Egg prices working to recover after record year with High Path Avian Flu

Retail egg prices have fallen from record highs, but as producers work to rebuild flocks decimated by High Path Avian Flu, USDA livestock analyst Shayle Shagam says there is still a lot of work to do.

This time of year usually draws the highest demand for eggs both commercially and in the home.

“As we move into this period of strong demand, we are looking at relatively tight supplies of eggs. If we look at the most recent information on table eeg production, we’re down about 6% from where we were a year ago. The egg laying flock is also down. It’s down about 4% from last year,” Shagam said.

Right now the average price for a dozen eggs is around $3.50. Just a year ago the same carton cost about $2.41.

Related Stories
Firefighters are making good progress on two major wildfires burning across parts of Nebraska.
Processing disruptions could impact cattle markets if the strike continues.
South Texas farmers face worsening drought as Mexico falls short on water payments, leaving producers struggling for irrigation under the 1944 treaty.
Margins shift across the chain based on timing.
Spring Fieldwork Advances As Weather Patterns Shift Nationwide
Premieres on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, at 7:30 PM ET

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

A prolonged Iran ceasefire offers limited relief as fertilizer concerns persist, prompting U.S. policy shifts and driving farmers to reconsider crop acreage.
The Farm Monitor takes us along to see how they’re leaning on technology to improve poultry production.
National Land Realty’s Jeramy Stephens explains how rising input costs and economic uncertainty are impacting the farmland market and what landowners should watch moving forward.
Higher fuel costs are raising grain shipping expenses. RealAg Radio’s Shaun Haney discusses how energy market disruptions are impacting farmers in new ways as the War in Iran continues.
The proposal would require farmers’ consent before companies can sell agricultural data
Lower shipping costs favor corn, while soybeans face pressure.
Agriculture Shows
Hosted by Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady and RFD News Markets Specialist Tony St. James, Commodity Talk delivers expert insight into the day’s ag commodity markets just before the CME opens. Only on RFD-TV and Rural Radio SiriusXM Channel 147.
A look at the news, weather and commodities headlines that drove agriculture markets in the past week.
Everything profits from prairie. Soil, air, water — and all kinds of life! Learn how you can improve your land with prairie restoration, cover crops and prairie strips, while growing your bottom line.
Special 3-part series tells the story of the Claas family’s legacy, which changed agriculture forever.