Have you heard the news? Egg prices are on the rise due to the bird flu epidemic that has swept across, well, the world. According to an article on NPR, bakers and restaurants are feeling the cost increase the most right now. Liquid egg {basically eggs that have already been de-shelled and mixed} prices have “shot up 240 percent since early May.” For people that cook/bake mass quantities everyday, that means BIG increases in overall expenditures. In fact, not only has the price doubled, come July, most places will be hard pressed to get their hands on the quantity they need.
Due to the outbreak of the avian flu in the Midwest, “47 million birds” have been killed. That leaves the country about 47 million eggs short each day. While the cost of liquid eggs may affect how much we pay at restaurants and bakeries, we are only just beginning to feel the higher costs in the grocery store. Egg prices across the country are steadily rising. Apparently, “one Texas grocery chain is rationing eggs.” Wow! That’s something I’ve not ever seen in my lifetime!
Oh how I miss our chickens! Do you have chickens? Do you sell the eggs to friends and family, or do they just meet your family’s needs?
If you don’t have chickens, what are you paying for a dozen eggs right now? Make sure to leave where you live in the comments with the cost of eggs in your area…
~Mavis
Lori says
I’ve been lucky enough to purchase eggs direct from the source for a few months. The farmer comes to our co-op drop twice a month, and I typically buy 3-4 dozen each time for $3/dozen in CO. I think the price is a steal as the grocery store cost is $2.50/dozen for regular eggs. I have to admit my teenage daughter is still a little freaked out about the variety of colors with the fresh eggs. So much so she asked her Dad to talk to me about going back to store bought eggs (ha!). Sorry darling, not a chance.
Katelyn says
I only buy local eggs from happy hens, which are holding steady at around $5/dozen. I did see signs in the store explaining why there’s been a shortage of eggs. Our Vermont-based conventional chicken farms have been unaffected and, for the most part, they’re the only eggs in the stores. Those prices are $3/dozen or so.
Elizabeth in Upstate NY says
Just purchased 66 eggs at BJs [similar to Costco which we don’t have here] for $12.94. Last time it was $9.95. Since we have room in our basement frig, am thinking of buying another 66. Believe that prices will continue to go up before this crisis is over.
Our city just changed it’s laws regarding chickens. Before, it was against the law to have any. Even though last summer in the morning I could hear a chicken crowing! Now one may have up to 6 chickens with set-backs to neighbor’s houses. With the size of our house lots, it means that they are at the very back of our property. And no, my hubby doesn’t want me to have chickens. 🙁
Becky says
My hubby wasn’t given a choice.. and now he loves them. I built 90% of the coop myself, and I take care of them.
I give them kitchen scraps, and all the weeds from my yard and garden, and they give me eggs.
They are less noisy than a barking dog, and there is zero smell using the deep litter method.
Not to mention, the compost that is created is FANTASTIC for my garden.
Oh, I am in Milwaukee WI, and Aldi’s was still $1.88/dozen yesterday…. and we have an outbreak in our state, so I expected them to rise.
Kathy Raymond says
I only buy organic free-range chicken eggs. Last week I paid $6.49 for 18 eggs. I would absolutely love to have my own chickens. One day …. one day.
Toni says
i live in Saint Paul MN. I bought organic eggs at Target for $4.99 a dozen. I think organic eggs have always been that much… I know Costco is cheaper, but I wasn’t near one at the time.
Cheryl says
I live in Western PA and our local Aldi had a sale not to long ago for $1.29 a dozen. They are around 1.99 now. I can’t afford to pay $5.00, I will have to limit my cooking, eating, and baking I think. Cheryl
Lynne says
The ads today show a dozen eggs running between $1.29 at Walgreens and $2.99 at a fancy supermarket, on Long Island, NY. If the price is going up, is there a way to freeze eggs, and if so, about how long will they keep?
Deborah says
I have frozen eggs before. I scrambled them first, then froze them in the portions I use.
In some, I added a touch of butter and salt/pepper/garlic/shredded cheese/etc to the portion before freezing. The plain portions were frozen in little containers, one egg each, then later combined together for storage reasons. My son swears that previously frozen eggs make better pancakes. I don’t know about that, but it’s a great storage solution. 😉
Deborah says
It’s me again. I meant to add that frozen eggs are supposed to last a year in the freezer this way.
To use, put in fridge the night before. Easy-peasy.
Lynne says
Thanks for the information!
