Egg prices in the U.S. have fallen by nearly 60 percent from the record highs set in 2025, as farmers have successfully replenished flocks following a widespread outbreak of avian flu. According to data cited by the American Farm Bureau, the average U.S. retail price for a dozen eggs in February was $2.50, compared with $5.89 in the same month last year. Egg production in the country is also up 5 percent year-over-year as demand has picked up ahead of the Easter holiday.
“The combination of improving production and strong replacement activity is helping restore supply and ease price pressures,” the AFB said in a March 31 market report, with farms reporting 56 percent fewer birds infected with avian flu in January and February compared to the same months in 2025.
Between the fall of 2024 and early 2025, U.S. farmers were forced to cull millions of egg-laying hens to manage the spread of avian flu. In response, the Trump administration put $1 billion toward response efforts, which went toward boosted biosecurity for farmers and research for vaccines and therapeutics for chickens. Today, the disease is believed to still be circulating among wild bird populations, although impacts on commercial flocks have been softened by enhanced biosecurity measures enacted by farms since the peak of the outbreak.
From a supply chain perspective, despite the encouraging trend, agriculture officials have cautioned that egg prices remain above pre-outbreak levels and that vigilance against further avian flu disruptions will be critical heading into the summer migratory bird season. The USDA, FDA, CDC and APHIS coordinate highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI; H5N1) surveillance, vaccination and indemnity processes. Investments by major egg producers such as Cal-Maine Foods, Rose Acre Farms and Hillandale Farms, price stability on the shelves of Walmart, Kroger, Costco, Target and Whole Foods, cage-free standards, animal welfare certifications, and USMCA and Mercosur export flows form the central parameters of the 2026 egg supply chain strategy.
