(Source: MIRS.news, Published 01/06/2025) An outbreak of an avian flu strain that's lethal to birds is hampering the nation's poultry industry and causing egg prices to spike in Michigan and across the country.  

Midwest grocery stores are seeing large and extra-large eggs being sold for between $6.02 and $5.94 a dozen, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported Monday, which is around 52 percent higher than just a month ago, when they averaged between $3.88 and $3.98 a dozen.  

If you think these prices are bad, at least we're not California, where a carton of extra large eggs will run you $8.99.  

Agriculture officials say the price spike and shortage is connected to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) found in two commercial poultry facilities in Ottawa County and a backyard Jackson County flock.  

Once a chicken is found to have HPAI, it is put down. There is no cure. Death is all but certain and sudden, most times within 48 hours. None of the birds infected with HPAI can enter the commercial food chain.  

However, this recent outbreak is being conflated in the public's mind with Michigan's 2019 law requiring egg-laying hens to be cage-free by Jan. 1, or five days ago. 

This law was 15 years in the making, the process having started in 2009 when the Republican-led Senate concurred with the Democratic-led House and the Gov. Jennifer Granholm administration to mandate roomier cages for hens in exchange for the U.S. Humane Society backing off a threat to move on a more aggressive ballot proposal.  

The law was updated in 2019 to require cage-free egg-layers by 2025. It, again, came with bi-partisan support.  

The only sitting legislator to be involved in both the 2009 and 2019 laws, Sen. Kevin Daley (R-Lum), said the egg-producers have had years to prepare for the cage-free requirement. Any jump in price or any egg shortage is a combination of the avian flu and inflation, he said.  

"I don't believe this has anything to do with the cage-free law," Daley said.  

Having worked on this issue since 2009 – first for the Humane Society and then with the egg producers – Peter Ruddell with Honigman said the cage-free requirement was "no surprise to anyone," and concurred that the bird flu is to blame for the higher prices. 

Still, some social media chatter has pegged empty shelves or high prices on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, since she occupies the Governor's chair as these changes go into effect.  

Asked if blaming the Governor for the price increase is unfair, Ruddell concurred, "Blaming Gov. Whitmer is unfair."