The cost of a dozen large eggs in California has soared, averaging about $4.50, up from $2.35 at this time last year. And the prices for any food that uses eggs as an ingredient, such as mayonnaise and baked goods, are also climbing.
What’s going on? This is a time of radical challenges in the chicken business. Farmers are coping with disease outbreaks, high demand for corn and the state’s new cage-free law — which has been copied by Washington, Colorado and several other other states, creating competition for a product that is already scarce.
Poultry expert Richard Blatchford, Ph.D., has been watching these trends. The modern bird has come a