Easter Bunny's Budget Strained as Egg Prices Skyrocket

As far as the egg industry is concerned, Easter might as well have been Christmas. Prices skyrocketed 29% over the last year, and show no sign of slowing, as eggs are such a staple that demand hasn’t slowed a bit. “We’ve never seen profits like this,” said one egg farmer. Consumers shelling out over $2 a dozen are less thrilled, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Rising chicken feed prices sent eggs on their upward spiral, but farmers are successfully passing them along. Normally, when prices soar, egg farmers increase production, and prices drop, but this time it hasn’t happened. Many are wary of over-expansion, while others are watching a California bill that would outlaw industry-standard cages. “It’s a perfect storm, no doubt about it,” said one poultry expert. (More eggs stories.)