February 17, 2025
Over the last few years, the common claim from Big Egg has been “bird flu, bird flu, bird flu.” Indeed, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been a real threat in the United States since 2022, and there have been legitimate outbreaks that forced producers to cull significant numbers of hens. However, 2025 has not seen—at least according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)—a massive, new nationwide outbreak on par with what transpired in 2022 or 2015, when tens of millions of birds were wiped out in a short period. In fact, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has provided no documentation of a 2025 HPAI wave so large that it alone should send egg prices soaring to $7 and $8.99 a dozen.
To be clear, smaller-scale regional bird flu detections or the occasional flock cull absolutely can exert upward pressure on egg prices, especially in states that produce a high volume of eggs. Yet what we see in early 2025 appears suspiciously out of sync with the USDA’s reported supply disruptions. Over the last two years, consumer advocacy groups—such as Farm Action—have flagged this very issue: prices have often stayed high even after wholesale costs and culling events stabilized. Journalists and economists alike have asked why Big Egg producers can point to relatively minor outbreaks, exploit them in the media, and keep retail prices inflated months after supply has been replenished.
Historical Precedent for Investigations.
This is far from the first time egg producers have been under the microscope. In past years, state attorneys general in places like Texas have launched formal lawsuits, accusing top egg companies of profiteering during crises. While that suit was filed under the COVID-19 emergency (when egg prices similarly soared by triple-digit percentages), the parallels to 2025 are glaring. Then, as now, “unprecedented conditions” were used as a convenient rationale for raising prices far beyond what the actual supply-and-demand fundamentals warranted.
Consumer watchdogs, federal regulatory agencies, and even academic economists have long warned of “sticky” prices in consolidated agricultural sectors. In simpler terms, once prices go up, big producers often keep them up—consumers get used to paying more, and corporate profits swell. It’s telling that local farms and small-scale poultry owners, with fewer overhead costs, sometimes manage to sell their pasture-raised eggs for prices significantly below the industrial giants’ “cheapest” offerings. If feed, labor, and fuel costs were truly the main culprits, small farmers would not be able to undercut grocery store prices so easily. Just ask Acres of Adventure Homestead as they point out in this YouTube video entitled "Why Egg prices Are So Expensive...It's Not Bird Flu" seen here:
Why @realDonaldTrump and @AGPamBondi Must Act Now.
Americans rely on eggs as a cost-effective source of protein—especially during tough economic times. We are all told to watch our budgets, make ends meet, and keep a close eye on grocery spending. Yet we walk into supermarkets only to find $9 price tags on a carton of eggs that used to cost half that amount not long ago. The cost disparity is unsustainable for families juggling multiple jobs, single parents feeding young children, and seniors on fixed incomes.
President Donald #Trump, as the nation’s highest elected official in 2025, has the clout to push for a robust federal probe. He can put pressure on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to collaborate with the USDA in examining industry practices. In times of crisis—or perceived crisis—our leaders must ensure that essential goods are not subject to predatory markup schemes.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has taken on corporate wrongdoing in previous roles, and is currently doing a great job is perfectly positioned to investigate anti-competitive behavior and potential price gouging under federal law. We have existing frameworks to address such abuses: antitrust statutes, consumer protection guidelines, and state-level price-gouging laws that prohibit “unconscionably excessive” prices for critical goods. If Bird Flu 2025 is being exaggerated or misused as a cover story, American consumers deserve accountability and relief.
Ignoring the Alarm Bells: A Recipe for Bigger Problems.
If this blatant price inflation is allowed to continue unchecked, what precedent does it set? Consumers might soon see similarly inflated costs for other staples, like chicken meat, dairy products, and produce. Greed is a contagion of its own—once corporations learn they can raise prices under the flimsiest of excuses and face no real pushback, they will seize that opportunity again and again.
We have seen how swiftly government agencies can respond to crises when public well-being is at stake. National emergencies, from natural disasters to pandemics, trigger immediate warnings against price gouging. So why not eggs—an everyday necessity? An investigation that includes subpoenaing the financial records of top egg producers, comparing real production costs to retail prices, and publicly disclosing the findings would either clear the industry of wrongdoing or reveal a pattern of exploitative markups.
A Call to Action.
In conclusion, the American people deserve a clear answer: If 2025 has not seen an unprecedented mass outbreak of avian influenza, and if production inputs aren’t doubling every few weeks, then why are we paying $5.45 to $8.99 per dozen eggs? Where is the accountability for those industry titans who set wholesale prices?
It’s time for President Donald Trump to use the power of the Oval Office to champion an immediate federal investigation. It’s time for Attorney General Pam Bondi to bring her office’s full weight against any unscrupulous actors seeking to exploit the public’s fears and wallets. Egg price gouging is more than a pocketbook issue—it’s a matter of fairness and trust in our core institutions. Without swift action to crack down on these unethical practices, consumers will continue to suffer, and corporate greed will only grow bolder. Let’s send a loud and clear message: America’s egg supply should not be a playground for profiteers. The time to act is now.
Grace, Mercy, And Peace To You All,
WLBJ