Egg Costs Drop But Stock Is Still Down by About 5%; Farmers Invest in Bird Flu Prevention Strategy

The prices of eggs have dropped, but it remains uncertain when it will last as bird flu, which affected its cost, is still a threat to farmers.

Egg Prices Drop Amid Bird Flu Pandemic

David Ortega, a food economist at Michigan State University, said egg prices have finally begun to decline. According to him, wholesale prices in the midwest dropped by 58 cents a dozen at the end of January based on USDA data.

However, there is a lag between the wholesale prices and the price at the grocery store. Ortega assures the consumers that they will be relieved.

However, buyers should not expect the prices of eggs to drop to $1.50 a dozen anytime soon due to inflation, which has also driven the cost of feed, transportation and labor. However, the biggest factor increasing eggs' prices is bird flu - the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HAPI), NPR reported.

Avian influenza can quickly spread from flock to flock and is lethal to chickens. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 58 million birds have died or been culled due to the outbreak.

Ortega noted that the virus caused an acute "shock" in egg supply, which resulted in the rise of egg prices. He clarified that it remains unclear when the outbreak will be over, and prices are sticky, so they could rise quickly and take longer for them to come down.

Avian Influenza Today is More Deadly

Avian flu began circulating last year, and there have been outbreaks at poultry operations in 47 states. It began when wild birds like geese infected chickens, turkeys, and waterfowl in commercial flocks.

Once they are infected, USDA euthanizes the whole flock because the pathogenic disease is deadly, according to poultry scientist Phillip Clauer of Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. They help the birds die humanely and prevent the disease from spreading. He added that the last outbreak was in 2-15, and this time, it was more deadly.

According to CDC, people are at "low risk" from the virus. It usually doesn't infect people. However, last spring, a person from Colorado contracted the virus after he had contact with infected poultry. The person reportedly experienced fatigue and was treated with antiviral medication.

What Farmers Do to Prevent Bird Flu?

Dr. Yuko Sato, a veterinarian at Iowa State University, couldn't say when the bird flu pandemic will be over. The expert was hoping we were already in the middle or towards the outbreak's end.

Sato noted that killing off infected flocks had taken an emotional toll on farmers as no one wants to depopulate and euthanize birds. She advised egg producers to invest in rebuilding their flocks from their chicks. According to her, it takes 16 to 18 weeks for birds to mature and start laying eggs; that's why there's a delay in rebuilding the supply of eggs.

Emily Metz, president of the American Egg Board, said the stock of eggs is still down by about 5%. However, farmers are focusing their efforts on a quick recovery.

They also invest in prevention strategies to avoid avian flu. Some put laser light systems to prevent migratory birds from entering their barns. Some transport their workers to minimize truck traffic and lower the risk of contamination. They are working on making their barn resilient to the ongoing pandemic.

Check out more news and information on Bird Flu in Science Times.