The reason eggs prices have gotten outrageous in Ohio

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) -Anyone in who’s been the store lately might think the prices of a dozen eggs is a yoke, or better yet a joke.

It’s more than inflation and higher than normal consumption of eggs that driving up prices.

The bird flu, or Avian influenza, is causing egg farms to destroy millions of chickens, in hopes of stopping the spread.

In Ohio alone, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 3,749,416 birds have been impacted in this latest outbreak dating back to 2022.

In Iowa, the countries largest egg producer, has had more than 15 million birds infected.

Nation wide 57.8 million birds have been infected, which is an all-time high.

According to data with the USDA, the problem is getting worse not better.

In Oct. 2022 another 2.11 million chickens were reported infected, in November it was 3.75 million and in December it was 5.07.

According to officials with Ohio Poultry Association, the bird flu isn’t the only reason.

“The number one cost of producing eggs and poultry products is feed. So the cost of corn and soybean meal and the feed things that we put in the nutrients, nutritious diet for our birds, that’s increased a lot, said Jim Chakeres, Executive Vice President of the Ohio Poultry Association. “The cost of labor has increased. So a lot of those cost have gone into that. And then factor on top of that the effect of avian influenza.”

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