OMAHA, Neb. — Chicken flu is forcing farmers to slaughter hundreds of thousands of chickens a month, pushing U.S. egg costs to greater than double their price in the summertime of 2023. And it seems there could also be no aid in sight, given the surge in demand as Easter approaches.
The typical worth per dozen nationwide hit $4.15 in December. That’s not fairly as excessive as the $4.82 document set two years in the past, however the Agriculture Division predicts costs are going to soar one other 20% this yr.
Buyers in some elements of the nation are already paying greater than double the common worth, or worse, discovering empty cabinets of their native grocery shops. Natural and cage-free varieties are much more costly.
Some grocery shops have even restricted what number of eggs customers should purchase.
“It’s just robbery,” mentioned Minneapolis resident Sage Mills, who purchased eggs to bake a birthday cake final week. “Eggs used to be kind of a staple food for us, but now you know, you might as well just go out to eat.”
What’s driving up costs?
The chicken flu outbreak that began in 2022 is the primary cause egg costs are up a lot.
Anytime the virus is discovered on a poultry farm, the complete flock is slaughtered to assist restrict the virus’ unfold. And with huge egg farms routinely housing greater than 1 million chickens, only a few infections could cause a provide crunch.
The issue tends to linger as a result of it takes months to eliminate all of the carcasses, disinfect barns and herald new birds.
Greater than 145 million chickens, turkeys and different birds have been slaughtered because the present outbreak started, with the overwhelming majority of them being egg-laying chickens.
Cage-free egg legal guidelines in 10 states may be chargeable for some provide disruptions and worth will increase. The legal guidelines set minimal area for chickens or cage-free necessities for egg-laying hens. They’ve already gone into impact in California, Massachusetts, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Michigan. At a Goal in Chicago on Monday, a dozen giant standard eggs price $4.49 however a dozen giant cage-free eggs have been promoting for $6.19.
Why is the virus so arduous to regulate?
Chicken flu is primarily unfold by wild birds equivalent to geese and geese as they migrate. Whereas it’s deadly to a wide range of animals, these species can usually carry it with out getting sick, which gives the virus an opportunity to mutate and thrive.
The virus may be unfold by means of droppings or any interplay between farm-raised poultry and wild birds. It’s additionally simply tracked right into a farm on somebody’s boots or by car.
In contrast to earlier outbreaks, the one which started in 2022 didn’t die out in excessive summer season temperatures.
The virus discovered one other new host when dairy cattle began getting sick final March. That creates extra alternatives for the virus to linger and unfold and in contrast to poultry, cattle aren’t slaughtered once they get sick as a result of they hardly ever die from chicken flu.
Greater than 5 dozen folks have additionally change into ailing with chicken flu and one individual died since final March. Almost all of them labored round sick animals. Well being officers haven’t but discovered proof of the illness spreading from individual to individual.
What’s being carried out to cease the virus?
Farmers go to nice lengths to guard their flocks.
Many poultry farms put in truck washes to disinfect automobiles getting into their property and require staff to bathe and alter garments earlier than stepping inside a barn. They’ve additionally invested in duplicate units of instruments so nothing utilized in one barn is shared.
Some poultry farmers have even invested in lasers that shoot beams of inexperienced gentle in random patterns to discourage geese and geese from touchdown.
Dairy farmers isolate any sick cattle and do extra testing earlier than transferring animals off the farm — particularly if there was a close-by outbreak or if the cows are being despatched to a meat processing plant. The federal government can be testing milk.
Future vaccines would possibly assist, but it surely’s not sensible to vaccinate hundreds of thousands of chickens by means of pictures, and different nations would possibly refuse to buy meat from vaccinated birds.
Well being officers emphasize that any sick birds or cattle are stored out of the meals provide. Cooking meat to 165 levels (74 Celsius) kills chicken flu, E. coli, salmonella or anything. Pasteurization additionally kills the virus in milk. Uncooked milk is the one meals product linked to diseases to this point.
How a lot has the outbreak price to this point?
It’s unimaginable to know the way a lot farmers have spent to seal barns, construct bathe homes for staff or to undertake different biosecurity measures.
“Over the last five years, my small farm alone has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on biosecurity,” mentioned Minnesota turkey farmer Loren Brey. “But not only that, it’s the time daily that you’re attending to biosecurity.”
The U.S. Division of Agriculture has spent at the least $1.14 billion compensating farmers for the birds they’ve needed to kill. The same quantity wasn’t instantly accessible for the way a lot has been spent to assist dairies.
USDA spokeswoman Shilo Weir mentioned the division additionally spent greater than $576 million by itself response.
The costs of turkey, milk and hen have additionally seen some strain from chicken flu.
Mike Vickers, a supervisor at Sentyrz Liquor & Grocery store in Minneapolis, mentioned he can’t even inventory any natural, cage-free or brown eggs proper now and is restricted as a substitute to promoting giant or jumbo eggs. He understands the ache clients are feeling.
“It’s the first time in my life that I’ve ever had to be kind of embarrassed on what I’m selling eggs for,” he mentioned. “And it’s not our fault. We’re paying today $7.45 for a dozen eggs. We’re selling for $7.59. We’re making $0.14. That’s doesn’t pay the bills.”
