Scrambling for Solutions
Seven-week-old golden comet laying hens at Foothill Poultry in Washoe Valley. Photo by Mary Claire Bouchér
Combatting the egg shortage in Reno-Tahoe.
If we were to name one grocery item that has dominated the national conversation over the last year, it would have to be eggs.
That’s due, primarily, to avian influenza. Commonly known as “bird flu,” the disease has affected poultry since the late 1800s, causing significant harm to both migratory and domestic bird populations. It was first identified by Italian veterinarian Edoardo Perroncito, who recognized it as a highly contagious disease, distinct from other illnesses of that time due to the severity of its effects. Since its discovery, several waves of worldwide outbreaks have often resulted in substantial losses.
Starting in January 2022, the United States has experienced an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, with devastating consequences for the poultry industry. The outbreak has particularly affected commercial chicken businesses, leading to the loss of entire flocks of egg-laying hens. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the recent HPAI outbreak, especially the H5N1 strain, has destroyed more than 43 million egg-laying hens.
Marked by an extremely high mortality rate approaching 90 to 100 percent, HPAI is known to lead to death within 48 hours of infection. To preserve healthy flocks, farmers often use culling, a process of selectively euthanizing infected or at-risk animals from a population. A recent story in the New York Post reports that as of April 2025, about 30.6 million chickens have been culled across nine U.S. states, including Ohio, California, and Iowa. Most were egg-laying hens, with 19.6 million from caged systems and 11 million from free-roaming operations.
Egg-laying hens are heavily impacted because large farm operations often are located along the flyways taken by migratory birds that carry the disease. Egg-laying hens are exposed to many more infections and diseases than meat birds, or broiler chickens, which have much shorter life-spans and production cycles.
Null Nevada Market
Jason Dunphy, farmer and owner of Foothill Poultry in Washoe Valley, is in his second season of raising pasture poultry. With a production facility located off Franktown Road, in the shadow of Slide Mountain, Dunphy plans to expand his operation incrementally over the next few years.
Like most residents in Reno-Tahoe, Dunphy has noticed bird flu’s impact.
“The supply has been pretty tight, and the costs are up there,” he says.
Dunphy spent 10 years in the grocery industry and notes that the majority of eggs in Reno-Tahoe come from California, with Washington and Oregon also providing some.
According to the Nevada Department of Agriculture, Nevada passed cage-free egg regulations during the 81st Legislative Session (2021), requiring that all eggs sold in the state come from cage-free facilities. Egg production has been affected by the outbreak of HPAI, with cage-free facilities taking the brunt of it during the last quarter of 2024. Nevada’s consumers have felt the effects of shortages and price increases more acutely than people in other states.
“We don’t really have a poultry industry,” Dunphy says. “Eggs are a volume business, and with California dominating the market, there hasn’t been a lot of opportunity for locals to fill that gap. More recently, people have been more conscious of where their food comes from and see the value of local products. We’re starting to see more folks building up flocks around here.”
Kool Kids Ranch, a farm school for children age 5 and up in Spanish Springs, is home to a flock of about 650 chickens that provide eggs for several local restaurants. Cheryl Wright, owner/manager/operator of Kool Kids, has noted a significant shift in local demand for eggs and the lack of supply of spring chicks.
“It’s been really tough,” she says. “I usually get my birds in the spring, and they’re laying in the fall. With the bird flu losses, in order to get the orders, they’re at least three months behind.”
Wright ordered 400 chicks in February, expecting their arrival in March. Due to a two-month delay in fulfilling her order, she was forced to push back all her operational timelines.
“I don’t know how the people in California are recouping,” she notes. “They have lost 15,000 to 20,000 birds at a time, and this outbreak has been going on for so long. These people have to recoup and rebuild their flocks, which takes at least 22 weeks. I’m sure that’s why I’m not getting my chicks. The hatchers need to replenish the bigger operations and are holding onto the smaller wholesale accounts. This delay will mean that we’re not bringing the new layers in to make up for the birds that will molt this year. It will have an impact on us.”
Keeping the Flock Safe
Operators with healthy chickens that are producing eggs must take stringent biosecurity measures to keep their flocks safe.
The USDA initiated a Defend the Flock program encouraging the U.S. poultry industry, including small backyard poultry connoisseurs, to be mindful of biosecurity. This refers to everything people do to keep diseases, viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, and other microorganisms that cause disease away from birds, property, and people.
There are structural biosecurity measures and cautions to take during the construction and maintenance of coops, pens, poultry houses, family farms, commercial farms, and other facilities. There also are operational biosecurity best practices, procedures, and policies that need to be consistently followed.