Deborah says
Several months ago, during a great sale, I managed to get a rain-check for 6 dozen eggs at 99 cents per dozen. And it NEVER expires! Whaaaatt? Yup. I’ve been hanging onto it for a time such as this (or the one around the corner). Since I live alone, they will last me awhile. 🙂
pamela says
For the longest time it’s been $2.69 for a dozen large eggs in the regular grocery store here in Alberta, Canada. So I shudder to think how much the price will go up due to avian flu.
Oh and the local city council just voted that it is illegal to keep chickens in your backyards here!
Kathy says
Buying organic from local far in NE Ohio, they raised up to $3.50 a dozen fron $2.50, whoch isn’t bad as they habe the best eggs in the county if not in all of NE Ohio. If I have to buy from grocery, it’s anywhere from $1.89/doz. to organic priced at $5 or more/dozen. Haven’t really seen a large rise in price…yet.
Cheryl says
Texas and at least $4.00 for 18 of generic. Walgreens has been putting on sale $1.27 for a dozen but they go fast.
Deborah says
Rain check please. 🙂
Kathleen says
I have hens of my own, but they are older and not laying consistently. I’ve had to purchase eggs this week at 2.97 a dozen here in West Central Illinois.
Although I find the current bird flu somewhat concerning, I’m not worried about my flock overly much. Even though I’m smack dab in the Mississippi migratory flyway. Backyard chickens are going to be much less prone to getting sick than caged sickly birds! (And how are they contracting this if they never go outside?)
I do believe there is some sensationalism going on. Let’s just get everyone freaked out! If the egg case at the store was half full, I would be inclined to worry. However, it was completely full! So…is there really an egg shortage?
Kristina says
Bird flu is a serious public health issue. People can catch it, and it kills. I feel sorry for the poor farmers who are having to destroy their flocks. What a hit.
Ellen says
This particular strain has not been passed on to humans.
Lisa Millar says
Wow, some of those prices are so cheap for eggs!!
I think the last time I looked at them in the local supermarket they were over $6 per dozen for free range eggs. (Australia)
We have plenty of our own so happily we don’t have to buy them. We sell our extras – $4/doz to family and $5/doz to non-family!
So many advantages to having chickens. I honestly didn’t realise how fabulous they were until we got them a few years ago.
If your area allows is I can’t recommend highly enough!!
Em says
I don’t know the current price, but the chain they referenced is limiting customers to three dozen (probably per day.
Sabina says
Luckily , I have my own flock that keeps me in eggs. I usually give away the extras to friends and family. Unfortunately, with the sudden warm weather, some of my gals think it’s spa time and are taking a break from laying. I supplement my chicken feed with kitchen scraps and plenty of fresh weeds and grasses daily. (My birds are in a fenced in run and huge hen house for their safety- we have a high predator population around here). So my “free eggs” are costing me about $1.50 a day right now. I have only been getting and average of 8 eggs a day out of my 19 lazy hens.
Pam says
I’m in the Florida panhandle. I have my own flock that produces more eggs than I can use or give away. I keep 6-8 dozen in my refrigerator at all times but still probably thrown 2 dozen a week back into the compost bucket. The local agricultural agents have been made aware of the situation with the avian flu but we aren’t in a danger zone at this time. I read last week that approx. 40% of the egg producing chickens in the US have been destroyed due to this outbreak. That won’t hit the grocery stores for a month or so. Guess we’ll wait and see. BTW, eggs at the local Winn Dixie are $2.39/dozen for large. Organic large are $3.29/dozen.
Lisa says
This is weird, but when I have an egg that gets cracked when I’m gathering them, I just open it right there and let the chickens eat them. They love them. If I had a dozen, I’d probably scramble them first and then feed it to them. I also dry and grind up the egg shells (from eggs that we’ve used) and throw them into the chicken’s scraps. So I’m feeding the chickens back their own eggs. I draw the line at leftover chicken meat, something like chicken noodle soup. But the dogs get first dibs on meat, anyway.
