Egg prices are up, but chicken breast is not

The avian influenza that’s been doing great damage to chicken and egg farms in parts of the U.S. has changed the economics of animal-based protein a bit. The price of eggs almost doubled from May to June, and has made them more expensive than chicken breasts for the first time on record.

Ed Fryar is CEO of Ozark Mountain Poultry in Rogers, Arkansas. He raises and sells chicken meat. 

“Business is still doing well,” says Fryar. “It’s not as good as it was earlier in the year, but we are still making money.”

Poultry has a seasonal aspect to it, and Fryar says normally, he makes a lot of money off of his farm during Q3. Although the dip in revenue is small for Ozark Mountain Poultry, Fryar doesn’t think the bird flu will go away anytime soon, which means the business will continue to struggle. 

“It’s not so good, but it’s part of the chicken business,” says Fryar.