Egg prices reached a Historical record of 4.95 dollars By dozen in the United States last month. The last monthly consumer price index confirmed what consumers and food companies already knew: a continuous outbreak of avian flu that began in 2022 is making the eggs terribly expensive at this time. In this scenario, many families chose to start producing them in their homes.
A farm animal business in Houston recently He sold 100 chickens in four days, a figure that usually reaches in three weeks. With the price of eggs in the clouds, several Americans are choosing to produce their own at home.
“In recent weeks we have noticed a dramatic increase in the demand for chickens, people want John Berry, 43, Wabash Manager, where they also sell food for these birds.
The recent regrowth of the aviar flu, which first affected the United States in 2022, hits the great poultry farms.
More than 21 million laying hens have been sacrificed this year Due to the disease, according to data published by the United States Department of Agriculture. In December, 13.2 million ran the same fate.
All this has uploaded egg prices, which have also disappeared from some supermarkets, worrying consumers.
The dozen has exceeded 10 dollars in the premium versions, and $ 6 the most basic in some supermarkets, more than double its usual price.
In Seattle (Northwest), a restaurant was assaulted at dawn last week, to steal more than 500 eggs from its warehouse.
Start in chicken raising
Berry explains that most of his new clients are just starting in parenting. This is the case of Arturo Becerra, who recently bought 10 chickens, for which he paid $ 400. In the food for a month it spent $ 20.
And last Monday he bought more. “I’m going to buy another 5, but I want to buy another 10 more because the family is big,” he says. All those that have still young specimens and must start putting eggs in a couple of weeks.
In several Texas cities Corral bird raising in the courtyard of the houses is allowedcomplying with sanitary norms.
“Now I have space where to put them and apart because the egg went very top, it is very expensive. Maybe it is cheaper buying chickens and creating them, I think,” says this 57 -year -old man of Mexican origin, resident in Houston.
“I think that with an egg by chicken a day, I will be fine,” he adds.
Bill Underhill, a 62 -year -old construction contractor and usual hens, also went to buy two more.
“I heard someone say that the eggs cost about $ 10 a dozen, I was already thinking of buying a couple more chickens, I buy a couple every two months, because some eventually die and stop putting, so I’m going to maintain the flow of Eggs in my family, “he says.
The threat of aviar flu
In the United States, the virus is being found not only in poultry, but also in dairy cows.
Until February 10 they had also been detected 68 cases in humans Since the beginning of last year, one of them fatal. Most are related to known contacts with infected animals, according to the United States disease control and prevention Center (CDC).
The man who died was infected “after exposure to a combination of wild birds and a flock of non -commercial corral birds,” the health authorities said.
The CDC states that the risk of avian flu for the general public remains “bass”, but published security guidelines for bird owners. According to the center, “people with work or recreational exhibitions to birds or other animals infected with this virus have a higher risk of infection.”
Berry says that after sacrificing infected chickens there are no animals to replace them immediately, as no one has millions of additional backup chickens.
“There is a generation of cocks that are waiting to grow to replace those we lost. But, as at any time of shortage, the demand increases (…) the eggs are preserved for quite some time and, if you can find them, more purchases, buy more, buy them more, But your neighbor can also, “Berry argues.
“It seems that about two or three months will happen for the thing to improve,” he adds.