A new year, a new scramble to keep up with soaring egg prices, bird flu crisis

“Basically, what they are doing is destroying our local industry so that the international industry will survive.”
— Theresa Freund, manager of Freund’s Farm Market and Bakery

NORTH CANAAN — Theresa Freund gingerly removed a box containing 15 dozen large eggs from refrigeration. The fragile haul cost her $92 a week earlier.

“That’s 51 cents each … and that was a low number,” she explained during a Feb. 5 visit to Freund’s Farm Market and Bakery, which she oversees with her daughter, Rachel.

At last check, she said, the price for 15 dozen eggs had skyrocketed to $110, “and I bet it will be $120 next week,” predicted Freund, who uses them in a variety of baked goods made in her recently expanded commercial kitchen, as well as prepared food items like quiche.

After climbing in 2022 due to an outbreak of avian flu and dropping in 2023, the price of eggs has been steadily creeping up again and is expected to increase more than 20% this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Price Outlook released Jan. 24.

The federal agency reported that the wholesale cost for a dozen large Grade A eggs, which were $4.17 a dozen in November, has soared to a record $6.57. The agency predicted egg prices will climb by about 20% within the year, compared with a predicted 2.2% increase for overall food prices.

At the beginning of 2023, a dozen eggs cost an average of $4.82, the highest in the past decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The bird flu is to blame

This year’s egg shortage is linked to an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or bird flu, a virus found in wild bird species that is highly contagious among domestic poultry and has a mortality rate of nearly 100%.

To slow the spread of the virus the government has ordered millions of chickens slaughtered. Fewer egg-laying chickens means that consumers, and businesses, are shelling out more per dozen as demand exceeds supply.

At Collin’s Diner in North Canaan, a classic dining car style-diner built in 1940, the price of any menu item featuring eggs rose last week.

“I just raised the price on all my egg dishes by $1,” said Doonia Hamzy, whose family has owned the circa 1940’s diner for the past 55 years. “This is the first time I’ve raised my prices in six years.”

Hamzy said she shops locally every day for fresh eggs and the least expensive she has found is $13 for two dozen. The price hike, she said, is not intended to be permanent, and was a difficult, but necessary, decision to make.

“When the egg prices go down, so will my prices. That’s how we were raised.”

Nearby, four customers seated at the counter around lunchtime were nonplussed about paying a dollar more for an egg selection.

“It doesn’t bother me,” said Gary Ross, a piano technician from Falls Village, whose favorite dish is scrambled eggs with sauteed peppers and onions. “I come here just about every day,” he said, taking a sip from a hot cup o’ Joe.

The next stool over, Canaan resident Hope Dunham said she got sticker shock over the weekend after shelling out $7.50 for a dozen eggs at Dollar General in nearby Sheffield.

“It’s still cheaper for me to come here,” said Dunham. “Plus, I don’t have to cook … or clean up afterwards.”

Hamzy said she appreciates her customer’s support during these challenging times. “We live in an extremely supportive community. We are very blessed.”

The Freund flock in its protected enclosure.Debra A. Aleksinas

Surveillance testing for bird flu

The Connecticut Department of Agriculture conducts surveillance testing on domestic birds throughout the state. Testing for bird flu is available at low or no cost through a partnership with the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Connecticut.

The multi-generational Freund family farm in Canaan also keeps a flock of about 36 egg-laying chickens which were tested for the H5N1 bird flu virus by the state three weeks ago, the results of which came back negative.

Eggs from the family’s farm operation are sold by the dozen at its Farm Market but are not permitted to be used in the farm’s commercial kitchen, said Freund.

“The state Department of Agriculture tested them three weeks ago,” she said of her daughter, Rachel’s, egg-laying flock. “They banded and swabbed a sampling of about 20 birds.”

The virus is being spread as wild birds comingle with free-range birds in commercial and backyard poultry operations.

The Freund flock tested negative, as it has in the past, which its owners attribute to the chickens’ caged henhouse and enclosure, which protects them from contact with disease-carrying wild birds.

Why not vaccinate chickens?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture last week confirmed 81 detections of avian flu in wild birds collected across 24 states between Dec. 29 and Jan. 17.

Freund said health officials “have to do more” to protect domestic flocks from the deadly virus, including vaccination, which is currently not part of the federal government’s strategy because of trade concerns.

“Basically what they are doing is destroying our local industry so that the international industry will survive,” said Freund. “Things have to change. Millions of birds are being destroyed.”

On Jan. 15, Avian flu was confirmed in a backyard flock in New London County consisting of chickens, ducks and peacocks.

The flock of family pets, which had close contact with wild waterfowl in a nearby pond, was confirmed to be infected with bird flu, according to a Jan. 17 statement by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture.

“At this time there is no effective treatment or approved vaccine for the virus in poultry. The infected flock has been depopulated to prevent spread of the disease,” according to the state agricultural agency.

Signs of infection include a sudden increase in bird deaths, sneezing, coughing, nasal discharge, watery or green diarrhea, lack of energy, poor appetite, drop in egg production, swelling around the eyes, neck and head, and purple discoloration of wattles, combs and legs.

The current risk of infection from avian influenza to residents of Connecticut remains low, according to Connecticut Department of Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani.

“The CDC is currently monitoring numerous H5N1 cases throughout the country and tracking the spread of the virus in states where it has been identified in people or animals,” Juthani said.

Flock owners are encouraged to report anything unusual, especially sick or dead birds, to CT DoAg at (860) 713-2505 or ctstate.vet@ctgov, or USDA at (866) 536-7593.