The Skyrocketing Price Of Wholesale Eggs… Cruel To Your Wallet – Humane for Chickens

Have the rising price of wholesale eggs got your feathers ruffled? Before you go blaming your wholesale egg distributor for the double-digit spike in these culinary must-haves, it’s important to realize that California voters are actually to blame for the rising chicken egg prices both here and throughout the United States.

That’s right, folks – back in 2008, California voters decided that our Golden State chickens deserved some breathing room (well technically only 63% of voters agreed), passing Proposition 2 on November 4, 2008. This Proposition is focused on improving the living conditions for various farm animals including laying hens – the birds that produce market-ready eggs.

Prop 2 requires that all egg-laying hens in California must be housed in a manner which provides plenty of room for each bird to lay down comfortably, stand up, turn around and fully extend their wings. Failure to comply with these new regulations which came into effect on January 1, 2015 comes along with some pretty hefty penalties: offenders can be fined up to $1,000 and imprisoned for up to 180 days per of violation.

Under another law signed by the former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2010, any eggs that are imported into California must also be produced in compliance with the Prop 2 regulations by January 1, 2015 – this measure was meant to protect California egg producers against unfair competition from cheap, non-compliant imported eggs.

In preparation for the implementation of Prop 2, guidelines were established by the California Department of Agriculture to provide guidance on how poultry producers should actually comply with the new laws regarding hen-houses. Authorities determined that Cali chickens required about 70 percent more room than they were previously granted under state laws, leaving egg producers with a hard choice – either renovate the chicken cages, or significantly downsize the chicken flock.

Both options have had the same end result – massive price increases for retail and wholesale egg buyers.

According to the U.S.D.A., egg prices across the country rose by 7.7% between November 2014 and December 2014, and are currently about 10.7% higher than they were in December 2013, making the price of eggs “among the most volatile retail food prices” (see, it really isn’t just your local wholesale egg distributor messing with you)!

On the upside, Prop 2 has eliminated the use of cramped, claustrophobic cages for millions of chickens both here in California and throughout the county, and that’s a good thing. We’re willing to bet that your next omelet might be just a little bit tastier when it’s made with eggs from happy, humanely-housed laying hens!