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

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

#61
post #47

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

I think the cheapest near me in Boston is Walmart, where it was about $4.39/dozen a week or so ago (seems to be $4.85/dozen now) , but seeing a lot of local supermarkets where the cheapest is $6.49/dozen it really made me think back to pre-pandemic.

I think right around 4 years ago, maybe just before (52 months), I could get a dozen at ALDI for $0.69-0.79 at times. Though I bet if I went to ALDI today it wouldn’t be less than $4.

Inflation certainly hasn’t helped, and then with the 50 million plus birds culled, the difference has been stark. Takes time to recoup that stock of hens, assuming some of the smaller farms that were suppliers didn’t go belly up in the aftermath.

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

#62

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

Yeah, it's not just eggs. My grocery bill has definitely been greatly outpacing the official inflation figures, which are already high. Double or triple that rate, I'd say.

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

#63

Answer: Bird flu and inflation (less so). Although I suspect in short time we'll find out that the price hikes due to "bird flu" and "inflation" become... permanent.

The price of feed went up significantly too. Maybe not for whatever garbage industrial egg producers feed their chickens but definitely for small farms.

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

#64
post #15
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The same thing that created the shortage in the first place: USDA regulations. If you want laying hens for personal use, no problem. As soon as you go commercial you have to follow all the rules. Edit: The takeaway is answering the post I'm replying to as to why anyone can't just start selling eggs. Edit edit: Child's axe-grinding notwithstanding, I really am just pointing out that USDA regulations are why the averag…

USDA regulations caused bird flu? Also, Unregulated eggs are not a solution. What is the takeaway from your comment, it’s unclear. Edit: OP replied to this comment as an edit to their original, that makes it very awkward to actually respond to their reply. The reply also didn’t address the points because it amounted to saying “the take away is that I replied to someone”. That comment appears to be an “all regulations…

Irrespective of the content of any given regulation, it will slow down, cost money to adapt to, and therefore cause problems with supply.

You have to hire a lawer who follows these things, interprets them. Then you have to craft new changes in the way you do things (no matter what things you do or how) to adapt, and you have to also signal that so you won't get audited/inspected (which is a huge cost in time & resources even if there are 0 violations).

And that's before the cost of the actual regulation.

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

#65

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…

[flagged]

abundance of anything is unhealthy so its not "wrong" but eating eggs on occasion wont contribute to high colestrol

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

#66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

[flagged]

They definitely did help the chickens.

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

#68
post #12

Answer: Bird flu and inflation (less so). Although I suspect in short time we'll find out that the price hikes due to "bird flu" and "inflation" become... permanent.

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.

So why then are my Pasture Raised Organic eggs increasing at the same rate as budget eggs. These regulations would not impact those operations

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

#69
post #44
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

You have to contend with wild birds passing diseases to your chickens.

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

#70
post #55
post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

Not exactly. Free birds can still spread the flu from one location to another, e.g. by dropping excrements.

Right, but if you don’t mix flocks, how do they get their excrements from one backyard to another that is distant?
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