outrageous health care costs, food costs and an admin that is actively trying to destroy non-millionaires in the air, on the roads, and on our trains, we are being reminded that we live in the nicest, richest third world country on Earth (no disrespect intended with that phrase to other countries. I mean only in insult this ratf*ck place).
Eggs were $12.99 dozen @ my local SF Bay Area grocer’s last week. I’m definitely using fewer now.
I wish someone would start a running weekly price of “Trump eggs” video on YT. I bet it would get interest. Bring those prices down like you promised Donnie!
The reason they give us that the birds need to be killed is because it 1. Already kills so many–the birds mostly die really fast once infected and this is humane, and 2. The birds become carriers for a long time (months–close to a year?), and you can’t risk infecting other birds/ animals/ humans. They need to exterminate for greater safety. If you do (unknowingly) purchase eggs or meat that’s infected, please know that cooking it thoroughly kills the virus. Obviously, if your name isn’t Borert Eff Neknedy Jr, you avoid the risk. Please don’t purchase raw milk!
I think we’re seeing the tip of the iceberg if it’s already hit chickens and dairy cows because that moron already showed us how little he cares about virus containment and how little he cares for the lives of non-rich people. Plus I’m embarrassed how many people fall for the weakest lies – holy sh*t he tells the worst lies!
Y’know, if/once bird flu goes human to human, there’s going to be even larger disruption because people have ceded their share of responsibility for controlling outbreaks, encouraged by Public Health units that are now being disbanded. People stopped masking and cleaning the air. If you stopped masking, in respirators, this is a great time to start. There’s no targeted H5N1 vaccine yet and it’ll take months at best to produce once available. And in today’s US….really? How’s that distribution and uptake gonna be?
Genetics: what, the Canadian population as a whole somehow is more blessed genetically than the US population as a whole?
“The choices you make” – yes the Canadian populace has as a whole chosen politicians who support public health, higher taxes on tobacco and alcohol products, less access to guns, more preventive care including vaccination, supported parental leave, reproductive care and more. Our conservative and libertarian politicians are trying to tear those down, and we have to fight back but we do not dump all responsibility on the individual as the US
does. Basically healthier and whiter Americans discount the role of a larger system in enabling their health.