When the avian flu— otherwise known as the bird flu or H5N1 virus — infected millions of poultry birds across the country earlier this year, many consumers were hit with high egg prices. The situation was also challenging for many bakeries as prices were high and supply was limited, making it difficult to keep their businesses running.
But Christina Martin of bakernobakery, a pop-up bakery, had been in this situation before.
During the previous outbreak of the bird flu in the U.S. in 2022, Martin thought about potential alternatives before landing on something grand: what if she just raised the chickens herself? Her question led her to join the Charlottesville League of Urban Chicken Keepers, or CLUCK, a Facebook group. Before long, Martin had more than a dozen baby chicks in her backyard.
Now, Martin uses 100% of the eggs produced by her chickens for her baked goods. She bought the chickens after starting her business in January of 2021.
“When the bird flu started making rounds in 2022, egg prices really went up,” said Martin. “I was like, there is no way I am getting caught up in that because you can raise prices, but what if you can’t even get eggs?”
Bird flu outbreak leads to record-high egg prices, but little risk for humans
Egg prices have fluctuated as bird flu cases continue to touch poultry farms across the country, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The rise in prices is forcing bakers to shift their business models and to rethink recipes in an effort to address such changes. Bakers who spoke with Charlottesville Tomorrow said they don’t foresee prices returning to previous levels.
Prices spiked in January and February of this year, and as of March 14, the average wholesale price for a dozen large eggs was $4.15, the department found.
Those prices run even higher for consumers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average consumer price for a dozen eggs has hit new highs. As of February, prices had nearly doubled from a year ago to $5.90 per dozen. Residents in Charlottesville are seeing those higher prices at local grocery stores, as Food Lion and Kroger charge $5.99 and $4.99, respectively, for a dozen store-brand large white eggs as of March 17.
In January 2022, the last time there was a spike in bird flu cases in the U.S., the virus ravaged chicken farms throughout the country and infected flocks in every state, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Things quieted down for a time after the 2022 outbreak, but in March of 2024, the Centers for Disease Control reported its first case of the H5N1 virus, a newer strain of the bird flu. Since then, the flu virus has affected more than 166 million poultry specimens in the U.S., the CDC found.
Whenever farmers detect that a chicken is infected with bird flu, it could result in killing the entire flock, according to the National Chicken Council. It takes a chick five to six months to lay eggs, and it could take even longer for a farmer to kill the previous flock and sanitize the farm.
The spread of bird flu has been slow, but cases have been reported in each state as of March 11, according to the CDC. In Virginia, cases of bird flu have been reported in nine cities and counties since 2022, the CDC found, with the most recent reported in Virginia Beach in late January. Earlier reports came on Jan. 16, when the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced that testing of a commercial poultry flock in Accomack County returned presumptive positive results for H5 bird flu. And on Jan. 20, the Metro Richmond Zoo in Chesterfield County announced H5 bird flu detections in two cranes. No human or cattle cases of the bird flu have been reported in the state.
The risk of bird flu infections among humans is low, said Julia Murphy, state public health veterinarian for the Virginia Department of Health. But she added during a video interview that there are still preemptive measures people should take. Individuals should wash their hands after touching birds, and consume pasteurized milk and dairy products to ensure safety, she said. Murphy also recommends reporting any unusual bird or poultry illnesses or deaths to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Higher egg costs lead bakers to be more creative
During warmer months, Martin’s chickens lay about 12 eggs each day, and about four to six eggs per day during colder months. Each one of Martin’s chickens lay between 200 to 300 eggs annually, said Martin, adding that her flock averages about 15 dozen eggs per month.
Pride Month, which takes place in June, and Halloween are the busiest times of year for Martin. If demand is high enough, she will outsource any remaining eggs she needs for her products, she said.
To keep her 14 chickens safe, Martin allows them outside for only short intervals of time — 30 to 45 minutes throughout the day — in their enclosed space. She also added tarps above most of their enclosure to avoid potential interactions with wild bird feces.
“I’m definitely cutting down their exposure to the outside, because if they get sick it’s a danger to their health and mine,” said Martin.
The costs for sugar, butter, dairy and other essential baking ingredients have risen in the past few years, said Martin. The uptick in costs made Martin rethink her approach on her various business endeavors. For instance, Martin reduced the amount of pop ups she would organize for farmers markets and festivals. With higher costs, the baker cannot risk having sizable profit losses.
Yet, Martin does not see herself going back to solely using commercial eggs.
“I’m not sure if raising them is any cheaper than buying eggs, but the quality I’m able to get with them is incredible,” said Martin.
Similar self-operating bakers are also dealing with higher egg prices. Leonda Jiggetts, owner of The Sweetest Thing, a pop-up bakery based in Richmond, said the costs for all her ingredients have gradually risen since she started her bakery in 2018. But the increased cost for eggs felt like “an immediate sticker shock,” said Jiggetts, who uses a minimum of 180 eggs per month for her business.
Jiggetts also has had to be creative to counter the growing egg prices. While she managed the initial increases, Jiggets said that current costs are forcing her to revisit her recipes.
“At first when it started, you’re thinking, ‘well things are going to fluctuate. It’ll kind of go back down. It’ll level out,’” she said. “But at this point, it doesn’t seem like that’s where we’re headed.”
Jiggetts added that she’s now considering testing other ingredients for her recipes, such as using liquid eggs, or incorporating vegan recipes to avoid using eggs overall.
Yet, she still worries.
While such adjustments may help lower her costs, Jiggetts said that high customer satisfaction remains her priority.
“I don’t want to sacrifice the quality and the taste of the goods that my customers are used to,” she said.
Anastasiia Carrier contributed to this report.
