“As bird flu comes and goes, our egg prices ride the wave.”Advertisement AdvertisementShrinking numbers of hens for the last two years have left retailers scrambling - and egg prices climbing. Avian flu usually spreads most in the fall and spring as wild birds like turkeys, ducks, geese and swans migrate for the season. Infection slows a hen’s egg production if it doesn’t kill the bird first, and infected flocks are typically euthanized to avoid further spread. Because of the virus’s impact, farmers are limited in the number of cage-free eggs they can produce to meet demand. But right now, there are only 106.6 million cage-free hens, leaving a shortage of 114.8 million hens.

Source: Washington Post November 21, 2024 16:09 UTC