US egg prices rose to $0.24 per dozen on June 12, 2026, up 3.18% from the previous day, though prices remain down 90.84% compared with a year earlier as the market continues to work through a significant oversupply following last year's avian flu-driven shortage.

Key Highlights

  • US egg prices rose to $0.24 per dozen on June 12, 2026, up 3.18% from the previous day.
  • Prices have fallen 9.89% over the past month and are down 90.84% from a year ago.
  • The national laying flock has expanded to record levels following aggressive restocking.
  • Foodservice demand for shell eggs remains well below pre-shortage levels.

US egg prices edged higher to $0.24 per dozen on June 12, 2026, rising 3.18% from the prior day, according to USDA data tracked through a contract for difference benchmark. Despite the small daily gain, prices remain down nearly 10% over the past month and are down more than 90% compared with the same time last year, reflecting the scale of the reversal from the highs seen during last year's avian flu-driven shortage.

The current oversupply follows a period of aggressive flock rebuilding by US egg producers after widespread bird losses from highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks in 2024 and 2025 pushed prices to near-record highs. Producers responded by rapidly expanding layer flocks, with the national laying flock reaching record levels as new HPAI cases in commercial flocks slowed sharply through the spring.

Shell egg inventories have rebuilt faster than demand has been able to absorb, according to USDA inventory data, with total shell egg stocks continuing to rise on a week-over-week basis in recent reports. This inventory buildup has occurred even as demand has not fully recovered to pre-shortage patterns.

A key factor behind the weak demand recovery is a structural shift among foodservice buyers, many of whom switched to liquid and processed egg products during the price spike of 2024 and 2025 and have not returned to shell eggs at previous volumes. Industry estimates suggest seasonally adjusted wholesale demand for shell eggs is running well below historical baselines, compounding the impact of the supply-side recovery.

The combination of record flock sizes, rising inventories, and a structural shift in foodservice demand has pushed wholesale egg prices below the cost of production for many producers, according to industry executives. While consumers have benefited from sharply lower retail prices compared with last year's peaks, producers are facing margin pressure from elevated input costs for feed, fuel, and labor that have not declined alongside egg prices.

That pressure is most directly felt by large-scale conventional producers such as Cal-Maine Foods Inc (NASDAQ:CALM), the largest shell egg producer in the US, whose volumes are heavily exposed to the commodity wholesale prices now sitting near record lows. Specialty producers such as Vital Farms Inc (NASDAQ:VITL), which focuses on pasture-raised eggs sold at a premium, face a somewhat different dynamic, though even premium segments are not entirely insulated from a broader pullback in shell egg demand.

Looking ahead, market participants will be watching whether demand begins to recover toward historical levels, and whether producers respond to below-breakeven pricing by scaling back flock sizes, both of which could influence the pace at which the current oversupply unwinds.