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Georgia is among 15 states impacted by the highly contagious HPAI virus (bird flu) affecting commercial flocks of egg-laying chickens.
At last check, the USDA estimates more than 23 million egg-laying hens have either succumbed to the virus or been destroyed due to exposure. Two poultry facilities in Elbert County, Georgia, tested positive for the virus in January, leading the Georgia Department of Agriculture to cull close to 176,000 egg-laying hens from the flocks and suspend livestock markets, auctions, and other gatherings in the state involving live birds.
While the number of hens culled in Georgia may seem low compared to states with major viral outbreaks affecting millions of birds, not all of the state’s eggs come from Georgia farms. This means egg shortages and surging prices will likely continue.
Kroger, for instance, struck a deal with Indiana-based farm Kipster in 2023 to source cage-free eggs for its stores. Publix sells eggs from a variety of local and regional farms as well as from industrial poultry operations. Aldi sources many of its eggs from Rose Acre Farms, which has 15 laying facilities in seven states, including Georgia.
Georgia eggs by the numbers
Georgia ranks sixth in egg production behind Iowa, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Texas, according to farmer cooperative United Egg Producers.
UGA’s Poultry Science Department estimates Georgia produces around 7.8 million table eggs on average each day.
Currently, a dozen eggs from grocery stores in Georgia average $4.48 (medium) to $6.69 (extra large). Prices double when purchasing eggs through membership programs like a CSA (community-supported agriculture) or Fresh Harvest. Services such as these prioritize purchasing produce, meat, and other ingredients from local farmers.
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Several individual grocery stores throughout the metro area have enacted rationing protocols during periods of high demand, limiting the purchase of a dozen eggs to one or two cartons per person.
In response to the shortages and price hikes, national breakfast chain Waffle House recently enacted a 50-cent egg surcharge across all menus, while local chain J. Christopher’s added a 49-cent egg surcharge per breakfast dish. The surcharges will stay in place until egg prices come down.
The egg conundrum for local chefs
Despite holding off on raising prices, Danbi Seasonal Kitchen owner Jack Kim announced that he’s temporarily charging more for breakfast dishes like egg sandwiches ($8.33 to $10.19) and steak and eggs ($14.81 to $16.67) to help the recently opened Chamblee restaurant absorb the sharp increase in costs.
A chef working at an Italian restaurant in Atlanta told Rough Draft that sourcing enough eggs to make from-scratch pasta has become an increasingly difficult task and much more expensive. Kitchen staff now diligently watch for price drops online, purchasing enough eggs to replenish the restaurant’s supply.
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In a recent Instagram post, Poco Loco chef Nick Melvin said his egg supplier, 5N Pastures in Cleveland, Georgia, raised prices by 30 percent. Poco Loco goes through six 30-dozen cases of eggs per week. Melvin will temporarily raise the price of Poco Loco’s popular breakfast burrito from $9 to $11.
The chef said he hadn’t seen a substantial increase in the price per case until he received a call from his farmer this past weekend. As the owner of a small, family-owned business, Melvin said he understands the pressure farmers like the Nix family are under in times like these. They often have no choice but to pass costs onto their customers. It’s a matter of survival.
“If his chickens get hit with this virus, it’s not just egg prices he has to worry about; he could lose his entire farm and livelihood,” Melvin said.
Local bakers look for alternatives
Eggs are a core ingredient in baking, acting as a thickening agent and providing emulsification, moisture, and structure to batters and doughs. Given the scarcity and rising costs, some local bakers are replacing eggs with proven substitutes like applesauce, Greek yogurt, aquafaba (chickpea liquid), mashed bananas, chia seeds, and buttermilk.
Teresa Finney of At Heart Panaderia said that while she has always paid more for locally sourced eggs, she’s starting to feel the pinch, as even minor price increases affect the bottom line of her micro-bakery. Known for her conchas (Mexican sweet bread), Finney’s bakery includes a thriving custom cake business. She’s currently exploring egg replacement options for her cakes.
“I’ve been wanting to add more vegan/eggless cakes to my menu for at least a year now, but I feel like I’m being forced to go this route before I’m fully ready,” Finney said. “In the past, I’ve made cakes vegan by using roasted sweet potatoes as an egg replacement, and I have a few vegan baking cookbooks I’m studying now.”
Salted Butter Society owner Shruti Doctor said she’s also trying to find eggless options, just in case the shortages and high prices continue longer than anticipated.
“It’s already been difficult with the price of butter having increased so drastically in the past few years. The egg shortage and price hikes are making it hard for me as a small and relatively new bakery to try and stay afloat and justify the costs,” Doctor said. “I’m hoping my trusty applesauce will get me through should I face any egg difficulties in the future.”
Hope on the horizon?
On Feb. 10, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J. Harper declared that weeks of quarantining, disinfecting, and surveillance testing at the two Elbert County chicken facilities and nearby farms prevented further spread of the virus among the remaining flocks.
Harper lifted the month-long suspension on gatherings and markets but warned that “HPAI remains a significant threat to [Georgia’s] #1 industry.”
