From Farm to Table: Understanding the Journey and Costs of Your Morning Eggs

In the daily news cycle, it often feels like the price of eggs is perpetually climbing. But here's reality: when you factor in inflation, the rise in egg prices isn't as dramatic as it seems. Despite the sticker shock, the cost of a dozen eggs has remained relatively in line with increases in wages over the past thirty years.

But why do those humble eggs still command a premium, especially when your local urban farm is barely breaking even? Well, it all comes down to the birds. The Red Jungle Fowl, considered the ancestor of the chicken lays a mere 10-15 eggs a year, and from that we've bred and engineered chickens to produce a dozen eggs for just a couple pounds of feed. That level of productivity doesn't come without its costs. We lament when our chicken only lays 200 eggs a year. Think about that. We made an animal with a reproductive system that is expected to be productive on an almost daily basis.

That doesn’t come cheap.

Good food has tremendous value and literally sustains life. We know eggs pack a nutritional punch, and some folks still find them a bit or very pricey. Why? Well, it’s a mix of factors like production costs, transport fees, and how much folks are craving omelettes that day. Even though eggs are a protein powerhouse with vitamins galore, personal budgets, media narratives, the plethora of other meal options play into how they perceive egg prices. Knowing what goes into egg pricing can help you crack the best deal for yourself.

It's not all doom and gloom. Egg farmers do get a leg up with indirect government subsidies for feed grains, helping to keep production costs in check and eggs affordable for consumers. However, challenges like the persistent threat of avian flu, worsened by climate change, can throw a wrench into egg production, leading to shortages and price spikes. Just this month, over 6 million birds on poultry farms have had to be slaughtered. Six million. It can take at least a year to come back to production. The costs involved are incredibly high, and the lost income devastating. In short, Avian flu outbreaks can devastate egg farmers, causing poultry loss, reduced egg production, and higher expenses for disease prevention. Often entire flocks may be culled, leading to significant financial losses. These outbreaks can also disrupt egg supplies, causing temporary shortages and price increases for consumers. To protect their flocks and businesses, farmers implement strict biosecurity measures and collaborate with authorities to monitor and respond to outbreaks promptly. Backyard farmers need to be diligent as well and have a plan for bio security.

At Ogden Fresh, we're all about empowering consumers with the knowledge to make informed choices for their health and wallets. By understanding the factors driving egg prices and cutting through sensationalist narratives, we can all make smarter decisions for ourselves and our communities.

So, the next time you're on the hunt for eggs, consider supporting small urban farms in your area. While they may come with a slightly higher price tag, you'll be investing in animal welfare and supporting local communities right in your own backyard.