(COLORADO SPRINGS)– You might have noticed some empty shelves in a recent grocery store run–nationwide, the price of eggs has been on a steady incline for a variety of reasons, which is impacting farmers right here in El Paso County.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in February of 2024, eggs average at $2.99 per dozen.
Here are some of the local prices FOX21 is seeing across the Pikes Peak Region.
$7.49 at King Soopers
$4.92 at Walmart
$9.49 at Target
$7.49 at Safeway
The average comes to around $7 per dozen in Colorado Springs. Which is a 142.5% increase from last year and those prices are not expected to go down anytime soon.
“We’re trying to go to different stores rather than just our one local store that we usually rely on,” said Kara Nord, a consumer in Colorado Springs.
The astonishing prices have many people scrambling to find eggs, leaving the shelves empty.
“Whenever we hear that there’s a sale, we’re trying to head to those stores, to see if we can get them at a more reasonable price,” said Nord.
The high prices and low stock are also impacting local businesses who rely on eggs.
“These people are paying 150 bucks for 15 dozen eggs or more. Yeah, it’s really crazy. It is really hard for the small business owner that didn’t preplan,” said Gary Geiser, the owner of King’s Chef Diner.
Geiser said his diner goes through more than 480 eggs each week, but they tried to get ahead of the surge by raising their prices back in December.
“I think customers are a little shell shocked… So it is a huge expense for especially breakfast places to try to absorb,” said Geiser.
According to data from the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics, the average egg prices in the us went up by 37% across the U.S.
“I’d have to say not on the breakfast side of the menu, it’s about 99% eggs, including the french toast, because of the egg batter,” said Geiser.
According to Katie Belle Miller, owner of Heritage Belle Farms, the cause is from the avian flu, also known as bird flu. Another cause is Colorado’s new law requiring poultry to be cage free.
“That’s also going to put a lot of pressure on to the hatcheries, and there’s only so many chicks that these commercial hatcheries can hatch out of here. I think it kind of creates a backup or a logjam. And, really the price is reflecting that supply and demand in the market unfortunately, if the supply is very low, the price is going to be very high,” added Miller.
Meanwhile, some people are looking for new options. Heritage Belle Farms recommends shopping locally.
“I think if more people had in the past been supporting local farms, there would probably be a lot more people producing eggs and producing food that we eat. We don’t want to see prices like this happening now, we need to start making a change for the future,” said Miller.
Heritage Belle Farms recommends shopping at local farmers markets, local poultry farms or buying some hens of your own. Miller said most neighborhoods in Colorado will allow it depending on your HOA.
