Expensive eggs
Eggs used to be a great choice for an inexpensive meal. I happen to like them, too. Scrambled, over easy, deviled, egg salad sandwiches, you name it.
Eggs still cost less than meat these days. Or than scallops, one of my personal favorites which even in New England now range between twenty and thirty dollars per pound for the good stuff, the never-ever-frozen sea scallops. I buy a half pound now and then and make the whole thing stretch by cutting them in half.
But eggs? Eggs? What’s up with that? This article purports to explain:
Part of this is just the overall inflation we’ve experienced…
Egg prices were just $1.79 a little over a year ago, in December 2021. Were the corporations just more generous then? Did they suddenly become extra greedy all of a sudden?
Of course not. [Those who offer this] absurd conspiracy theory [are] ultimately motivated by the blind ideological hatred these types have for business.
The real reason for high egg prices, as is usually the case, has its roots in the basic economics of supply and demand. Unfortunately, an avian flu has wiped out more than 43 million egg-laying hens since February 2022, according to the US Department of Agriculture. That’s resulted in a 29% decrease in the US egg stock, aka the supply.
So, inflation plus reduced supply.
Speaking of which, because I’m here on the west coast where things are more expensive, yesterday I hit an all-time high for a grocery trip. I’d say that in general, groceries are about ten to 20 percent higher here than at home.
And I didn’t even buy eggs.
Some of the price increase here in CO is due to the fact CO legislature passed a law egg producers had to have nothing but cage free chickens, not free range. The chickens have to have a certain amount of space. That is for producers of a certain size. And we did have large flocks killed off because of the bird flu. I can get 18 eggs at WM for around $6.50. King Soopers/Kroger is much higher
You will eat bugs and like it.
As neo stated, eggs are a super food and used to be an incredible value. I hope that once a new generation of egg laying hens matures prices will drop again.
Food prices have really gone up! It’s hard to find any bargains, especially eating out. My wife enjoys eating out more than I do, but there are several places we would regularly go to because the food was good, it was a nice night out, and we felt good supporting local businesses. But we’ve cut way down on that due to price increases. Decades ago my wife and I stumbled onto sharing an entrée. Often American portions are large and if we get dinner salads or an extra side a single entrée was plenty for us both. If we both get entrees now it’s hard to stay under $80 with a drink or two and tip; even just getting burgers.
This is all on Biden.
Chickens (free ranging) eat bugs and like it.
First bugs then Soyle…
But then Mad Cow Disease and Kuru showed that there may be a problem. Do zombies get Kuru?
The humane requirements apply to California, I think, so Californians are buying the “cage free, free range” eggs I do, because you have no other choice.
I think it’s going to take 9 months to have new laying hens increasing the supply. That’s assuming the avian flu has receded. Eggs are good nutrition and they’re still less expensive than meat, but not as much of a bargain as they used to be.
Huge chicken farm fire in CT this week. Some 100,000 hens died in the fire.
https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/chickens-died-bozrah-egg-hillandale-farm-fire-17751679.php
Well, so much for Neo buying eggs when she goes home.
there have also been fires in large farms in minnesota, most recently one in connecticut, among other elements,
This has all been caused by a conspiracy of left-wing(!) chickens. The rooster population has always been tightly controlled, because they lay no eggs. A few roosters somehow got the idea that they could survive by pretending to be hens. They couldn’t lay any eggs, but they claimed to be hens anyway, and some activist judge told the chicken farmers that the male-to-female hens couldn’t be killed. So these transgender hens just lie around, eating all the food that would normally go to the hens assigned at birth.
As more and more roosters saw the advantage of the transgender strategy, the population of male-to-female hens exploded, and the total number of laid eggs dropped like a rock. Naturally, the reduced egg supply led to much higher prices. If you complain about the prices, you’re a bigot. Burn this comment after reading.
Just yesterday,
put a dozen on layaway.
The price of chicken feed has also increased a great deal lately, basically due to inflation. So that’s another factor.
Rufus, my wife and I almost always get a second meal with the leftovers. Cuts the price of the meal down a bit.
This is all on Biden. … and Congress.
Transgender chickens! 🙂 LOL
But the most expensive egg is the one fertilized within a human female, that grows into a blastocyst, embryo, fetus, baby, child, teen ager, and college student. Especially one that returns home to live in his/her parent’s basement.
But I suppose certain prized animals (horses, bulls, etc.?) might actually cost more.
All is going according to plan…
}}} If we both get entrees now it’s hard to stay under $80 with a drink or two and tip; even just getting burgers.
Dude, where in God’s Name are you? 😛
I can go out and get a pair of steaks for two people and spend under 40 bucks… with sides (salad+ 1 veg)
😉
Move to Florida. 😀
}}} Just yesterday, put a dozen on layaway.
I saw what you did there. I’m gonna cry fowl!! 😛
I am not seeing any reason for “9 months” to replenish the hen population, offhand.
A quick search implies this:
Adolescent hens will start to lay eggs around the 18-week mark
Se we are talking about 4.5 months — they’ve been >4 bucks for a heck of a lot longer than that. So they should have begun replacing them months ago, with prices beginning to lower as the supply increases.
