If you’re like me and many other Americans you’ve probably noticed the price of eggs on the rise… again. For 18 eggs around Charlotte, NC, I’m paying nearly $6. I remember the days when you could pick up a dozen eggs for less than $1. It comes as no surprise to me that many people, including several of my friends, are opting to raise their own chickens. So, why are egg prices so high? And what are the alternatives?
Why Egg Prices Are So High
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) shows that the price of eggs is up nearly 38% from a year ago. Compared to the 2.4% that food prices rose overall in the last year, that’s a pretty starting jump.
More recently, eggs have even been difficult to find due to a fatal strain of bird flu working its way across the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that around 128,907,392 birds have been infected with this strain of the flu.
The USDA provides a livestock outlook. According to one of its recent reports, “There were 3.97 million table-egg layers depopulated in November alone, and in the first week of December, the loss of an additional 2.5 million birds in two Merced, California flocks was confirmed.” It was also noted that all of the cases killing table-egg-laying chickens were cage-free flocks in California and Arizona. These two states require the eggs being sold in the state to be cage-free.
Unfortunately, due to the struggles many chicken farmers are having, prices are going to keep going up.
“For 2025, quarterly average price projections were adjusted up to reflect decreased production expectations,” the USDA report predicted. “The first-quarter projection was adjusted up 45 cents to 295 cents per dozen, the second quarter projection up 25 cents to 225 cents per dozen, the third-quarter projection up 20 cents to 190 cents per dozen, and the fourth-quarter projection up 30 cents to 210 cents per dozen.”
So, what can you do to combat the rising price of eggs? Many of my friends in the more rural parts of North Carolina have decided to start raising chickens.
The Cost of Raising Chickens vs. Buying Eggs
It is estimated that the average person eats somewhere between 280 and 285 eggs per year. At the current prices, people are spending about $8.37 a month on eggs. However, if you’re a daily egg eater, a baker, or have a large family, this number could be multiplied. That said, many people have been wondering if it might be worth raising 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 issues. That said, the Hen House Collection took a moment to calculate the approximate monthly cost of raising chickens. If you have a flock of five egg layers, you can expect to spend around $69 per month. That’s way more than the $8-ish you’d be spending on two dozen eggs a month.
However, your flock will likely lay more than two dozen over the span of a month. You can then sell your eggs on Facebook or within 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 lay. Many of my friends enjoy being able to collect eggs each day. They also like not having to bite their nails over the cost of eggs at the grocery store and they don’t have to worry about supply chain issues.
For me, it’s not worth it. I’ll deal with egg prices continuing to go up and possibly just going without this kitchen staple for some weeks.
How are you combating the cost of eggs?
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