It’s no secret there’s been an increase in the grocery bill in the past couple years, but the main increase throughout America is the price of eggs. This price hike is due in part to avian influenza, more commonly known as bird flu. The most recent outbreak started in 2022 and has only gotten worse. As of February, the virus had affected about 166.1 million birds in America. More specifically, it affected about 129.7 million egg-laying hens, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. When an outbreak occurs, egg producers are forced to cull their flocks, which impacts the supply of eggs headed for grocery stores.
When a bird flu outbreak occurs on a farm, the most common response is to depopulate the infected flock, disinfect the farm, and monitor the surrounding area. Since there is currently no cure for chickens infected with the bird flu, infected chickens are humanely euthanized. The rest of the farm is thoroughly inspected and disinfected, so other chickens won’t fall victim. After the farmer thinks that the farm has been completely disinfected from the virus, the farm is tested for 21 days to ensure that all traces of the virus are gone and that egg production can begin once again.
As supplies tighten, the egg prices increase. Even though the prices have increased recently, the demand for eggs has stayed the same. As a result, the lower supply has caused grocery stores to change the way that they price their eggs. Before the outbreak, it was quite common for grocery stores to keep egg prices low in order to draw in customers, sometimes even pricing the eggs cheaper than what they paid for them wholesale. However, if a grocery store were to do that now, they’d be risking selling out, which would make many shoppers go somewhere else with their business.
With the continuing increase of the price of eggs, consumers are left wondering when prices will return to pre-virus levels. Unfortunately, this can’t happen until producers can rebuild their affected flocks and recover their egg production levels. This may take a while, as major U.S egg producers continue to report new cases of the virus affecting flocks across the country. Since October, reports of bird flu have spanned 10 states and affected more than 52 million egg-laying hens. That means, in just four months, producers have lost what amounts to roughly 17% of the total U.S. egg-layer population.
Although this issue has affected farms in Pennsylvania, it has yet to reach Greene County. Halie Gallagher from L&B Almosta Farm said that the bird flu has actually positively affected her son’s little egg farm, “I guess you could say that our farm has been directly affected by the bird flu pandemic, but in a positive way. Local stores increasing their cost of eggs plus the limited amount of eggs available in store has led people to small local egg dealers like my boys.” Throughout the year, Halie’s two sons run this little farm, doing most of the work themselves. “They’ve been doing their little farm now for two years. The boys help with the feeding and watering, collecting eggs, and cleaning the coops. During school months they get a little break from all of the morning work, but they always resume during the summer time. Our animals are very spoiled. If we need a chicken or duck caught, we send the boys after them. They love being hands on. They are truly two hardworking young boys.”
Shane Cole of Cole’s Greene Acres Farm stated, “Fortunately, our farm has not been directly affected by the bird flu outbreak. We typically maintain a flock of approximately 50 laying hens. However, due to the bird flu last year, we refrained from introducing any new hens, resulting in a reduced flock of about 25 laying hens. For the 2025 season, we have already purchased 24 additional laying hens, which will be available for pickup the first weekend of May. These 17-month-old hens were sourced locally to minimize the risk of infection.”
After retiring from 26 years of military service, Shane wanted to return to his roots and did just that by settling on his family’s 900 acre farm in Wayne Township. When he founded Cole’s Greene Acres Farm, he initially focused on traditional agricultural practices, such as heritage breed cattle, broiler chickens, laying hens, goats, ducks, and even a donkey. Over time, the farm has shifted its focus toward agri-tourism by offering things such as two stocked farm ponds for fishing, 10 miles of hiking trails, and a small wedding venue. Shanes farm isn’t just a working farm, but a family-oriented operation. All of Shane’s children and their families contribute to its management.
Finally, in 2019, Mikee Krieg and her chicken coop were crowned the “coolest chicken coop in America”, which earned a feature in the Backyard Poultry magazine, which can be found in every Rural King and Tractor Supply across the country. When asked about her flock’s health, she said “My operations have not been affected by Bird Flu. The demand for eggs is high, but unfortunately I do not have many chickens laying right now due to age. I recently purchased a new chick flock so that I can increase my supply of eggs without having to worry about the bird flu. Hopefully, I will be able to sell locally again.” Something special about Mikee’s chicken coop is the fact that it captures aspects of protection, comfort, and style all in one. The inside sanctuary is a 6’ x 6’ floor plan with two sides containing eight nesting boxes located conveniently for easy access. The access allows for her children to be able to reach the eggs, making the daily chore even more fun and family-oriented.
When asked about how much they’ve been charging for their eggs during this epidemic, their answers varied. L&B Almosta Farm actually doesn’t have a set price for their eggs, per Halie Gallagher. “We don’t charge a specific amount. We do this for my boys to teach them responsibility. If they put the work in then they get the money from egg sales. If a family could only pay a penny one week but $10 the next. We are always willing to help a family in need.”.
Shane Cole had this to say, “In the past, I supplied eggs to Waynesburg Milling Company. However, with our smaller flock last year, we couldn’t support Waynesburg Milling. Instead, we provided eggs to VFW Post 4793 in Waynesburg, which offers an affordable, public breakfast every Sunday. Any surplus eggs I had were offered to members of VFW Post 4793. Both last year and presently, we’ve been charging just $3.00 per dozen, as our egg sales are more of a community service than a profit-driven enterprise.”
At present, most local farmers are thankful that this harmful epidemic hasn’t struck Greene County and most of our farms are still going strong.