Shortage Of Eggs

[duncanp]

Is anyone else experiencing a shortage of eggs at the moment?

In the West Midlands, many supermarkets have run out completely, or are in very short supply.

Bird flu is being blamed.

Of course there are anguished comments on local Facebook groups saying, "...do you know which supermarket round here has still got eggs in stock..?"

If anyone replies, then people descend on that supermarket like a plague of locusts, and within a short period of time there are no eggs left at that supermarket either.

Reminds me of the great loo roll shortage at the beginning of the pandemic, and the great sugar shortage of 1974.

Strikes, shortages etc... it is really like going back to the 1970s.

 

[jfollows]

The Guardian had a report two days ago (https://www.theguardian.com/environ...hortage-as-uk-farmers-struggle-with-avian-flu) in which it stated

The Guardian understands that supermarkets are not facing immediate egg shortages.

which your post puts the lie to, clearly.

 

[AndrewE]

The article also says

A third of farmers surveyed in recent days by the trade body the British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA) reported they had reduced the number of hens in their flock because egg prices meant they were unable to cover their costs.


Meanwhile, a quarter of the 165 farmers who responded told the BFREPA they had stopped production either temporarily or permanently.


Farmers have been grappling with soaring costs, including the price of feed for their hens, as well as higher energy and transport bills.

The association represents about 550 egg businesses, who account for about 70% of the UK’s free range and organic egg production, supplying the country’s largest retailers.

Several of those surveyed who had reduced their flock said they were “seriously considering not restocking”, while another farmer added “trying to cut costs to survive”.

In March, the egg industry called on the UK’s big retailers to increase the price of a dozen eggs by 40p to prevent the collapse of hundreds of egg producers.

The BFREPA said the average price of eggs had since increased by about 45p, but only a quarter of that – between 9p and 10p – had been passed on to farmers, which was not enough to cover their higher costs.

Note the " The BFREPA said the average price of eggs had since increased by about 45p, but only a quarter of that – between 9p and 10p – had been passed on to farmers, which was not enough to cover their higher costs." and it was also covered on the early morning farming programme.
If you make a loss on every egg you produce then obviously you produce less to try to stay afloat until there is a way to start to make money again.

 

[gg1]

Is anyone else experiencing a shortage of eggs at the moment?

In the West Midlands, many supermarkets have run out completely, or are in very short supply.

Bird flu is being blamed.

Of course there are anguished comments on local Facebook groups saying, "...do you know which supermarket round here has still got eggs in stock..?"

If anyone replies, then people descend on that supermarket like a plague of locusts, and within a short period of time there are no eggs left at that supermarket either.

First I've heard of it, I bought some from Great Bridge Asda as recently as Friday last week and didn't notice a shortage of stock there.

Local Facebook groups are notorious for silly hoaxes like this.

 

[Elwyn]

I buy free range eggs from a local farm in Co Antrim. The young lad who looks after the chickens told me just the other day that the price of chicken food had shot up recently and so they had had to put a box of 6 eggs up by 50p. (Clearly chickenfeed is no longer as cheap as chickenfeed).

 

[Wynd]

Saw this on FB yesterday, farmers are being badly squeezed by the supermarkets according to what I saw.

For those of us living rurally, farm shops or eggs from smallholdings nearby are the way to go.

 

[CharlieSpotted]

As has already been said, I think this is largely a self-fulfilling prophecy caused by Facebook local groups, Nextdoor, etc. There is no real shortage of eggs. There may have been a temporary reduction in supply caused by the outbreak of bird flu, as the birds are moved indoors and packaging updated to reflect that "free range" eggs are in fact temporarily no longer free-range. The same thing happened last time avian flu came around. It will correct itself in time - providing, of course, people don't panic buy... eggs... of all things.

 

[Gloster]

Perhaps people are preparing to welcome King Charles to your area.

 

[birchesgreen]

I haven't noticed eggs being that hard to find though the days when it could be taken for granted that a supermarket would be fully stocked are gone. Today at Lidl i did notice they had eggs (though i didn't want any), i did want some parsnips though and they had none.

 

[AndrewE]

There is no real shortage of eggs. There may have been a temporary reduction in supply caused by the outbreak of bird flu, as the birds are moved indoors and packaging updated to reflect that "free range" eggs are in fact temporarily no longer free-range. The same thing happened last time avian flu came around. It will correct itself in time - providing, of course, people don't panic buy... eggs... of all things.

The BBC radio programme or that Guardian article (or both) specifically said that the supermarkets are using bird flu as a fig-leaf for the fall in supply caused by them not being prepared to pay the price of production.

 

[davews]

I glanced at the egg shelves in our Tesco this morning and they seemed pretty well stocked.

