A recent surge in bird flu infections is wiping out flocks of egg-laying hens across the nation. The outbreak has shattered egg production numbers, driving egg prices up 150% from last year.

The current bird flu flare-up is a resurgence of the 2022 outbreak, which has sustained itself over the last two years in a series of ebbs and flows. Since the start of this year, 35 million laying hens have died from bird flu -- half of which were infected in the past three months. In October, the United States Department of Agriculture reported that egg production was down 4% from 2023, and it continues to lower its future projections of our egg supply. The drop in egg supply is causing egg prices to soar past previous records in many states. In the Midwest, the price for a dozen eggs reached $5.57, and in California, the price towers at $8.85.

Hiked egg prices stings consumers amid the holiday season -- and they've begun to feel it. On the Reddit forum r/Costco, one user shared a picture of an empty space where pallets of egg cartons are usually held. "This store usually has 10-12 pallets stocked everyday and have been sparsely receiving pallets lately," they wrote. Other users chimed in and commented that the recent upsurge in bird flu cases has cleared out egg supplies.