Fewer hens equals fewer eggs equals increased costs. It’s easy provide and demand: When there’s much less of a commodity to go round, its worth will increase. In a single current instance of this, the diner chain Waffle Home added a 50-cent surcharge to each egg bought to account for the rising prices, per the AP.

So sure, the price of eggs generally has spiked. Firstly of 2024, a dozen averaged about $2.50, per the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, and elevated to $4.15 by the top of the yr. In a February 7 USDA report, the group listed the newest common value at $7.34 a dozen.

Good to know, however our unique query nonetheless stays: Why has the worth of natural, cage-free, free-range, and pasture-raised eggs stayed comparatively secure as the worth of normal eggs has skyrocketed? It’s truly fairly easy: Chickens used to put these sorts of eggs haven’t been hit as arduous as these answerable for the common sort, in keeping with Dr. Tabler. It’s not that higher-end layers are much less prone—actually, chickens which have entry to the outside (like free-range and pasture-raised flocks) are literally extra more likely to come into contact with potential illness vectors like wildlife, Dr. Tabler says. “There’s extra illness threat exterior than there may be contained in the hen home,” he explains.

Reasonably, it’s a ruthless numbers recreation that comes right down to a distinction in scale. Farming operations that produce common eggs are sometimes a complete lot bigger than those who produce varieties like natural, cage-free, free-range, and pasture-raised—they’re “large,” in Dr. Tabler’s phrases. “And by ‘large,’” he says, “I imply there could also be three million, 4 million, 5 million head of chickens laying eggs all on one web site in a number of barns.”

As a result of federal tips mandate culling a whole flock if even a single chicken assessments optimistic for chicken flu, an outbreak amongst common layers subsequently means much more birds must be euthanized—“depopulated,” to make use of USDA terminology—so the affect on egg manufacturing is proportionally a lot better. “It’s not a lot that the high-end eggs have come down in worth,” Dr. Tabler explains. “It’s that common eggs have elevated dramatically in worth.”

And sadly, the spike doesn’t appear more likely to ease anytime quickly, in keeping with Dr. Roberts. In actual fact, he says, issues are solely worsening month-to-month—and accordingly, egg costs will most likely proceed to extend for the foreseeable future. Dr. Tabler is equally pessimistic. “Earlier than the avian influenza outbreak began, eggs value $1.79 a dozen in December 2021,” he says. “I used to be in California serving to USDA eliminate avian influenza-infected flocks in late December 2024, and eggs had been $8.97 a dozen.” Even the USDA predicts that costs will rise an extra 20.3% in 2025.

What’s extra, Dr. Roberts is worried that the current federal shift in energy—and the “actually scaling again numerous public well being funding” that got here with it—might exacerbate the issue. And science communication, which is clearly particularly important in instances of outbreak, might take a success, too: In an unprecedented transfer, federal public well being communications had been not too long ago paused, stalling the discharge of a number of chicken flu research, as reported by CBS. Finally, “we don’t know the place that is going to finish,” Dr. Roberts says.

Whereas there are nonetheless numerous unknowns—and numerous elements, like costs, stay out of your management—you’ll be able to nonetheless take some steps to remain protected from the eggs you do eat: primarily, working towards good meals security. Separate uncooked poultry and eggs from ready-to-eat stuff, like leftovers, fruits, and greens. Ensure that to prepare dinner poultry and eggs totally earlier than digging in—hitting an inside temperature of 165 levels Fahrenheit will kill off any lurking viruses or micro organism, together with chicken flu viruses. And should you simply can’t carry your self to shell out all that additional money in your common ol’ eggs? That’s okay. We’re fairly certain you’ll discover a appropriate different on this strong listing of high-protein breakfasts which can be fully egg-free.

Associated:

Get extra of SELF’s nice meals protection delivered proper to your inbox—without spending a dime.

Fewer hens equals fewer eggs equals increased costs. It’s easy provide and demand: When there’s much less of a commodity to go round, its worth will increase. In a single current instance of this, the diner chain Waffle Home added a 50-cent surcharge to each egg bought to account for the rising prices, per the AP.

So sure, the price of eggs generally has spiked. Firstly of 2024, a dozen averaged about $2.50, per the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, and elevated to $4.15 by the top of the yr. In a February 7 USDA report, the group listed the newest common value at $7.34 a dozen.

Good to know, however our unique query nonetheless stays: Why has the worth of natural, cage-free, free-range, and pasture-raised eggs stayed comparatively secure as the worth of normal eggs has skyrocketed? It’s truly fairly easy: Chickens used to put these sorts of eggs haven’t been hit as arduous as these answerable for the common sort, in keeping with Dr. Tabler. It’s not that higher-end layers are much less prone—actually, chickens which have entry to the outside (like free-range and pasture-raised flocks) are literally extra more likely to come into contact with potential illness vectors like wildlife, Dr. Tabler says. “There’s extra illness threat exterior than there may be contained in the hen home,” he explains.

Reasonably, it’s a ruthless numbers recreation that comes right down to a distinction in scale. Farming operations that produce common eggs are sometimes a complete lot bigger than those who produce varieties like natural, cage-free, free-range, and pasture-raised—they’re “large,” in Dr. Tabler’s phrases. “And by ‘large,’” he says, “I imply there could also be three million, 4 million, 5 million head of chickens laying eggs all on one web site in a number of barns.”

As a result of federal tips mandate culling a whole flock if even a single chicken assessments optimistic for chicken flu, an outbreak amongst common layers subsequently means much more birds must be euthanized—“depopulated,” to make use of USDA terminology—so the affect on egg manufacturing is proportionally a lot better. “It’s not a lot that the high-end eggs have come down in worth,” Dr. Tabler explains. “It’s that common eggs have elevated dramatically in worth.”

And sadly, the spike doesn’t appear more likely to ease anytime quickly, in keeping with Dr. Roberts. In actual fact, he says, issues are solely worsening month-to-month—and accordingly, egg costs will most likely proceed to extend for the foreseeable future. Dr. Tabler is equally pessimistic. “Earlier than the avian influenza outbreak began, eggs value $1.79 a dozen in December 2021,” he says. “I used to be in California serving to USDA eliminate avian influenza-infected flocks in late December 2024, and eggs had been $8.97 a dozen.” Even the USDA predicts that costs will rise an extra 20.3% in 2025.

What’s extra, Dr. Roberts is worried that the current federal shift in energy—and the “actually scaling again numerous public well being funding” that got here with it—might exacerbate the issue. And science communication, which is clearly particularly important in instances of outbreak, might take a success, too: In an unprecedented transfer, federal public well being communications had been not too long ago paused, stalling the discharge of a number of chicken flu research, as reported by CBS. Finally, “we don’t know the place that is going to finish,” Dr. Roberts says.

Whereas there are nonetheless numerous unknowns—and numerous elements, like costs, stay out of your management—you’ll be able to nonetheless take some steps to remain protected from the eggs you do eat: primarily, working towards good meals security. Separate uncooked poultry and eggs from ready-to-eat stuff, like leftovers, fruits, and greens. Ensure that to prepare dinner poultry and eggs totally earlier than digging in—hitting an inside temperature of 165 levels Fahrenheit will kill off any lurking viruses or micro organism, together with chicken flu viruses. And should you simply can’t carry your self to shell out all that additional money in your common ol’ eggs? That’s okay. We’re fairly certain you’ll discover a appropriate different on this strong listing of high-protein breakfasts which can be fully egg-free.

Associated:

Get extra of SELF’s nice meals protection delivered proper to your inbox—without spending a dime.