The NDA reports that Nevada has responded to infected backyard flocks and, to date, has controlled the spread of the disease, with only one backyard flock being positive in the last 12 months.
The Northern Nevada Poultry Fanciers Association has helped backyard and exhibition poultry enthusiasts create safe spaces for their chickens while also hosting annual youth and adult egg and poultry shows, educational clinics, and poultry swaps. Julie Peterson, treasurer of NNPFA, upholds strict protocols with her flock of 100 birds.
“I don’t integrate adult birds into my flock,” Peterson says. “I’ve done that for years. Everybody should quarantine new animals when you bring them in. We also don’t give tours or let people who can also bring the germs in.”
The school program at Kool Kids also limits access to outsiders.
“The students come in and they have their barn shoes and coats that stay here,” Wright says. “I don’t allow their parents to come in or out of the barn area, and we keep everything very clean.”
Even while operators take every biosecurity measure to prevent avian influenza, the risk of infection remains present. To combat future devastation, earlier this year, the USDA made initial plans with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the FDA, for a funding opportunity to explore prevention, therapeutics, research, and potential vaccine candidates. USDA will invest up to $100 million in these projects, which will identify and foster innovative solutions to fight HPAI and directly support America’s farmers and ranchers.
While this is hopeful, the idea of a vaccine raises concerns for some people, including Peterson.
“Right now, if a bird was lucky enough to get it (HPAI) and live from it, chickens are so fragile, it will likely damage their ovaries and then they won’t lay eggs,” she says. “People think they can develop a vaccine, but if they survive, they won’t produce.”
Fulfilling Local Needs
With fluctuating prices and limited availability of outsourced eggs, Reno-Tahoe consumers are leaning on local producers. At Kool Kids, Wright receives regular calls asking to be on her waitlist for eggs, which tops 270 dozen weekly between several restaurant clients, including Homegrown Gastropub in Midtown and The Shore in Downtown Reno. She also sells out of the fresh eggs she brings each week to the Riverside Farmers Market at Idlewild Park.
“This has made the local community more appreciative of our eggs,” Wright says. “My pricing hasn’t changed much because we haven’t had significant changes at our farm. I looked into insurance should something happen, but there really isn’t anything available. We would be at a huge loss if something happened, but for now, we’re okay.”
Restaurateurs are getting creative in response to the egg shortage. Some establishments are using liquid eggs, which have not seen price increases, while others have begun applying egg surcharges. Additionally, some restaurant owners and bakers are substituting eggs with ingredients such as mashed banana, flaxseed meal, chia seeds mixed with water, or silken tofu.
Spencer Shea, owner of Homegrown Gastropub, which recently celebrated its eighth year in business, has maintained his mission to provide organic comfort food using locally sourced ingredients in the dishes and craft cocktails served. Shea anticipated the egg deficit, so he was able to pivot quickly and maintain consistency in his menu and pricing.
“I saw the shortage coming in the news, and I could see when I was trying to order stuff,” he says. “We stocked up on our egg supply, so it didn’t really hit us too hard. It costs a little more, but we’ve never run out. That would be terrible. I came across Kool Kids and knew this was what we needed, so we got a contract and now get eggs from them weekly. Eggs are a big deal, and they are a very crucial part of the kitchen.”
Efforts to Fix the Shortage
Assembly Bill 171, which allowed for the temporary suspension of the cage-free egg regulations, was passed during the 83rd Legislative Session (2025). On Feb. 20, director J.J. Goicoechea issued a temporary order suspending Nevada’s cage-free egg law. This order permitted the sale of non-cage-free eggs and Grade B eggs, thus increasing access to farmers’ markets for backyard producers and enhancing the overall egg supply in Nevada.
“Since the implementation of the temporary order, Nevada has started to see a decline in the average egg price,” Goicoechea says. “In April, the average price of a dozen eggs dropped more than 60 cents from March to $7.23 in Northern Nevada, and more than a dollar from March down to $5.62 in Southern Nevada.”
Some residents have taken matters into their own hands, creating small-scale, DIY solutions with coops that house a few hens. The concepts of traveling or rental chickens, in which the birds spend limited time in different yards, also have gained some notoriety, but this comes with risks.
“Every backyard has different diseases, and if you move the birds, you could get into trouble,” Wright explains. “I know one place that tried, but it didn’t work out well for them. I won’t take any outside adult birds because they carry so many different things, and I wouldn’t want to chance infecting my flock.”
As chicken farmers and egg lovers continue to navigate this tumultuous time, many are creatively working together to foster a better avian landscape aimed at preserving domestic bird populations locally and beyond.
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