By Maddy Johnson & Jessi Bustamante
You’ve probably heard about the egg shortage or even seen it with your own eyes at the grocery store. What’s behind it, though? Actually, there are several factors. Read on to learn more!
House Bill 20-1343
Governor Polis signs HB20-1343 regarding cage-free egg requirements. The bill took effect on the first of this year. (Photo by Colorado Egg Producers)
In 2020, HB20-1343 was passed. On and after January 1, 2023, chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, or guinea fowl hens (hens) must have at least one square foot of usable floor space each. Business owners/operators are also prohibited from selling shell eggs or egg products produced by egg-laying hens that were confined in a manner that conflicts with these standards.
There are three main companies that need to meet these new requirements, due to them representing “more than 90 percent of the egg production in Colorado,” according to Mark Gallegos, the inspections director at the Colorado Department of Agriculture.
This means that when January hit this year, a significant number of eggs could no longer be sold commercially. The result was a shortage in supply of eggs in the grocery store, though this is slowly rebounding.
Avian Flu
A worker holds a chicken in a full bodysuit. (Photo by Getty Images)
Chickens across the U.S. have been hit by an outbreak of avian flu, further contributing to the egg shortage in Colorado. Entire facilities have to be put down if one case is discovered due to the highly pathogenic virus’s near-perfect fatality rate, according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture. So far, around six million chickens have been euthanized in Colorado due to this (KOAA).
Extreme Weather
There’s been a lot of snow events in this year already. Photo by the Gazette
Additionally, we’ve seen some extremely cold weather this winter. You might remember one day recently when the windchill was so extreme that exposed skin was at risk of frostbite within ten minutes! Unsurprisingly, chickens don’t lay eggs in unfavorable conditions, and strange weather events across the nation throughout the year contribute to an egg shortage.
What can be done about the egg situation right now? Here are some suggestions:
Shop Small
Bread and Butter Neighborhood Market is a smaller grocery option that has fared better during the egg shortages. Photo by the Gazette
Local stores in the Springs, such as Bread and Butter, have made it their priority to source their products from Colorado farmers and producers: “We’ve always had a policy since we opened to try to buy from Colorado producers first,” said Aubrey Day, Co-Owner of Bread and Butter Neighborhood Market. “So that’s where we always start and then we go from there to sort of fill in, to have a full selection for our grocery store.”
This has allowed them to keep eggs stocked during the current shortage: “And, you know, we always sell eggs pretty consistently but never like we have in the last week or so. And I think it’s just because they can’t get it at those bigger stores where they might typically get them. And so turning to us, because we’re a small store, we can buy from some smaller distributors and have been able to get eggs when maybe the big guys haven’t been able to.”
Connect with Local Chicken Owners
More and more people in the Springs are becoming chicken owners. They have created their own buffer against egg shortages and are helping others keep their fridges stocked. Read this excerpt from KOAA:
“Karie Mullins has owned chickens in her backyard for three years. She said her family first got them to have their own supply of eggs and hasn't had to worry about the supply at the grocery store for years: ‘We can get anywhere from 12 to, like, today we got 22 chicken eggs,’ she said. ‘I don't even think about going to the store anymore to get eggs. Just come out back and you get them.’”
Many people are closer to a backyard chicken raiser than they know - Victoria Stone of Okoa Jabali LLC recommends looking at backyard chickening on Facebook and that there is a strong network of folks there.
Raise Chickens
Interested in learning more about what it takes to raise your own chickens? We’ll dive more into that in a future post - let us know in the comments what questions you might have!