Whether you prefer your eggs scrambled or sunny side up, you may have noticed the increase in prices.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports nearly 58 million birds have been affected by bird flu, causing egg prices to soar.
According to the CDC, the Avian flu, is a virus that spreads among wild aquatic birds and can be transmitted to domestic poultry.
Julie Rabalais is the founder of the non-profit organization, For the Birds of Acadiana. Rabalais specializes in rehabilitating ill, orphan and injured birds.
She said, it's best practice to wear personal protective equipment (PPE), when dealing with birds and to quarantine, if you're dealing with birds infected by the virus.
"We do know that water flower and water birds are most vulnerable right now," Rabalais said. "I'm sure there's a lot that we don't know about the virus, but we do know it is carried by droplets and it's airborne."
Rabalais said birds who contract Avian influenza typically do not live long.
"They usually die within about 36 hours," Rabalais said. "It's important that you don't handle these birds...if you have pet chickens or other pet birds...regardless of any wildlife, you should be wearing gloves."
T Moise, Owner of T Moise Farms in St. Landry Parish said he grew up on a farm and has been in the business for six years.
According to Moise, the price of feed has also gone up, another contributing factor to the rising egg prices.
"The feed is a little bit more expensive because of the fuel costs," Moise said. Moise and his wife Monica Hernandez purchase non-GMO feed from Georgia, to feed roughly seventy chickens.
"We get it in bulk," Moise said. "We get the big, half-ton bags and one-ton bags, so we get a good bit of it at a time."
Moise said it costs about 340 dollars for a half-ton bag of chicken feed. He said he has one piece of advice for new farmers.
"Don't put all of your eggs in one basket, no pun intended," Moise said. "Do a little bit of versatility. Have a little bit of everything because one day the chicken may stop laying and you know, you're in a bind so you might have to rely on your beef, your pork or something else."
The CDC advises poultry workers and bird outbreak responders to be cautious of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A viruses.
Experts say humans can contract bird flu virus infections and symptoms can range from mild to deadly.
