If you've been grocery shopping recently, you've probably noticed that eggs are more expensive than ever. Prices have skyrocketed due to a shortage caused by bird flu, leaving many people wondering: could chicken be next?
The bird flu outbreak that started in 2022 has wreaked havoc on poultry populations across the globe, impacting both egg and chicken supplies.
The virus has been particularly hard on commercial poultry farms, where high-density living conditions can make it easier for the virus to spread quickly. If the virus is found on a poultry farm, all birds must be put to death to stop it from spreading.
While the virus led to the loss of more than 38 million egg-laying chickens in 2024, including over 20 million in the last quarter alone, a significantly smaller amount of broiler chickens -- those raised for their meat -- have been impacted.
The difference largely comes down to how the two types of chickens are raised and housed, with egg-laying hens often living in more crowded conditions, making it easier for the virus to spread.
Some hen complexes can house over a million birds on site, while a typical broiler facility may only have 10,000 chickens, Matt Sutton-Vermeulen, principal in the agriculture and food practice of Kearney, a global strategy and management consulting firm, told USA Today. So, when bird flu is detected in an egg-laying operation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture orders the birds to be culled, the impact on the supply chain is far more devastating.
Broiler chickens also spend less time on the farm, typically just about seven weeks from birth to harvest, Tom Super of the National Chicken Council, told NPR. On the other hand, hens take 18 months or more to mature enough to start laying eggs. Because broilers have a shorter life cycle, they can be replaced fairly quickly if a flock is lost to the flu.
"I am not necessarily worried right now about a (broiler) poultry shortage," Will Strickland, an assistant extension agent for Louisiana State University's AgCenter told USA Today. "That's not to say that something devastating couldn't happen."
While it's difficult to predict the future, one thing is clear: just like with eggs, the price of chicken could increase as demand remains steady or grows. While a full-blown chicken shortage may not be imminent, higher prices are definitely something we could see as the bird flu outbreak continues to escalate.