Eggs are 60% more expensive than last year in the US • Hacker News Board

Re: Eggs are 60% more expensive than last year in the US

#41

Post by datadata » Thu, Jan 12, 2023, 4:26 PM UTC

bigtex wrote: post #36

My wife has a cottage baking business and would buy 15 dozen eggs from Costco Business Center. Already high, a few months back in cost about $45 for the box. Just last week it was $110. She doesn't recall but it fairly certain the box was between $20-30 before inflation hit. However she said they had chicken legs that were .49/lb which is a great price but hard to reconcile with the narrative that avian flu is the ca…

Could it be that broiler chickens are being slaughtered ahead of time to prevent forced losses from avian flu? No clue about this industry.

Re: Eggs are 60% more expensive than last year in the US

#42

Post by bigtex » Thu, Jan 12, 2023, 4:27 PM UTC

throwaway9870 wrote: post #24

I talked to a farmer yesterday who said (at least in the US) it is bird flu. For some reason, the layers seem to have been hit harder than the boilers.

That might explain while at the Costco Business center they had boxes of chicken legs .49/lb but eggs are outrageous.

Re: Eggs are 60% more expensive than last year in the US

#43

Post by justinator » Thu, Jan 12, 2023, 4:28 PM UTC

smaryjerry wrote: post #34

mint2 wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually there’s more. On Jan 1st several more states laws about animal welfare went into effect whereas before essentially only California had those requirements. The supply of eggs meeting those requirements had not been ramped up to meet the step in demand. I expect that disruption will be temporary.

Yea this also. Colorado, one of the major state producers requires all chickens who produce eggs for sale to be cage free as of January 1st.

As an athlete who eats like a highschool linebacker (in Colorado), I've been watching eggs prices climb up $0.50 each week for a dozen, then jump $3 in one week. Now there's none on the shelves at all.

Re: Eggs are 60% more expensive than last year in the US

#44

Post by voisin » Thu, Jan 12, 2023, 4:29 PM UTC

amelius wrote: post #30

voisin wrote: post #29

It would be nice to see more people allowed to keep backyard chickens (hens at least, since roosters can be noisy). Since getting some at our place I’ve been surprised how fun they are to have around and easy to care for. Our compost from the kitchen goes to them too, which could help people divert scraps from the landfill or from being picked up (big gas usage) for municipal composting. Their waste is also great fer…

It's less fun with bird flu.

Correct me if I am wrong but bird flu is spread between birds in a flock, and so industrial, heavily concentrated flocks are breeding grounds for bird flu? So backyard chickens being more diverse, smaller flocks, would increase food security and reduce spread?

Re: Eggs are 60% more expensive than last year in the US

#45

Post by RosanaAnaDana » Thu, Jan 12, 2023, 4:30 PM UTC

a five pound bag of flour was 9 dollars in the store last week.

Re: Eggs are 60% more expensive than last year in the US

#46

Post by kibwen » Thu, Jan 12, 2023, 4:30 PM UTC

voisin wrote: post #29

It would be nice to see more people allowed to keep backyard chickens (hens at least, since roosters can be noisy). Since getting some at our place I’ve been surprised how fun they are to have around and easy to care for. Our compost from the kitchen goes to them too, which could help people divert scraps from the landfill or from being picked up (big gas usage) for municipal composting. Their waste is also great fer…

Maybe they're illegal in the suburbs, but if they're illegal in US cities then that clearly isn't enforced, I can find backyard chickens in any city I go to (not especially common in most neighborhoods, but they're there).

Re: Eggs are 60% more expensive than last year in the US

#47

Post by bradly » Thu, Jan 12, 2023, 4:30 PM UTC

In rural Utah I paid $9.50 last week for the cheapest dozen available at the budget food store.

Re: Eggs are 60% more expensive than last year in the US

#48

Post by rexreed » Thu, Jan 12, 2023, 4:31 PM UTC

Cream prices have more than doubled. At Target, the 32oz Heavy Cream that was $2.99 in Oct 2021 is now $6.49. And there's a cream shortage in any case. Inflation and supply chain issues.

Re: Eggs are 60% more expensive than last year in the US

#49

Post by silisili » Thu, Jan 12, 2023, 4:31 PM UTC

voisin wrote: post #29

It would be nice to see more people allowed to keep backyard chickens (hens at least, since roosters can be noisy). Since getting some at our place I’ve been surprised how fun they are to have around and easy to care for. Our compost from the kitchen goes to them too, which could help people divert scraps from the landfill or from being picked up (big gas usage) for municipal composting. Their waste is also great fer…

I've been sitting on an acre in a city that allows backyard chickens, thinking about it but doing nothing.

I think this is the catalyst I need to get started on a coop. If anyone has any plans or pointers for a coop, or raising chickens in the SW, would be much appreciated.

Re: Eggs are 60% more expensive than last year in the US

#50

Post by amalgamated_inc » Thu, Jan 12, 2023, 4:31 PM UTC

ksherlock wrote: post #22

Lydon Johnson had an answer (via George Will): In 1966, the price of eggs rose to a level that President Lyndon Johnson judged, God knows how, was too high. There were two culprits – supply and demand – and Johnson’s agriculture secretary told him there was not much that could be done. LBJ, however, was a can-do fellow who directed the US surgeon general to dampen demand by warning the nation about the hazards of cho…

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