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
The USDA’s annual report leaves dairy producers with a mixed picture. Output and herd size expanded, but weaker prices kept income from rising with production.
Total cash receipts from marketings of cattle, calves, hogs, and pigs climbed by 18% in 2025 to $165 billion.
Pseudorabies case confirmed in Iowa herd prompts heightened biosecurity measures as U.S. swine producers work to prevent spread and protect herd health.
DOJ and USDA investigate beef industry concentration, with Big Four packers under scrutiny and a major settlement announcement expected later this week.
The spending bill keeps animal health and traceability funding in place while trimming several other USDA accounts.
Spring Fieldwork Advances As Weather Stays Uneven

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Current estimates are already hovering around 80 weeks.
The lockout has not yet signaled a major disruption in the cattle market, but processing reliability remains important in a tight beef supply chain.
Soybeans accounted for nearly half of the $15 billion in losses on U.S. ag exports to China due to tariffs, according to researchers at North Dakota State University.
Ohio farmer Chris Gibbs joins us to discuss planting progress, weather conditions, and how geopolitical tensions are clouding his growing season outlook as input concerns continue to escalate.
Officials say the virus is not a food safety risk and does not affect humans
Dry conditions have severely impacted key winter wheat states with persistent moisture deficits. As quality declines, analysts warn some crops may be lost despite upcoming rain.
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.
From soil to harvest. Top Crop is an all-new series about four of the best farmers in the world—Dan Luepkes, of Oregan, Illinois; Cory Atley, of Cedarville, Ohio; Shelby Fite, of Jackson Center, Ohio; Russell Hedrick, of Hickory, North Carolina—reveals what it takes for them to make a profitable crop. It all starts with good soil, patience, and a strong planter setup.