As egg prices persist in their upward trend and supply chain challenges remain prevalent throughout the United States, families are seeking more innovative and budget-friendly options to commemorate Easter this year. Since the beginning of 2025, the outbreak of bird flu has led to the culling of more than 14 million egg-laying hens, resulting in a nationwide shortage.
Easter typically evokes images of baskets brimming with vividly colored eggs, children participating in egg hunts, and kitchen counters adorned with dye kits. However, this year, some of these beloved customs are being reconsidered.
As egg prices continue to rise and supply chain challenges persist across the United States, numerous families are reevaluating their holiday practices. Rather than spending more on a carton of eggs, many are opting for inventive and budget-friendly alternatives, such as dyeing potatoes and marshmallows or choosing reusable plastic eggs.
What is driving this shift away from traditional Easter eggs? How are families preserving the essence of the holiday in their absence? Let us explore this further.
The egg shortage reshaping Easter customs
For over four decades, Young’s Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs, Ohio, has been central to a beloved Easter tradition—a large egg hunt featuring 10,000 hand-dyed real eggs. Each year, families from the surrounding area would gather at the farm, where children eagerly searched for the colorful treasures hidden in the grass.
This event typically attracts over 2,000 attendees and costs the farm approximately $3,000 (Rs 2.5 lakh) solely for the eggs.
However, this year signifies a significant change.
For the first time in its 40-year history, Young’s Easter egg hunt will utilize plastic eggs. Each egg will contain a coupon for a complimentary carousel ride, as reported by The New York Times.
“The feedback has been largely positive,” stated John Young, a fourth-generation member of the family-run business. “I believe people were somewhat anxious that we might cancel the event due to the current egg prices. So, they are relieved that we are still proceeding with it.”
This decision was not made lightly.
In February, the Young family began to reconsider the feasibility of using real eggs as prices surged. However, financial concerns were not the only factor.
The family was also apprehensive that purchasing such a large quantity of eggs could strain already limited local supplies, potentially leaving neighboring families without enough for their own celebrations.
Young clarified that the issue was less about the expense and more about the concern of depleting local supplies.
Several months prior, well-known grocery chains like Aldi, Trader Joe’s, and Harris Teeter had implemented egg rationing and restricted purchases as shortages became more pronounced.
In response, the Young family has opted to contribute $3,000 to support two local food banks. This decision has garnered significant community backing, with many expressing gratitude for the farm’s dedication to assisting those in need during challenging times.
What led to the egg shortage?
The primary factor behind the ongoing egg crisis in the United States is Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), commonly referred to as bird flu.
Since the virus was first identified in a commercial flock on February 8, 2022, over 147 million birds have either succumbed to the disease or been culled as a preventive measure, including an alarming 108 million egg-laying hens.
Experts consulted by PolitiFact noted that once the virus is found in a single bird, the entire flock must be culled to halt its spread. While this strategy safeguards neighboring farms and the wider poultry sector, it significantly impacts egg production.
After a brief lull in outbreaks, the virus re-emerged vigorously in 2024. The USDA reported that nearly 17 million egg-laying hens were culled within just two months, November and December, accounting for almost half of the total bird losses for that year.
“We’ve reached a stage where we are genuinely facing a shortage,” Karyn Rispoli stated to The Guardian. “Given the number of birds lost in recent months and the current hen population, there simply isn’t enough production to meet the existing demand.”
The situation has not improved. In early 2025, another 14 million birds were lost to the virus within a single week, with outbreaks occurring in Arizona, California, North Carolina, Ohio, Missouri, Indiana, and Washington.
Trump asserts that egg prices have decreased, but is that the reality?
US President Donald Trump has consistently stated that egg prices are finally stabilizing.
“They were skyrocketing, the egg prices,” he remarked in a recent address. “Now we have an abundance of eggs, and they’re significantly cheaper, down approximately 59 percent now. And they’re continuing to decline.”
However, the situation appears to be quite different in practice.
In reality, egg prices in the US saw an increase last month. The latest data indicates that the average price per dozen has reached a new peak of $6.23 (Rs 536)—up from about $5.90 (Rs 507) in February and $4.95 (Rs 426) in January, as reported by CBC News. While supply may be improving in certain regions, the prices remain high for everyday consumers.
Easter without eggs? Some families are adapting.
Due to the shortage and escalating prices, families are discovering innovative ways to maintain Easter traditions without using real eggs.
Food blogger Lexi Harrison, who co-manages Crowded Kitchen with her mother, has created her own version of the traditional peanut butter chocolate egg. By combining peanut butter, almond flour, and maple syrup, she fashioned egg-shaped confections and coated them in white chocolate tinted with matcha and blue spirulina powder.
Her video showcasing these pastel treats has garnered over 64 million views across Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, along with more than 30,000 comments.
“This experience evokes joyful memories from people’s childhoods, and they want to keep that spirit alive,” Harrison noted, adding that sales of egg-dyeing kits have actually increased by 20 percent this year.
Despite this, Harrison acknowledged that eggs have been difficult to find in Michigan. “During more than half of my visits to the store in the past month, there have been no eggs available,” she remarked. “I’ve never been particularly fond of boiled eggs.”
Regarding John Young, the essence of the tradition at Young’s Jersey Dairy continues to thrive, even though this year’s eggs are made of plastic.
“Plastic eggs can still provide plenty of enjoyment,” he stated. “However, I am hopeful that we can return to the traditional eggs next year.”
