Egg Prices Are NOT by Accident

We've all been there. We walk into the grocery store expecting to pick up a carton of eggs, only to find empty shelves, or maybe the price has skyrocketed compared with our last trip.

This is an alarming trend lately, but a bird flu egg shortage might be the last thing on your mind.

The current situation with the bird flu feels like a replay of what we went through with COVID-19. Egg prices aren't fluctuating randomly; the increase comes down to something bigger: avian influenza.

The Real Reason Behind the Bird Flu Egg Shortage

Dr. Clayton Baker, a doctor of internal medicine with over 25 years of experience, shared some keen insights on the situation.

He sees the current bird flu outbreak as a pattern, one very similar to events that unfolded during the COVID pandemic.

With COVID, the virus was found and modified for several years before it spread to different parts of the world.

The process of restricting rights followed because it allowed authorities to put their own solutions in place.

The Tactics Used During COVID

A bat virus was discovered around 2012. The CIA has said that a virus came out of a lab in Wuhan.

It turns out the virus was brought to the lab and worked on so that it became weaponized. Whether intentional or not, the release of the virus spread, and it later was declared a pandemic.

The Connection With Bird Flu

There are a lot of labs that took what naturally occurs and made it more transmissible. These groups have been trying to make the H5N1 avian flu able to jump species.

The Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory is doing this. This location might be how this new wave has come about.

Also, the University of Wisconsin Veterinary School, with Yoshihiro Kawaoka working there, could also be partially to blame; he is receiving grants from several different groups.

Temporary Ban

President Obama put a stop to this work in 2014 and even had people blow the whistle on what groups were doing. However, certain individuals got around this by working with outside sources.

So far, birds are getting ill. Occasionally, cows are getting sick from the virus, although cows are not severely impacted by it. A small number of humans have contracted it, with it resulting in conjunctivitis in a few of the cases.

Mass Slaughter Practices

Farmers are doing PCR testing, with the policy being that even just a single bird testing positive means a whole flock must be slaughtered.

Sometimes, farms can contain several hundreds of thousands of chickens, even sometimes millions.

The bird flu egg shortage we are dealing with is not caused by birds dying from this issue but more by farmers slaughtering a large number of birds at once. There is no data currently that it's occurring in small backyard farms.

The real issue, the bird flu, is driving egg prices up due to this policy that makes the practice of mass slaughter a policy.

Spending Habits of Taxpayers

Our tax money, reported to be around $1.25 billion, has gone to fund the mass slaughter of the animals. Taxpayers are funding and driving up costs, and a bird flu egg shortage is occurring from the practice.

The farmers receive compensation for the slaughter from taxpayers, so it creates an artificial shortage. The whole thing is causing unnecessary panic.

Instead of lockdowns, they use the tactics with egg substitutes; it's a way for authorities to take complete control over this food element, leading to high egg prices.

What Happens Next?

Conditional approval for animal vaccine production occurred under Zoetis before Trump started.

Biden gave hundreds of millions of dollars, so work would begin to create the right technologies to handle this situation, possibly contributing to soaring prices.

It becomes another situation, like during COVID, of big businesses controlling us through specific vaccines.

We all need to come to terms with what is actually happening with these efforts and understand the impact on the average price of a dozen eggs.

Gain of Function Labs Must Shut Down

Gain of function needs to stop; otherwise, they are creating problems. A small number of mid-level workers might not be aware of the effects, so the messaging needs to get out, especially regarding highly pathogenic avian influenza.

Cambodia made changes when birds got sick. They remove the sick ones instead of getting rid of the whole farm.

An additional action to this problem would be having a number of smaller farms and encouraging consumers to limit egg purchases to support local options.

We should use healthy eggs to buy eggs from farmer's markets or small businesses because it helps not to have too much reliance on any single egg company. Diversifying the egg market could help stabilize food prices.

Looking into The United Kingdom

The UK is attempting to require small businesses to share details on the poultry industry they have, including chickens. Veterinary medicine has also said small family holdings could pose problems to public health.

So, even having a chicken in your own backyard can have complications soon. The potential for person-to-person spread is a concern, though currently considered a low health risk.

Conclusion

We are facing a serious issue now with this bird flu outbreak. We have the solution, but many sources in power don't recognize this as of today, affecting both the average cost and availability of eggs.

But things have to change to overcome all of it and prevent continued flu outbreaks. Alternatives, such as supporting small farms that have responsible practices, might ease egg prices increasing so sharply.

We need to share this so that others see the actual story of this situation and that this bird flu egg shortage isn't inevitable.

Change starts with a discussion, so you share so that others understand the whole situation, as informed consumers help the market, and doing something about the data is a key effort by understanding all these actions impact things, even grocery prices in general.

FAQs about bird flu egg shortage

Why is there a shortage of eggs right now?

The egg shortage comes from the fact that large commercial poultry producers will mass slaughter the entire poultry flock when one chicken comes back with a positive PCR test.

This practice significantly impacts the supply chain. This reaction to infected birds, even if it is just one, dramatically reduces the number of egg-laying hens.

Is it safe to eat eggs because of bird flu?

Eggs can still be safe since a major problem occurring with the avian flu is large amounts of chickens being unnecessarily culled. Pasteurized milk and eggs are generally considered safe due to the pasteurization process killing viruses.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to monitor the situation and states the current public health risk is low. Proper cooking of eggs eliminates any potential animal health risk.

Why are there no eggs in 2024?

Chickens have gotten tested. Some might show the illness, even if there are only one or two, and that's when a large percentage of a specific supply might end up being eliminated.

This can create temporary shortages in certain areas. Consumers may see empty shelves or higher egg costs as a result.

Why is there an egg shortage?

A bird flu egg shortage will occur, with even a small number of birds impacted with sickness. Whole farms go through the slaughter of entire amounts of birds to adhere to disease control protocols.

This mass culling, triggered by even a few infected animals, is a primary driver of the reduced egg supply. The impact of wild birds spreading the virus to domestic poultry is also a contributing factor.