Egg prices are increasing in eastern Iowa...again!

This is something we've seen and something we've been through before here in eastern Iowa but what is the reasoning behind this? Is it the standard "supply chain" problem we've grown accustomed to hearing? Is it because of the bird flu? Maybe it's a combination of all of these things. What's the biggest cause behind the increase in price this time?

Farmers have weighed in on why egg prices are going up and the bird flu is part of the reason, but it's not necessarily the biggest reason for the increase. The biggest reason for the egg price increase has more to do with what the chickens are eating.

Egg Prices in Eastern Iowa

KCRG spoke to two Iowa chicken farmers, Carly Schulty and her husband, about egg prices and what has caused this price increase. According to Carly, chicken feed is one of the biggest determining factors in egg prices. Inflation has caused chicken feed prices to increase which has led some chicken farmers, like Carly and her husband, to ferment their chicken feed to make it last longer.

Get our free mobile app

"We started out selling each dozen for $2.50, and then they went up to $3 per dozen and now $4 per dozen. And that is probably the highest I’ve seen our prices."

Fermenting their chicken feed is one way for Carly to try and keep their egg prices as steady as they can.

Bird Flu

While chicken feed prices are a major cause of the price of eggs, the bird flu is also to blame and it is having a big impact on the chicken industry. If chickens get sick, it can be extremely detrimental. Carly told KCRG her husband does everything he can to ensure a healthy flock of chickens. When more chickens get sick, the demand for the birds increases.

"He has to use boot covers, wash all of his tools, his truck, and sometimes maybe a shower in and out of the facility just to ensure these chickens don’t get sick because it’s very detrimental. It's probably $6 a chick (right now) and to me, that’s pretty cheap, but I could see them going up to $10 a chicklet which then gets pretty expensive."

There has been a reported loss of around 40 million hens because of the avian flu, since February of 2022. Over the upcoming weeks, don't be surprised if you continue to see the price of eggs going up when you're at the grocery store.