U.S. egg prices have fallen 60% from last year’s record highs, making it simpler for shoppers to fill their Easter baskets and Passover Seder plates.
Bird flu was to blame for elevated retail costs through the first 5 months of 2025, and the course of the extremely contagious illness is an enormous motive why costs are a lot decrease now. An outbreak pressured farmers and business producers to slaughter complete broods of egg-laying hens, however ebbing circumstances within the second half of final yr helped restore egg provides, stated Mark Jordan, the manager director of agricultural analysis agency LEAP Market Analytics.
The cussed outbreak continues to be affecting U.S. poultry flocks, with the variety of contaminated business flocks rising in March. However farmers have been quickly replenishing flocks that died or needed to be destroyed. Between July 2024 and July 2025 the variety of egg-type chicks hatched within the U.S. rose 8%. It was the primary sustained and substantial improve within the availability of specially-bred layer chicks for the reason that chook flu outbreak started in 2022, Jordan stated.
The Trump administration’s decision to import practically 1 billion eggs final yr additionally helped decrease costs, Jordan stated, though imports have since returned to extra regular ranges. The U.S. additionally exported fewer eggs final yr to assist enhance home provides.
However what’s good for shoppers isn’t essentially good for farmers, who’re discovering it tough to recoup their prices as egg costs plummet. In addition they might should pay extra for feed, together with corn and soybean meal, due to the Iran battle.
“Farmers aren’t any strangers to volatility. It’s a part of the enterprise. However in latest months, many have been promoting eggs at or beneath the price of manufacturing,” stated Emily Metz, the president and CEO of the America Egg Board, a commerce group.
Right here’s a have a look at U.S. egg costs by the numbers, in response to authorities figures:
— $2.50 per dozen: Common U.S. worth for a dozen eggs in February.
— $6.23 per dozen: Common U.S. worth for a dozen eggs in March 2025, which was an all-time excessive.
— 315.8 million: Variety of egg-laying hens within the U.S. as of March 1. That’s 8% larger than final yr.
— 45 million: Variety of egg-laying hens in Iowa, the highest U.S. state for egg manufacturing.
— 205.7 million: Variety of chickens and different birds in business and yard flocks that died or had been culled because of chook flu since February 2022.
— 5.22 million: Variety of chickens and different birds that died or had been culled due to chook flu in March 2026. That’s greater than double the quantity affected in March 2025.
— 657%: The proportion improve in U.S. imports of shell eggs in 2025 in comparison with the yr earlier than.
— $1.05: Common price for farmers to supply a dozen eggs, not together with labor and transportation, in response to the American Egg Board. In late March, the nationwide common wholesale worth of eggs was $1.17 per dozen.
— 40,000: Variety of actual eggs that shall be used for this yr’s White Home Easter Egg Roll,
—Dee-Ann Durbin, AP Enterprise Author