Pam says
It’s not weird – my chickens also will eat an egg that’s cracked or broken in the coop. I suggested to hubby that we feed the extras back to the hens – kind of gruesome but less wasteful than throwing them in the compost. He told me about the flock of chickens he tended when he was a young boy. I guess they fed the extra eggs back to the hens and had one or two that developed such a taste for them that they started pecking at the eggs in the laying boxes until they broke so they could eat them. Sounded like one of those movies that’s on at 3 a.m. “Chicken Cannibals from Space” or something like that. But I found out it’s quite common. There’s no proof that feeding eggs to chickens causes it but we opted to not feed them back to the birds. We are trying to find a pair of American Guinea hogs to add to the farm. If we find them, there won’t be any eggs going in the compost…………:)
Staci says
You can create hens that will crack eggs then, as Pam’s husband said and once they start that, you can’t stop them. I have 19 hens and at least one of them is cracking eggs. I haven’t had the time to figure out who the guilty parties are, but they have to go! They eat the shells and all, so it is difficult to tell how many eggs are getting eaten each day. I just see evidence of yolk on eggs in the box. 🙁
Jennifer says
At the grocery in NE Missouri eggs are $3 a dozen. I fortunately get mine from a friend who has free range chickens and pay $2 a dozen. Love the bright yellow yolks!
DessertForTwo says
I’m in St Louis, and I paid $1.89 for a dozen before the bird flu. Now, I’m paying $3!
Robin says
I live near Denver, Colorado. We have 22 laying hens and we get all we can eat and I sell the rest for $6.00 a dozen since my happy hens get organic feed and organic grain, free range to get bugs, and we give them some extras from the garden. Unbelievable that 40% of the commercial egg producing chickens have been destroyed because of the avian flu. We can see prices starting to rise around here, though I don’t know how much since I don’t have to buy them.
Stephanie B says
I paid $.80 a dozen yesterday at Winco, up to 3 dozen at that price, so I bought 3. Usually a dozen costs around 2.00. We’re in Utah, and we usually eat 2-3 dozen eggs a week. I got a flock of 6 chickens this spring, they might start laying in the next few weeks, I can’t wait!
Lauralli says
In Arkansas our egg prices haven’t started going up yet. I just paid $3.27 dozen for eggs that are high in Omega 3 (but not organic). They are some of the more expensive eggs in our stores. We have lots of chicken farms and processors in our state, so it will be interesting to see how all of that is affected.
Jen Y says
Where in Arkansas are you? I’ve been paying .90 a dozen for months now in northwest Arkansas. I just bought some yesterday at that price.
Susan says
My 3 “girls” supply enough eggs for us (2) and I give some to my youngest daughter.
I get an average of 3 eggs a day. They are really good layers! About once a week someone doesn’t produce.
Last fall they molted (all at once) for the first time. They are 2 years old. Lasted 2 months – and they all started laying again within a couple days of each other.
They are spoiled pets! They are here to stay even after they stop laying altogether.
Sue says
I am 30 miles west of Milwaukee WI, suburb in Waukesha County. Eggs have been 99 cents a dozen at Kwik Trip, a gas chain that is based in this state up until recently, about 2 weeks ago. KT have their own dairy, not sure if they have their own egg farm. I like their ice cream and frozen yogurt a little too much! I stock up, because eggs will keep quite a long time. I know they are eggs from this state, which has been hit with the Avian flu. I went out today, and a small sign on the grass median strip said for Kwik Trip said eggs, 1.29 a dozen! I have 6 dozen right now, I am going to stock up and get more! They are such a good source of protein, and since my BF has some health issues, he needs that protein and every nutritionist recommends that as a good source. AND inexpensive!
I was at Costco this week, and eggs were in 18 packs and I believe they were 2.83 which is 15 cents an egg. KT would be 10 cents an egg, and Aldis was two weeks ago 1.18, not been there since. I have no fears about eating eggs from this state, as being the Dairy State, I do know that the inspectors are out in force to keep on top of the bird flu.
I bought 2 big jars of mayo, Kirkland brand the other day. I figure mayo might go up, and I know that starting today, Hellmans will be on special at Costco. Of course mayo uses eggs! The Kirkland brand was cheaper.
Karen says
In Hawaii, 18 eggs at Costco is around $5.50 and the organic 18 eggs are close to $8.00. I buy eggs from a local farmer for $5.00 a dozen.
Connie says
We just inherited 5 egg laying chickens at the beginning of the year. We consistently get 3-5 eggs per day. While I know it would probably benefit us to sell them, I just can’t bring myself to do that. What we can’t eat we give to neighbors, family and friends. … A side benefit of having chickens besides the eggs, is that they have dug up all the moss in our yard and grass is starting to grow again. I love that (and the eggs too).
Renay says
18 organic Safeway eggs are $5.50 in Bellevue WA.
Sandie says
Here in CT Non organic or locally raised eggs are over 3 a dozen. Occasionally a store will have a get one dozen for .99 or even free deal if you spend so much. Local dozen are anywhere from 4 up to 8 dollars a dozen.
