Written by Bernie Carr
With rising inflation affecting food prices, people have been switching to lower cost foods, such as eggs for protein. Now egg prices are rising too, and it’s not just because of inflation.
Bird flu is killing chickens
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), avian influenza, also known as bird flu is spreading in several states.
“Avian influenza (AI) is caused by an influenza type A virus which can infect poultry (such as chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, domestic ducks, geese, and guinea fowl) and wild birds (especially waterfowl).
SOURCE: USDA
Bird flu is airborne and spreads among chickens through nasal and eye secretions as well as manure. Wild birds spread the disease. The viruses that cause bird flu cause illness and death in poultry populations. When the disease is detected, farmers are forced to kill their flocks to contain the spread.
This happened before
The worse outbreak of bird flu occurred in 2015. Nearly 50 million birds, such as turkeys and egg-laying chickens across 15 states (mostly in the US Midwest) were killed. It cost the federal government 15 million in losses.
Unfortunately, this new outbreak comes at a time of supply chain problems and high inflation, putting more pressure on farmers as well as consumers.
Can bird flu spread to humans?
It is possible but rare according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) so it poses a low risk:
Human infections with HPAI A(H5) bird flu viruses are rare but can occur, usually after close contact with infected birds. No human infections with highly pathogenic avian influenza A viruses have been detected to date in the United States. (There have been four human infections with low pathogenic avian influenza A viruses identified in the United States since 2002.
Source: CDC
Egg prices will increase
The result of all the losses in the poultry population will cause chicken, turkey and egg prices to rise. Wholesale prices have already jumped; consumers are likely to notice the increases in retail prices soon.
What can you do?
Buy chicken and eggs now before the prices increase.
- Stock up on poultry and eggs before the prices increase again. That means having to make room in your freezer and refrigerator
- Consider investing in a vacuum sealer and chest freezer if you have the budget or the room.
- Buy a good amount of eggs to last you for a couple of months and freeze eggs for later use. This article describes how.
- Consider using plastic eggs for Easter crafts instead of real eggs.
- Follow this link for tips to save money on eggs.
- Make eggs last longer with this method.
Normally, I see egg prices drop in the spring and early summer; but this year it will be different. Along with the prices of everything else, egg prices will be rising too.
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Bernie Carr is the founder of Apartment Prepper. She has written several books including the best-selling Prepper’s Pocket Guide, Jake and Miller’s Big Adventure, The Penny-Pinching Prepper and How to Prepare for Most Emergencies on a $50 a Month Budget. Bernie’s latest e-book, FRUGAL DIY has just been released on Amazon. Her work appears in sites such as the Allstate Blog and Clark.com, as well as print magazines such as Backwoods Survival Guide and Prepper Survival Guide. She has been featured in national publications such as Fox Business and Popular Mechanics. Learn more about Bernie here.
