NEW YORK, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- Bird flu is forcing U.S. farmers to slaughter millions of chickens a month, pushing the average price per dozen of eggs nationwide to hit 4.15 U.S. dollars in December.

That's not quite as high as the 4.82 dollars record set two years ago, but the Agriculture Department predicts prices are going to soar another 20 percent this year.

"Shoppers in some parts of the country are already paying more than double the average price, or worse, finding empty shelves in their local grocery stores," reported The Associated Press on Tuesday. "Organic and cage-free varieties are even more expensive. Some grocery stores have even limited how many eggs shoppers can buy."

"The bird flu outbreak that started in 2022 is the main reason egg prices are up so much," noted the report. Anytime the virus is found on a poultry farm, the entire flock is slaughtered to help limit the virus' spread. And with massive egg farms routinely housing more than 1 million chickens, just a few infections can cause a supply crunch.

The problem tends to linger because it takes months to dispose of all the carcasses, disinfect barns and bring in new birds, it added. Enditem

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