On Saturday morning, a whopping 100,000 eggs went missing from Pete and Gerry’s Organic Farms in Greencastle, PA; one of the largest farms for free-range and organic eggs in New England. The extremely strange event has left the farmers and Pennsylvania State Police scrambling for answers, because after all how can someone steal that many eggs overnight? What will they do with them before they expire? This is egg-sactly why it is such a mystery; the trailer itself was found empty, with all 8,300 dozen eggs missing. This means the culprit must’ve taken them by their own means, yet left no trace.
On Monday, the Franklin County District Attorney, Ian Brink, stated in an interview with Post-Gazette that “there has been no breaks in the case, they’re looking into many different things.” as police search for the eggnapper. Pennsylvania ranks the 4th largest producer of eggs in the US, and the theft could limit locals’ supply of eggs during an ongoing shortage.
The theft occurs during one of the largest outbreaks of bird flu in US history. Bird flu, otherwise known as H5N1 or avian flu, is a seasonal strain of influenza that mostly affects birds and other animals such as cows. The CDC has deemed bird flu a “low to mild risk” for the general population, and symptoms for infected humans remain mild and similar to a cold that resolves in a few days. However, 66 Americans have become seriously infected during the last year, with a 65-year-old woman in Louisiana passing away from the virus. For reference, during the 2022 and 2023 outbreaks, the CDC confirmed only one known case of a human becoming seriously infected with bird flu.
This year’s bird flu outbreak has killed an estimated 68 million chickens and hens, ravaging pastures and CAFOs in southern states like Texas and Louisiana. This sharp decline in supply has led to an increase in the cost of eggs, and there seems to be no stop in sight. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that a dozen eggs in 2022 cost about $2, a cost that had remained stable for 6 years. However, in January 2025, a dozen eggs averaged $4.17 nationally, whereas in some states like Hawaii where the outbreak seems more aggressive, one dozen can cost as much as $9. Federal regulations on bird flu magnify large outbreaks as most farmers are required to put down all of their animals after just one case is detected. While this may seem extreme, it is crucial to ensure that the virus does not spread to other animals or humans.
There is no denying that this year’s avian flu outbreak is one of our worst, and consumers across the country are feeling its effects. Not only have costs risen for one of the most demanded grocery items, but some retailers such as Costco and Trader Joe’s have limited purchases to one dozen per person. However, the CDC is advising Americans to not worry, and that the outbreak will likely begin slowing as temperatures warm. After all, it is a seasonal virus, and its season is coming to an end in the coming months as birds migrate back home.