 

[duncanp]

As has already been said, I think this is largely a self-fulfilling prophecy caused by Facebook local groups, Nextdoor, etc. There is no real shortage of eggs. There may have been a temporary reduction in supply caused by the outbreak of bird flu, as the birds are moved indoors and packaging updated to reflect that "free range" eggs are in fact temporarily no longer free-range. The same thing happened last time avian flu came around. It will correct itself in time - providing, of course, people don't panic buy... eggs... of all things.

Just like the petrol shortage in September last year, which lasted a few weeks until people realised that there was no need to panic buy.

 

[ABB125]

I've not noticed a shortage of eggs in the Midlands.
I have, however, noticed a shortage of Tunnock's Caramel Wafers in Sainsbury's. They've not been there for the past 2-3 months or so!

 

[duncanp]

I glanced at the egg shelves in our Tesco this morning and they seemed pretty well stocked.

Ssshh!!!

You give your location as Bracknell, so before you know it the Mumsnet and Facebook brigade will round to Tesco's in Bracknell to plunder all the eggs available.

 

[Wynd]

I've not noticed a shortage of eggs in the Midlands.
I have, however, noticed a shortage of Tunnock's Caramel Wafers in Sainsbury's. They've not been there for the past 2-3 months or so!

Happy to mail you some, if required.

 

[ABB125]

Happy to mail you some, if required.

Thanks for the offer, but no need. If I haven't got any then I can't eat them, which is healthier and saves money!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The BBC radio programme or that Guardian article (or both) specifically said that the supermarkets are using bird flu as a fig-leaf for the fall in supply caused by them not being prepared to pay the price of production.

Interesting assertion. Might just be more than a grain of truth in that.

Just like the petrol shortage in September last year, which lasted a few weeks until people realised that there was no need to panic buy.

Was that partly a result of filling stations running down their stock of E5 petrol prior to switching to E10?

 

[johncrossley]

Thanks for the offer, but no need. If I haven't got any then I can't eat them, which is healthier and saves money!

What are you going to eat instead that is healthier? Eggs are healthy enough as long as they are part of a balance diet.

 

[Runningaround]

Considering the eggsplosion in chicken farms I'm surprised there is a shortage. But isn't the intensive farming of poultry a reason for Bird Flu spreading in the first place

 

[jfollows]

What are you going to eat instead that is healthier? Eggs are healthy enough as long as they are part of a balance diet.

Tunnock’s Caramel Wafers aren’t, though.

 

[GusB]

I wouldn't worry too much about an egg shortage; as we're so close to C******** they'll be stocking the supermarket shelves with Creme Eggs and suchlike (if they haven't already)!

 

[johncrossley]

Eggs aren't cheap in neighbouring countries.

Tesco UK 12 large free range eggs £2.35
Tesco Ireland 12 large free range eggs €4.09
Albert Heijn (Netherlands) 10 large free range eggs €3.79

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/shop/fresh-food/milk-butter-and-eggs/eggs

https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/en-IE/search?query=eggs

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[Ianigsy]

Don’t forget everybody starting their Christmas cakes about now!

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

No shortage here. I know a shop that sells eggs singly.

One does hope people do not hoard eggs, like they hoarded toilet paper. When do eggs start going off?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

When do eggs start going off?

Probably from the moment they are laid, but if stored appropriately in the fridge, you should easily still be able to use them for a month or so, sure as eggs are eggs!

 

[hexagon789]

Probably from the moment they are laid, but if stored appropriately in the fridge, you should easily still be able to use them for a month or so, sure as eggs are eggs!

Red Lion mark eggs in the UK should be fine for 3-4 weeks unrefrigerated.

Though potentially several few months in the fridge.

 

[Shimbleshanks]

No shortage of eggs at our place...

 

[Trackman]

Red Lion mark eggs in the UK should be fine for 3-4 weeks unrefrigerated.

Though potentially several few months in the fridge.

Really in a fridge? I just go by the use by date.

---
Anyway, I was in Poulton-le-Fylde the other week - I was picked up the station and went through a sort of rural area nearby, there were big signs like 'Now entering animal disease control area' (or something like that) and there was one when you left the area. thought it was foot and mouth or something, not heard anything on the news about bird flu until I've seen this thread.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

...not heard anything on the news about bird flu until I've seen this thread.

Been a number of recent stories, to be fair, although the BBC did rather spin it as being a threat to the general availability of turkey at Christmas.

Christmas turkey fears as England bird flu rules widened

The government rules aim to contain the country's largest ever bird flu outbreak.

www.bbc.co.uk

Extract...

All poultry and captive birds in England must be kept indoors from 7 November under new restrictions to fight avian flu, the government has announced.

The housing order comes after turkey farmers warned of a shortage this Christmas caused by the country's largest ever bird flu outbreak.

Link also to Gov.UK site...

Bird flu (avian influenza): latest situation in England

Find out about the latest bird flu situation in England and guidance for bird keepers and the public.

www.gov.uk

 

[wilbers]

I thought you shouldn't keep eggs in a fridge, after all they aren't usually kept in fridges in supermarkets. Googling it, there is completely contradictory advice on the matter.