As Americans look toward the Easter season, and the price of eggs continues to climb, many Tennesseans are considering changing their usual Easter plans in order to keep eggs on their menus and hidden in their yards.
Ginny Minniger’s grocery budget isn’t as tight as some people’s, she says, but she will forgo a few things in order to buy eggs to color for Easter.
“There are some traditions I must carry on,” the Chattanooga woman said. “So I’ll forgo some of the chocolate bunny treats so that I’ll be able to afford two dozen eggs to color. I’ll defy hard times and buy those eggs!”
Dr. Tom Tabler, University of Tennessee Poultry Extension and Research Specialist, doesn’t foresee a decline in the price of eggs any time soon.
“Don’t expect much relief from high egg prices as we head into the Easter season, always a time of high egg demand,” he said.
Tennessee poultry industry not as hard-hit by avian flu, data show
In 2023, the average consumption of eggs in the U.S. was estimated at 281 per person. Egg demand has increased for the past 23 consecutive months while avian influenza continues to plague egg-laying chicken flocks across the nation, keeping egg prices at an all-time high.
Tabler said the disease has decimated the egg supply in recent months. And at a time when egg demand is high, supply and demand are also helping to fuel egg prices.
“That is not likely to change in the near future,” Tabler said. “Since the start of the most recent avian influenza outbreak in February 2022, roughly 100 million table-egg laying hens have been lost to the disease.”
“Roughly 52 million of those 100 million were lost between October 2024 and February 2025,” said Tabler. “The loss of so many birds in such a short timeframe has driven egg prices to record high levels.”
According to federal government policies, if one bird in a flock of laying hens is affected by avian influenza, the entire flock must be depopulated.
Support your local farmer
Historically, eggs purchased directly from farms are lower-priced than in supermarkets.
“Local farmers that have signs near the road saying ‘Farm fresh eggs for sale’ is a good way to find eggs cheaper,” Tabler said. “Social media may be another potential source to find eggs. Your local county Extension office may be another possibility.”
Kelsey Keener has farmed his family land in Marion County since he was a young boy and now offers organic vegetables, native plants, grass-fed meats, fruits, farmstead cheese and pasture-raised eggs at the farm stand at his Sequatchie Cove Farm.
He has a flock of 5,000 laying hens and expects that number to grow to 7,000 layers by late April. And with the high demand for eggs and consumers looking for lower prices, business has never been better, he said.
“The national egg shortage caused by the avian flu outbreak has actually been really good for our family’s egg operation, as we have had more demand for our eggs than we have ever experienced in our 20-plus years of farming,” he said, adding that the price of the farm’s eggs rose 50 cents a dozen, a price increase that was planned before the avian flu epidemic became widespread. Keener sells his eggs for $7 per dozen from the farm and $8 per dozen at Main Street Market on Wednesdays in Chattanooga.
To ensure the eggs his customers buy are safe, he feeds his chicken high-quality food and offers them outdoor space in the fresh air to roam.
“That being said, if you have any concerns about the safety of the eggs you are eating, be sure to cook them,” Keeler said. “The heat from cooking kills all potentially harmful viruses and bacteria.”
“The national egg shortage caused by the avian flu outbreak has actually been really good for our family’s egg operation, as we have had more demand for our eggs than we have ever experienced in our 20-plus years of farming,” said Kelsey Keener of Sequatchie Cove Farm (Photo: Sequatchie Cove Farm)
Eggs on the menu
Restaurants, too, are feeling the pinch of high prices and, in turn, passing the higher prices on to their customers.
Mason Whitman, manager of Brother Juniper’s, a popular breakfast eatery in Memphis, said his restaurant has added a $1 surcharge per each egg dish on the menu, such as omelets and eggs Benedicts.
“This is a temporary measure, though,” he said. “We can do away with that once the prices we pay from our suppliers in Arkansas come down.”
Farmers and table egg companies are working to replace lost flocks, but it’s a process that takes time.
“Replacement birds must be hatched and raised for up to six months before they can begin laying eggs,” Tabler said. “As long as we continue to lose laying flocks to avian influenza on a regular basis, we will continue to be playing catch up with replacement flocks and egg prices will remain high and possibly go higher for the remainder of the year.”
Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: [email protected].
