COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Egg prices have dropped sharply from last year’s record highs as national laying flocks continue to recover from widespread losses tied to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), said Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension Service experts.
Retail eggs averaged $2.50 per dozen in the latest Consumer Price Index report, down 58 percent from a year ago and at their lowest point since late 2023, said Dr. David Anderson, professor and AgriLife Extension economist in the Texas A&M Department of Agricultural Economics.
Wholesale prices experienced an even more dramatic correction. Large Grade A eggs that sold for more than $8 per dozen last winter dipped below $1 earlier this year before ticking upward ahead of Easter demand.
The movement reflects both increasing supplies and consumer reactions to last year’s unusually high prices, Anderson said.
“Egg prices have ticked up a little with Easter around the corner and the expectation for that seasonal demand — the Easter egg hunts and baking, deviled eggs and that sort of traditional use around the holiday,” Anderson said. “But shoppers will definitely notice prices are lower than last year.”
More laying hens means lower egg prices
The primary driver behind lower prices is straightforward: more birds equals more eggs, said Dr. Greg Archer, associate professor and AgriLife Extension poultry specialist in the Texas A&M Department of Poultry Science.
Last year, Archer said, outbreaks of avian influenza that wiped out significant numbers of laying hens weighed on overall capacity nationwide and sent prices soaring.
Fewer and smaller outbreaks this winter allowed producers more time to rebuild.
U.S. table‑egg layer numbers rose from 292 million last March to about 308 million this year, marking a solid rebound after HPAI pushed the national flock to unprecedented lows in 2025.
“We have more birds compared to last year because producers around the country haven’t been hit as hard by HPAI,” Archer said. “There are a lot of eggs out there, and demand backed off some when prices were really high.”
Egg production still at risk from HPAI
Anderson said falling feed costs also helped the industry regain stability, though rising prices for soybean meal, corn and fertilizer tied to global geopolitical tensions could raise production costs later in the year. For now, eggs remain one of the most affordable protein options as beef prices continue to rise.
“High prices can change what we buy as consumers,” Anderson said. “But demand remained relatively strong, and those high prices signaled for more production, and prices fell as supplies increased.”
Archer said the industry has built in additional flock capacity to buffer against the uncertainty of future outbreaks. But the spring migration of wild waterfowl presents a heightened risk for the poultry industry. A recent HPAI case in Texas struck broiler houses, but Texas layer facilities have avoided outbreaks thus far.
HPAI will remain a concern for Texas producers until migratory waterfowl, the primary carriers of the virus, return north.
With Easter demand already lifting wholesale values from winter lows, he said any production disruptions or renewed disease pressure could quickly reshape the market in the months ahead.
“We should enjoy the prices right now,” Archer said. “Producers and the industry are focused on biosecurity, but if we see significant outbreaks around the country, we can expect to see prices increase.”
Adam Russell is a communication specialist for Texas A&M University AgriLife.
