Bird flu is wreaking havoc on California farms and consequently raising the price of eggs. Prices also spiked because of the high demand during the holidays.

The cost of eggs in California has jumped nearly 70% in the past month, reaching $8.97 for a dozen. The price hike, highlighted in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s December egg markets report, owes largely to a series of highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks that have decimated the state’s poultry flocks.

Egg prices are rising across the U.S. as producers recover from the flock losses suffered in the past two years amid bird flu.

There’s no quick fix for soaring egg prices and their limited supply. The bird flu is ravaging the nation’s egg-laying flock in yet another seasonal upswing for the disease, says Brian Moscogiuri, an analyst who tracks the industry for Irvine-based distributor Eggs Unlimited.

Learn why there’s an egg shortage in 2024, how bird flu has impacted chicken farms, and what it means for consumers in California and beyond.

Some establishments search for better wholesale prices to shield customers from increases, while others have started raising menu prices on egg dishes to cope with the surge. The USDA's latest data paints a sobering picture: nine confirmed avian flu cases across Merced,