If you’ve recently been to the supermarket, then you can confirm that egg prices have gone up substantially, but the cost of chicken meat has not changed much. This disparity is mainly due to the avian influenza (bird flu) pandemic that has seriously affected egg-laying hens but had a lesser effect on broiler chickens raised for meat.
Impact of avian flu on egg-laying hens
Now egg prices are high due to the lesser population of egg-laying hens. For example, in January 2025, the price of eggs rose to $4.95 per dozen in cities across the U.S.
Why hasn’t chicken meat become more expensive?
Unlike the rest of the birds, broilers grown for meat are not as affected by the avian flu. These birds have very short life cycles, usually reaching market weight in about seven weeks, limiting their exposure to the virus. The other fact is that steady production of broilers has kept chicken meat prices fairly unchanged, and the USDA anticipates a small decline of about 1% in wholesale poultry prices someplace in this range.
How are consumers and retailers responding to high egg prices?
Consumers are searching for other alternatives because of the rise in egg prices. Some have resorted to raising chickens in their backyards for personal egg consumption. According to reports, the number of households keeping chickens has risen from 5.8 million in 2018 to 11 million in recent years.
Retailers have been devising ways to cope with the limited egg supply. For instance, Costco and Trader Joe’s have implemented purchase limits to avoid hoarding and allow even more customers access to eggs. A limit of one dozen eggs per customer each day is applicable at Trader Joe’s.
What does the future hold for egg and chicken prices?
Analysts predict that the price of eggs can still go higher in the near future. The USDA predicts the price of eggs to go up by 20.3% in 2025 due to the ongoing supply disruption triggered by avian influenza.
On the other hand, chicken meat prices are predicted to be stable or decline marginally. The USDA has slightly dropped its 2025 broiler price forecast to $1.27 per pound, versus $1.29 per pound in 2024.
In short, the bird flu has had a great effect on egg production, causing prices to rise, but chicken meat production is holding steady, with stable prices. As things change, keeping yourself updated and looking at alternatives can see you through these fluctuations.
