How long will we be paying a relative arm and a leg for eggs? That remains unknown.
Why are we paying a relative arm and a leg for eggs? The primary culprit is the bird flu.
The state Legislature and the Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) have taken steps to increase Nevada’s egg supply, in an effort to lower costs. The department announced on Feb.19 that State Quarantine Officer Director J.J. Goicoechea has temporarily suspended Nevada’s cage-free egg law, effective Feb 20.
The cage-free egg law, which passed in 2021 and went to effect in 2022, requires that all eggs sold in Nevada are sourced from cage-free hens. “Cage-free” means the hens are in an enclosure and free to roam, with a total space of at least one square foot per hen.
“Both egg producers and animal welfare advocates agree that this is the right thing to do,” said Assemblymember Howard Watts at the time.
During the current legislative session, Nevada passed Assembly Bill 171, which allows the temporary suspension of cage-free regulations for up to 120 days in emergencies; Gov. Joe Lombardo signed the bill into law on Feb. 13. Other states with cage-free egg laws have similar allowances for emergency exceptions on the books as well.
“Nevada does not have any commercial poultry operations,” Goicoechea clarified. “Eggs sold in Nevada are sourced from other states.”
What will change?
Under the newly eased regulations, Nevadans will see two primary changes:
• For now, eggs sourced from “conventional” (i.e., not cage-free) producers are eligible for sale.
• Retail stores may now sell Grade B eggs. “Grade B eggs meet all the same food safety guidelines; the main difference between Grade A and B is color, size and shape,” said Goicoechea. Until now, Grade B eggs from cage-free producers were typically sold to bakeries and restaurants in Nevada, but not in retail stores.
“In addition, Nevadans with backyard flocks are encouraged to obtain a producer certificate from the NDA in order to sell eggs at farmers’ markets and co-ops,” Goicoechea said.
However, Nicole Sallaberry, local food and sustainability director for Great Basin Community Food Co-op, doesn’t believe that many backyard-flock keepers in Nevada are likely to become certified in short order.
“We love to work with local people, but going from supplying your family and your neighbors with eggs to selling a small amount to a little grocery store is quite a jump,” Sallaberry said. “For example, 12 to 60 dozen eggs per week is something larger stores might not deal with, but our food co-op does. We would need them to ramp up their production and also be in it for the long game. Farming and ranching is a full-time business with daily duties that some people just don’t want to do over the long run.”
Sallaberry added that she thinks keeping backyard flocks for eggs is generally a great idea, and she wanted any backyard producers who do rise to the challenge of certification to know that the co-op is particularly in need of duck eggs.
What else is contributing to the shortage?
The cage-free flock in December totaled 120.3 million birds—38.7% of the national flock—said Goicoechea, citing USDA data. “After 36 outbreaks in nine states, 7.8 million hens in cage-free systems have been lost.”
Goicoechea said recent changes in state laws have contributed to the egg shortage.
“State regulations requiring cage-free egg production in places like California and Massachusetts are also playing a role,” said Goicoechea. “As farms transition to meet these requirements, production challenges and distribution bottlenecks have emerged.”
Cage-free egg laws also went into effect in 2022 in Massachusetts and California.
What else do I need to know about the bird flu?
Bird flu cases have occurred in Nevada, but not at poultry farms. Dairy cattle in Nye County were found to be infected in December 2024, and dairy cattle in Fallon were infected in January. That’s also where the state’s first—and only, as of this writing—human case has been found. This flu is far less harmful to cattle than it is to birds, and the CDC currently ranks its risk to humans as “low.”
Nevada was among the first states to start testing milk for bird flu, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture brief.
“Consumers should begin to see an increase in egg availability at grocery stores in the next 30 days or so, with hopes of relief in pricing thereafter,” Goicoechea said.
Under newly eased state restrictions, Grade B eggs will soon be available in Nevada retail stores. Until now, they were typically available to restaurants, but not retailers.