JACKSON — Lincoln County consumers can expect egg prices to increase following a resurgence in Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. The United States Department of Agriculture released a monthly report outlining the outlook for poultry and egg markets on January 16. 

According to the report, egg prices per dozen are projected to increase $1.85 in the first quarter of 2025 due to decreased production and price trends. USDA uses the average daily cost of eggs in New York in writing these reports. 

The projection for the 2025 average egg price per dozen is $2.94. USDA reports the projected 2025 average price per dozen is 65 cents higher than projections published in December due to expected price increases in the first quarter. Readers should keep in mind the cost of eggs is expected to be $4.80 per dozen in the first quarter, which is less than the reported high of $6.09 per dozen on January 8th, the latest figure before the report was published. 

Eggs are projected to fall to $2.50 per dozen in the second quarter, $2.10 per dozen in the third quarter and $2.35 per dozen in the fourth quarter. 

A broiler producer in Copiah County suffered an HPAI outbreak in Dec. 2024 impacting 210,000 birds.

Losses to egg layers

Similar to 2022, egg layer and egg laying rates for the end of 2024 are below 2023 figures according to the USDA. Egg layers and egg laying are also below the average from 2019 to 2023. The culprit is Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza as 13.6 million egg laying birds were lost in Dec. 2024. Egg production in 2024 dropped to 7,728 million dozen eggs which is 1.7 percent less than production in 2023 and 5 percent in 2021. 

Additional HPAI detections have a “dampening,” effect on layer inventories and egg production according to the USDA. In early January, 3.3 million egg layers were depopulated due to HPAI outbreaks. USDA Animal Plant Health Inspection Service reports a total of 14.47 million birds affected by HPAI so far in January 2025. 

APHIS reports further losses in the pullet supply flock will limit the ability of the egg laying flock to rebuild.