A growing number of people are selling their chicken eggs on Facebook as the nationwide shortage persists.
In the last few weeks, people raising their own chickens have posted on the platform that they have eggs available for purchase as store shelves remain more bare than usual and prices continue to rise.
“It’s so crazy how much eggs are in the store! If you want fresh farm eggs, please let me know we collect them daily. We will wash them for you as well,” one user posted.
Another wrote: “Who needs eggs??? Available today!! If you want to get on a schedule let me know. Thanks”
One person posted five different cartoons of eggs available for purchase. “We have fresh eggs and chickens available,” they wrote.
There are also a growing number of individuals who are attempting to raise their own chickens to skirt the shortage and high prices at the store.
Jen Tompkins, co-founder of Rent The Chicken, a company that helps people rent chickens and provides all the necessary supplies, from feed to coops, has been flooded with inquiries, which have surged by 500% as of the end of February.
Last week, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced a $1 billion comprehensive strategy to curb highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), otherwise known as bird flu, which has been decimating flocks and subsequently driving up prices.
According to the Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service’s (ERS) food outlook, retail prices will continue to climb, rising 41.1% in 2025.
Prices have shot up significantly over the past year as the industry faces the compounding effects of consecutive outbreaks devastating the US egg supply.
In January, egg prices surged 15.2%, according to the Labor Department’s consumer price index.
It was the largest increase in egg prices since June 2015 and accounted for nearly two-thirds of the total monthly rise in food prices, the department reported.
On an annual basis, egg prices are up 53%.
With the uptick in prices, some restaurants – already running on thin margins – have passed costs onto the consumer through temporary menu surcharges.
Some grocers have also imposed purchasing restrictions to keep shoppers from stockpiling the product.
For instance, Amazon-owned Whole Foods posted signs on its shelves notifying customers that they can only buy three cartons of eggs at one time.
Kroger previously confirmed to FOX Business that some banner divisions are limiting shoppers to two dozen eggs per trip, while Trader Joe’s is limiting egg purchases to one dozen per customer per day.
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