Cracking the case: Colorado Springs grocer gives update on egg shortage

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - The USDA says the avian flu has wiped out about 5% of the nation’s egg-laying population.

In Colorado, about 6.4 million chickens were killed by the virus or put down to prevent further spread.

Every major egg producer in Colorado has been affected, and local grocery stores are feeling the impact.

Last we spoke with the Bread and Butter Neighborhood Market co-owner, Stacy, in January, she told us she spent an entire day without eggs on her shelves.

Now, she has a selection of eggs to choose from.

“Come on down to Bread and Butter Neighborhood Market,” Stacy Poore, Co-Owner of Bread and Butter Neighborhood Market, said. “We haven’t had a problem with zero inventory in several weeks. Sometimes our selections aren’t as broad, but we haven’t had any problems having eggs in stock.”

From local to national eggs, shoppers have their pick in produce.

“We have, we sourced a couple of other suppliers, you know, so that we could find as much inventory as possible. And people were understanding, you know, they were frustrated, but they were understanding. And for whatever reason, for whatever the shortage, why ever the shortage existed, but it seems to have corrected itself. The price of eggs is still very high, but we don’t seem to have very much trouble getting the eggs as we did.”

The avian flu contributing to the shortage of eggs began in 2020.

But continued effects are still being seen throughout the nation.

10 Colorado counties have reported avian flu cases. El Paso County is not one of those listed by the CDC.

While hunting for eggs, be prepared to find prices still high.

The average price of eggs starts at $7 and can range up to $10.

“There’s always a difference in price depending on how they are grown and where they come from,” Poore said. “Some of our eggs are from local Colorado farms, range-free, organic, and then we have some that aren’t local. And so, it just depends on where they come from and how they are raised regarding the price.”

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