Hong Kong CNN —
Eggs have risen in price worldwide over the past year as bird flu has decimated chickens Herds and the aftermath of Russia’s war with Ukraine pushed up energy and animal feed prices.
In the United States, egg prices have far outpaced increases in other foods, up nearly 60% year over year in the 12 months to December. In Japan, wholesale prices have reached a record high.
In New Zealand, where more eggs are consumed per person than most other countries, the shortage has been exacerbated by a change in farming regulations. And the rising cost has sparked a frenzy as people look online for chickens to secure their own supply of pantry staples.
On Tuesday, popular local auction site Trade Me told CNN that searches for chickens and their care equipment rose 190% this month compared to the same period a month ago.
“Since the beginning of January, we’ve seen over 65,000 searches for chickens and other chicken-related items like feeders, coops and feeders,” said Millie Silvester, a spokeswoman for the company.
The shortage also has gave the bakers in the country a particularly bad headache.
“The whole public is now trying to buy chickens to take home because they can’t get eggs,” said Ron van Til, a bakery owner near the city of Christchurch. who had to adjust how he makes his cakes and muffins.
Van Til said his sister was selling “four brand new chickens” at auction through Trade Me for more than double the usual price.
The trend has prompted animal rights activists to warn against impulse buying.
“Chickens live a very long time,” said Gabby Clezy, CEO of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) in New Zealand. “They live eight to ten years, sometimes even longer depending on the breed.”
Clezy also noted that chickens don’t produce eggs their whole lives and their laying habits depend on factors like age and local climate.
“So if people get chickens just because [they think] You’re going to have a permanent supply of eggs, that’s just not the case,” she said. “We ask people to think of them as companion animals, which they are.”
Trade Me has also urged customers on its marketplace to reconsider all purchases.
“It is important that our members are aware of the responsibilities that come with owning chickens and are well placed to care for them,” Silvester said in a statement.
Health experts are also getting involved. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), anyone who signs up for a backyard coop should take extra care when handling the animals and their eggs, especially because of the risk of germs associated with salmonella.
The egg shortage in New Zealand is linked to a long-awaited amendment to the farm bill that came into effect on January 1st this year.
The law prohibits the production of eggs from hens housed in conventional or “battery cages” — typically cramped metal spaces that do not provide adequate welfare for the hens, according to the SPCA.
Therefore, in 2012, the government announced a ban on such facilities.
But “a 10-year transition period away from traditional cages has been put in place to give egg producers time to switch farming practices,” Peter Hyde, an official with New Zealand’s Department of Primary Industries, said in a statement to CNN when he was asked about the current news deficiency was asked .
“Egg producers have had the opportunity to move to colony cages, barns and free-range systems,” added Hyde, acting national manager for the Department of Animal Welfare and National Animal Identification and Tracking.
Hyde said that over the past 18 months the ministry “has been in regular contact with operators and visited farms that needed to be converted”.
Despite the long lead time, the ban has led to supply bottlenecks, according to some companies.
Foodstuffs, a New Zealand supermarket chain, recently temporarily limited the number of eggs each customer can buy.
“It’s a significant shift for the egg supply industry,” Emma Wooster, the company’s director of public relations, told CNN in a statement. “We are working with egg suppliers to expand our range of other egg types.”
Countdown, another major grocery retailer, said while there are currently no restrictions on egg sales, it would encourage customers to “buy only what they need” to ensure an adequate supply for everyone.
Other companies have been forced to change things up.
Van Til, the bakery’s owner, said his team has swapped out fresh eggs for alternative ingredients in recipes.
The long-time owner of Rangiora Bakery has seen wholesale prices for fresh eggs jump about 50% compared to four months ago, prompting him to buy more dried eggs instead.
Van Til also pointed to changes at other local restaurants, saying some cafes have started removing certain dishes from their menus “instead of having five breakfast items [with] Eggs, you may only have two.”
“And hopefully the customer goes for pancakes or waffles,” he added. “Or whatever other offers you can think of.”