Shoppers who finally got used to calmer grocery bills are in for an unwelcome jolt in the dairy aisle.
Egg prices have jumped sharply in recent weeks, with the national average for a dozen Grade A large eggs climbing past $4 in some parts of the country and inching toward $5 in the priciest metros.
That's a big swing from last fall, when cartons were drifting closer to $2 in many stores.
A fresh wave of avian influenza has hit commercial laying flocks, and when a single barn tests positive, every hen inside is culled.
Fewer hens means fewer eggs, and egg supply doesn't rebound overnight.
It takes roughly four to five months for a replacement flock to start laying at full speed, so the tight supply you see on shelves today was set in motion weeks ago.
Grocery stores are also doing what grocery stores do when a staple gets scarce.
Some chains are limiting purchases to two cartons per customer.
Others are quietly shrinking their store-brand offerings and pushing shoppers toward pricier specialty eggs.
If your usual brand suddenly vanished, it's not your imagination, and it's not permanent.
A family that goes through two dozen eggs a week is now spending roughly $8 to $10 more per month than they were in the fall.
That's real money, but it's not a crisis, and it's very fixable if you shop a little differently.
First, check the unit price, not the carton price.
Large eggs versus extra-large versus jumbo changes the math fast, and the biggest carton isn't always the best deal.
Second, look at liquid eggs or egg whites in a carton.
They're often priced more stably during outbreaks because they come from a different supply chain.
Third, don't sleep on frozen and dried eggs, which have quietly gotten better and work fine in baking and scrambles.
Baking is where you can stretch things furthest.
Most recipes calling for one egg can handle a swap of one tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with three tablespoons of water, or a quarter cup of unsweetened applesauce.
You won't fool anyone at brunch, but in muffins, pancakes, and quick breads, nobody will notice.
Restaurants are absorbing some of this too.
Diners and breakfast spots that feature eggs heavily are the most exposed, and a few have added surcharges of 50 cents to a dollar per egg dish.
If your local spot quietly raised prices on omelets, that's why.
The good news is that egg prices have always been a roller coaster, not a one-way elevator.
During the last major outbreak in 2022 and 2023, prices spiked above $4.80 nationally and then fell back under $2 within about a year.
There's no reason to expect a different arc this time, provided the virus settles down.
In the meantime, buy what you'll actually use.
Eggs keep for three to five weeks in the fridge, so a modest stockpile isn't crazy, but hoarding just makes the shortage worse and drives prices higher for everyone.
Our take: this is annoying, not alarming.
Egg prices will come back down, and panicking at the register only helps the people selling eggs.
Final Thoughts
Shop the unit price, swap in liquid eggs when the math works, and let the flock rebuild.