Helen in Meridian, ID says
Sunday I found markdown, short dated lg eggs for .49 dozen, so I bought 6 dozen.
Miriam says
I sell Thrive Life which has freeze dried and dehydrated food products. Our whole egg powder has gone out of stock long term. I think when preppers think that there will be shortages or that prices will go up there is a run on our products.
Everything I read talks about the flu’s effects on eggs, but I am wondering about chickens and chicken prices. Are only egg laying chickens being killed? Are we consuming meat from chickens that have the flu because it has been deemed safe to eat? I can’t find any info on it, but it worries me.
Gwenn says
We have 25 that should start laying any time! The wait & anticipation for the first egg is almost painful lol
Miriam, all birds testing positive are destroyed. Egg producers & meat birds.
Here is the address to keep up to date with where confirmed cases are & how many of what type of bird had to be destroyed. (Sorry the link is so long, I didn’t know how to change it)
HPAI findings..
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/portal/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/sa_animal_disease_information/sa_avian_health/ct_avian_influenza_disease/!ut/p/a1/lVJNc5swEP0tPfgoS0ZgcG92Pmz8UXfiaWq4MAsSoCkIKgl73F9fmaQZp9M4qW7a3fd2973FMd7jWMJBFGBEI6E6_-NxstwunNGMOOF8N7kj4ZfH-02w9ul24dqCyBaQN96UvMZvV-H4jH8gs8XtiOwo_o5jHGfStKbEEbSl0EnWSMOlSSqRKlCnAdGQNJ1K8ibrdP8DKWqokpJDZcrLCBOag-aJkHmj6n6Jp_RBgHypz8xzwJZVHZe_4A_wPEybCYaj1JnkZOxwRIMRIDdLKQIPPOR4LGcsy3xK_eflr2z3IfFu5tOF66-tXG7gkPDWgv3JhpBw_B6-F-8dhr7gmj9_NZnfzWyT-_VXf7V0yMrDkR3Sf3OKiYt3_6na8gOyOGpzsyksLZgSnd3E-6suP6UvXMb7Ky7bCYqqSfv7jqYypYFtpXjOFVfDTtlwaUz7eUAG5Hg8DjvNYFg0hwFh9gRre5v2DHtu9MKNOikMZ0gbMFyjnzBsWf4v-rLRBu8vaXFbf6sDehLox0NAqFcVKE5Px-mn38epskU!/?1dmy&urile=wcm%3Apath%3A%2Faphis_content_library%2Fsa_our_focus%2Fsa_animal_health%2Fsa_animal_disease_information%2Fsa_avian_health%2Fsa_detections_by_states%2Fct_ai_pacific_flyway
Christina says
I live in Lexington Ky and we have 6 chickens in our backyard flock. I don’t pay much attention to the cost of eggs but did notice they were $2.50 the other day and I thought that was a little high.
JoAnn C. says
Egg prices in central New Jersey for store brand eggs (Shoprite) are $2.99 a dozen which is an increase of about 50 cents from two weeks ago.
Jen Y says
I paid .90 a dozen yesterday. I’ve been watching for prices to rise but they haven’t yet here in northwest Arkansas. We do have a huge commercial poultry industry headquartered in our area so maybe because everything is local it hasn’t affected us yet?
Sarah says
I live in MN with a flock of laying hens. A farmer not too far from us (less than 20 miles) got hit with the flu. We haven’t had any issues with it any closer. I have been selling quite a few eggs the last month or so.
Diana says
I live outside Washington, DC in Northern Virginia. Organic/ free range brown eggs (a dozen) are about $4.20 at MOM’S Organic Market. “Regular” brain or white eggs at a “regular” grocery store are about $3.50 a dozen.
Michelle says
Wow! Sometimes I am so out of the loop. I had no idea that there was even an issue. I have 18 hens, 2 roos, and 3 ducks. I get way more eggs than we need and give the rest away or occasionally barter. My dad loves duck eggs so that’s why I have those but he can’t keep up with that many eggs so I usually bake with them or use them for the dogs scrambled eggs.
If you ever come out towards Mt Rainier I’ll hook you up LOL
Michelle
Linda says
I bought eggs at Costco yesterday, over $5.00 for the 18 pack.
Sallie says
We have free range organic fed chickens. We get more eggs than we can eat so my husband sells our extras to his co-workers in Brooklyn, NY for $5.00 a dozen.