Those “killings” are required by the Department of Agriculture to contain the spread of the highly contagious avian flu that has afflicted 100 million birds since 2022, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. The egg-laying birds either die naturally or are culled to avoid the spread of the deadly virus. It is up to farmers to report an outbreak to state officials and the Department of Agriculture, which will eliminate the impacted flock. Farmers can apply for financial assistance from the USDA if they lose their flocks.
Americans have been slammed by record-high egg prices that are expected to get even more expensive. Egg prices are estimated to increase about 20% in 2025, compared to about 2.2% for food prices in general, according to the Department of Agriculture’s price outlook.
In November and December alone, the virus killed about 17.2 million egg-laying hens – half of 2024’s total, according to the USDA. The avian flu has also spread to dairy farms and been detected in humans.
The average price of a dozen large grade-A eggs was $4.15 in December, up from $3.65 in November, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Egg prices were also up more than 36% year-over-year in December, according to the Consumer Price Index.
