In other words: Chicken prices have remained stable because broiler producers have had an easier time keeping up with demand. Egg-laying chickens have fared much worse, accounting for more than 75 percent of all the birds affected by the outbreak between Feb. 8, 2022, and Jan. 29.

Still, a lack of eggs and steep prices may lead consumers to move to other cheap forms of protein, which could lead to consumer-induced shortages and price increases, one expert told USA TODAY. Egg-laying hens and broiler chickens – poultry raised for meat – are different,