Next time you want a sunny side up egg, you might want to think about it.

Eggs are now considered a delicacy due to a nation-wide price increase.

As of 2025, egg prices in the United States have hit a record high of $4.94 for a dozen grade A eggs, and according to the United States Department of Agriculture the cost of eggs is expected to increase by nearly 20% in 2025.

The egg inflation is due to an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as the bird flu, affecting egg-laying flocks of birds.

The bird flu is a viral infection that mainly affects birds, but can be passed to humans.

This year alone over 20 million egg-layer flocks of birds have been lost to this disease.

“And again when that premise has a detection of avian influenza every bird on that premise has to be depopulated to try and control the spread,” LSU AgCenter poultry production assistant agent, William Strickland said, “stop the spread of this disease and keep it out of our food supply.”

Although only eight states have reported an outbreak of the bird flu, this is something that is reflecting on markets all over the country