Next you’ll be telling us to just buy our own chickens and have ’em run around the yard, house or apartment laying eggs by the fence, behind the sofa or under the piano. (Yeah, I know there’s laws…but the law’s a’ ass…at least the Democrats firmly thinks so…)
What you don’t seem to realize is that “Biden” is playing a game of chicken with the American people…and “he” aims to win.
}}} (Yeah, I know there’s laws…but the law’s a’ ass…at least the Democrats firmly thinks so…)
Obviously, depends on the place, but in many places, it’s legal to have chickens, but roosters are constrained.
I know in my home town, inside the city limits, you can have up to 10 chickens, no rooster.
I know there is one place where they just let the rooster roam free, hence not “violating the law”.
“Not ours, man!” 😀
My daughter started raising chickens about 5 years ago. Then the varmints started showing up — raccoons, opossums, coyotes and hawks are even more predatory than FBI agents around a Republican nominating convention. That finally made her realize she had to raise a few more every year, and stop giving them names. “Possum got another chicken last night” is a lot better than “Possum got Dolly Carton last night.”
I’m just guessing on the lead time, OBloodyHell. Just hatching a totally new full henhouse is going to take longer than the 18-week theoretical time span.
Two steaks, a salad and side, drinks and tip…
Under $40?
Do you live next to Tampa Bay Downs? 🙂
This article explains the rise in eggs prices fairly simply. Avian flu has wiped out over 43,000,000 laying hens, resulting in a 29% decrease in the supply. I’m surprised eggs aren’t higher. I read somewhere that part of the blame for the spread of avian flu is migratory birds. Yippee, so there’s no telling what the impact of the spring migration will have on the laying hen population.
I was in the grocery store a few days ago and eggs had fallen from $4,89/doz. to $4.22/doz. Pork loin was only $1.48/lb. When eggs are more expensive than meat, something is seriously wrong.
https://www.based-politics.com/2023/01/23/why-are-eggs-so-freaking-expensive-right-now-explained/
Cornflour, that was funny!
$15.70 in Dallas Walmarts for the double 18 pack. Jumped from 9.53 in one leap. Was $2.50 for years up until about 6 months ago.
At $4.22 per dozen, that’s about $2.81 per pound (a large egg weighs 2 oz.). So, more than that pork loin, but a lot quicker and easier to cook, and $2.81 a pound is still at the low end of animal protein prices.
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The feed problem will get worse as fertilizer ratchets up. The war on energy claims more victims.
I understand people close to the border are going into Mexico and buying eggs. Why hasn’t this “avian flu” taken out the Mexican chickens?
It probably has hit Mexican chickens, but if US buyers are offering more than Mexicans, the eggs will sell.
Probably the capsicum they put in the chicken feed.
Keeps ’em super healthy, vibrant, motivated, stimulated and interested in their surroundings.
Gives the eggs a terrific flavor.
(And if they aren’t putting it in the chicken feed, they should be…)
“… And one of theym named Sheffelde, a mercer, cam in-to an hows and axed for mete; and specially he axyd after eggys. And the goode wyf answered, that she coude speke no frenshe. And the marchaunt was angry, for he also coude speke no frenshe, but wolde have hadde egges, and she understode hym not. And thenne at laste a nother sayd that he woude have eyren. Then the good wyf sayd that she understod hym wel. Loo, what sholde a man in thyse days now wryte, egges or eyren? Certaynly it is harde to playse every man by cause of dyversity & chaunge of langage. …”
William Caxton
President Biden told us last year that there Would Be Food Shortages in 2023.
Figures. The one time he wasn’t lying, it’s about this.
I suspect this is the first of many “suddenly” unavailable or unaffordable food items on our grocery shelves.
Well, at least I got some laughs, here. Thanks!!
What gets me about our eggs & hen problems:
Researchers should prioritize stopping the avian flu, instead of shoving a dangerous fake “vaccine” on humans.
But helping humans is not their agenda, obviously.
Oh my! I just read a blog entry at PJ Media by Ben Bartee, wondering if the gov is bioengineering Avian flu thru Gain of Function. .. . Feeling more doomed.
(Y’all are likely way ahead of me…
I’m in central Texas, heading to 24 hours without power, in a “severe winter storm”.)
https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/benbartee/2023/01/31/is-the-u-s-government-bioengineering-avian-flu-through-gain-of-function-n1666610
}}} I’m just guessing on the lead time, OBloodyHell. Just hatching a totally new full henhouse is going to take longer than the 18-week theoretical time span.
Oh, I concur, which is why I suggested “So they should have begun replacing them months ago, with prices beginning to lower as the supply (of laying hens) increases.”
😉 I would have expected the price to have dropped considerably in the last month or so… It hasn’t dropped much, if at all.
}}} Two steaks, a salad and side, drinks and tip…
Granted, the gratuity was not a part of my spec, but neither was alcohol.
Add another 6 bucks for 2 non alcoholic drinks, and 6-8 bucks for the tip, so, 50-55 bucks. 😉
Not assuming filet, either, sirloin is posdef under 20 for 8oz. And almost any cut is under 30 each person. I just verified that.
😀