Consumers should be prepared for ongoing fluctuations in egg prices, according to Amy Barkley, a livestock and farm specialist at Cornell Cooperative Extension. This instability is primarily due to the time required for U.S. egg farms to rebuild the population of egg-laying hens that were euthanized following an avian flu outbreak late last year.
Barkley explained that as hens are removed from farms, a significant shortage can occur, resulting in rising egg prices.
“We’re kind of playing this game right now,” she said, emphasizing that a critical shortage of hens leads directly to a shortage of eggs, which in turn drives prices higher.
She noted that it typically takes about six months to replace the hens that were lost. Once these birds resume egg production, prices are likely to begin falling.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, egg prices have surged by 28% over the past year.