Egg prices are up more, and will likely get worse before they get better

Egg prices soared to a record high amid an ongoing bird flu outbreak in the U.S.

The average price of a dozen Grade A eggs reached $4.95 in January, surpassing the previous record of $4.82 set two years earlier and more than double the low of $2.04 in August 2023, the Associated Press reported, citing the latest consumer price index. 

RELATED: CPI inflation report: Egg, gas and other prices that jumped in January

This surge in egg prices was the largest since the last bird flu outbreak in the U.S. in 2015, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Will egg prices go down?

Egg prices usually increase around Easter because of the high consumer demand during the holiday. The AP noted that the Department of Agriculture predicted in January that egg prices were likely to go up 20% in 2025.

But some grocery stores nationwide are having a challenging time keeping their shelves stocked with eggs, as consumers face surcharges and limits on the number of cartons they can buy at a time.

RELATED: US egg production drops as prices continue to rise along with bird flu cases

What they’re saying: "It’s something you don’t think about until you look at the shelf and it’s nearly empty," Encinal Market owner Joe Trimble told the AP. "Eggs are just expected to be there in the same way you expect there to be milk. It’s a key item to have in a grocery store because people don’t go out looking for something else to eat on a Saturday morning. They want it. They want to have some scrambled eggs or over-easy eggs on a Saturday morning."

Are there other factors causing a surge in the cost of eggs?

Egg farmers are dealing with higher feed, fuel, and labor costs right now due to inflation. And the AP reported that farmers are investing more in biosecurity measures to protect their birds.

Approximately 10 states have passed laws allowing the sale of eggs only from cage-free environments. The supply of those eggs is tighter and focused on certain areas, so the effect on prices can be overstated when outbreaks hit cage-free egg farms.

RELATED: Waffle House adds surcharge to eggs as prices continue soaring

Additionally, the cost of eggs is skyrocketing also because of the bird flu outbreak. When the virus is found on a farm, the entire flock of birds is killed to limit the spread of disease. 

According to the AP, massive egg farms may have millions of birds, but one outbreak could affect the egg supply. Almost 158 million birds have been killed overall since the outbreak started.

RELATED: Egg prices rose nearly 37 percent in 12 months; here's why

The Department of Agriculture tells the AP that over 23 million birds were killed in January and more than 18 million were slaughtered in December to limit the spread of the bird flu virus. This data includes turkeys and chickens raised for meat, but the majority of the animals were egg-laying chickens.