Bird flu, holiday season linked to an egg shortage in Nebraska

Nov. 16, 2022, 11:42 a.m. ·

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Eggs aren't as plentiful this year as they usually are. Photo by Andrea Izzotti.

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Egg production is down in Nebraska — and bird flu is responsible.

Laying hens in the state produced 153 million eggs this year which is almost 25% lower than egg production last year, according to the US Department of Agriculture. The state has also lost 1.7 million hens to avian influenza, which is about 10% of the laying population.

Sheila Purdum, a professor of poultry science at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said avian flu has caused mass depopulations of laying hens, affecting the state’s ability to produce eggs.

“This is still a fallout from the population of birds infected with avian influenza,” Purdum said.

This year, bird flu has swept through the U.S., causing the deaths of over 50 million birds in 46 states, according to the CDC. In Nebraska, the state department of agriculture reported 12 outbreaks resulting in the deaths of nearly 6 million birds.

Purdum said egg shortages have been exacerbated by the holiday season, when people are more likely to bake or make other dishes with eggs in them.

“The demand for eggs usually goes up this time of year,” she said. “And we just haven't had enough supply to meet that demand,” she said.

She stressed that despite empty shelves, egg shortages in grocery stores are not a dire situation.

“It's not a panic type of shortage. It's just the fact that eggs are tight in the marketplace right now,” she said.

Purdum said she expects the low production numbers to continue through the holiday season as producers raise pullets to replace their lost hens, which will take about six months. She said production should recover near the end of March 2023.