If you’re like me and many other Americans you’ve probably noticed the price of eggs going up… again. For 18 eggs in Charlotte, NC, I pay about $6. I remember the days when you could pick up a dozen eggs for less than $1. It’s no surprise to me that many people, including a few of my friends, choose to raise their own chickens. So, why are egg prices so high? And what are the alternatives?
Why Are Egg Prices So High?
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) shows that the price of eggs has increased by about 38% since last year. Compared to the 2.4% increase in food prices over the past year, that’s a good start.
Recently, even eggs have been hard to come by because of a deadly strain of bird flu that is sweeping through the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that there are 128,907,392 birds affected by this type of flu.
The USDA provides an overview of livestock. According to one of its recent reports, “There were 3.97 million table egg layers lost in November alone, and in the first week of December, the loss of an additional 2.5 million birds from two flocks in Merced, California was confirmed.” It was also noted that all the killings of laying hens were cage-free flocks in California and Arizona. These two states require that eggs sold in the state be cage-free.
Unfortunately, due to the struggles many chicken farmers have, prices will continue to rise.
“By 2025, the quarterly average price projections have been adjusted to reflect the expected decline in production,” the USDA report predicted. “The first quarter estimate was adjusted by 45 cents to 295 cents per dozen, the second quarter increased by 25 cents to 225 cents per dozen, the third quarter increased by 20 cents to 190 cents, and the fourth quarter. 30 to 210 cents per dozen.”
So, what can you do to combat rising egg prices? Many of my friends in rural North Carolina have decided to start raising chickens.
Cost of Raising Poultry vs. Buying Eggs
It is estimated that the average person eats between 280 and 285 eggs per year. At current prices, people spend about $8.37 a month on eggs. However, if you are a daily egg eater, a baker, or have a large family, this number can be multiplied. That being said, many people have been wondering if it might be worth it to raise chickens instead of buying eggs.
There are a few things to consider here. First, you have to take care of the chickens. They may get sick and have other problems. That means, theHen House Collection it took a while to calculate the approximate monthly cost of raising chickens. If you have a flock of five egg layers, you can expect to spend about $69 per month. That’s way more than $8-ish you’ll spend on twenty eggs a month.
However, your flock will probably lay more than twenty-two in a month. You can then sell your eggs on Facebook or in your community. This can help you get some of your money back. Will you be able to sell $60 worth of eggs? It depends on how your chickens sleep. Many of my friends enjoy being able to collect eggs each day. They also like not to bite their nails on the cost of store eggs and don’t have to worry about supply chain issues.
To me, it’s not worth it. I will deal with egg prices that continue to rise and possibly go without this kitchen staple for some weeks.
How do you fight egg costs?
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