The bird flu is ravaging the nation's egg-laying flock in yet another seasonal upswing for the disease, says Brian Moscogiuri, an analyst who tracks the industry for Irvine-based distributor Eggs Unlimited. Destroying infected birds is slashing the nation's ability to keep up with demand. It's a shortfall that will take months to repair.
Daniel Sumner, an agriculture professor at UC Davis, says California prices have surged sharply because state law requires cage-free living for hens. The current version of this flu has been especially rough on this type of chicken.
The key is the loss of egg makers. Moscogiuri says the industry is down 20 million hens to flu in the past three months out of the nation's typical 312 million flock, causing significant supply issues.
Across Southern California, egg prices vary wildly among merchants, assuming they even have any eggs to sell. Egg shelves are empty on various days everywhere, from small grocers to giants like Trader Joe's and Costco.
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