Organic, Free-Range, Pastured-Raised, & Cage Free eggs. (Photo: Katy Grimes for California Globe)
California Has Egg on Its Face
California’s supply of egg-laying hens has shrunk by 65%, an amount equal to 13 million birds
By Will Coggin, May 22, 2025 1:00 pm
Recently, several California Senators wrote to state attorney general Rob Bonta asking for an investigation into why egg prices are so high. But they don’t need the help of the state’s top law enforcement official. This mystery can be solved with a mirror.
Egg prices in California have gone through the roof, reaching over $10 per dozen earlier this year. And while bird flu is a major factor, a less known factor is years of California regulations, driven by animal rights activists, that have increased costs for consumers and harmed egg farmers locally and nationally.
The tale of the red tape began in 2008 with Proposition 2, a ballot initiative that forced farmers to make costly modifications to their farms to comply with ambiguous, difficult to monitor protocols. These modifications had the effect of reducing the number of hens on farms, and by extension, the number of eggs. The General Assembly further cratered California’s egg supply with AB 1437, which added new penalties for California’s farmers and restaurants who sold products that did not comply with Proposition 2.
Then, Proposition 12, passed in 2018, banned the sale of regular, conventionally produced eggs and mandates California egg farmers–and any out-of-state farmer wanting to sell eggs in California–make costly barn conversions to “cage-free” systems, which can cost millions per farm.
Imagine you build your dream house, and then the government tells you five years later you have to completely rebuild it to comply with an arbitrary law. It’s an unfair position to be put in, and farmers have been forced to raise prices or go out of business.
California has gone from being a top five egg producing state in 2008 to now being ranked eleventh, behind Arkansas. According to USDA data, from 2008 to the end of 2024, California’s supply of egg-laying hens has shrunk by 65%, an amount equal to 13 million birds.
With a massive reduction in hens, and increased costs on out-of-state farmers who are forced to comply with California’s shifting regulations, it is no wonder why Californians were already paying more for eggs than their neighbors even before the recent avian bird flu outbreak.
California’s micromanagement of how egg farms operate has been driven by animal rights groups that funded Prop 2 and Prop 12. These groups hoodwinked California voters into thinking these laws were necessary for the humane treatment of hens.
But as any farmer or veterinarian will tell you, there’s more than one way to humanely raise a chicken. Different systems all have tradeoffs. In conventional systems, hens have lower mortality rates but have less living space. In cage-free systems, birds have more space, but higher injury rates. California farmers even developed a middle ground after Prop 2–larger, enriched cages–but these were banned by Prop 12.
That should tell you something: Prop 12 was actually never about better treatment of farm animals. It was about a long-term strategy to drive up the cost of animal protein and attack farmers.
Skeptical? Consider that the animal rights organizations that financed Prop 12 admit they don’t want people to eat any eggs at all, even if they’re “cage-free.” For example, The Humane League, which funded Prop 12, said on its website that it wants you to “remove eggs from your diet altogether.” Mercy for Animals, another Prop 12 backer, says, “consumers can easily drop eggs from their diets in favor of a cruelty-free vegan lifestyle.”
Californians are now experiencing the cost of Prop 12: Fewer choices at the grocery store, higher prices for a staple food, and a declining farming community. It’s a lot to choke down.
To reduce the price of eggs, politicians in Sacramento don’t need to gin up a theatrical “investigation.” They need to address the elephant in the room: Prop 12. The General Assembly has the power to modify ballot measures, and should move to do so without delay to make eggs more affordable for Californians. The longer it waits to act, the more food prices and farming will be scrambled.
- California Has Egg on Its Face - May 22, 2025
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this is all common sense to anyone who understands how things work….
people vote for this stuff and then just are clueless with the results….maybe starting voting no on all of these great ideas?
problem in Calif is liberals outnumber by huge margins. so if dems say vote for this and they fall right in line. they voted against rent control and repealing the gas tax. both have skyrocketed along with eggs and everything made with them. it’s like liberals here have endless income to pay for all this. homelessness falls on them too. no one can afford rent here. a house in my neighborhood just sold for 960,000 dollars and it’s a 2brm fixer upper. not ready for move in. the word investigation means nothing will change.
actually they don’t. If our census only included citizens is roughly 50/50. Don’t let California’s fraudulent elections fool you. In 1 or 2 cycles as old idiot boomers die off their conservative children will out number them and the state will flip. it’s 60/40 with a wink wink right now.
they really don’t outnumber us by that huge of a margin, their secret to winning in California and other blue states is that have created a system so they never lose by executing multiple methods to literally cheat in all elections so much so that it has even convinced Californians that this is just the norm that the state is dark blue when in reality it isn’t and democrat wins are achieved solely from cheating what do you think Gavin Newsom beat the recall because he cheated there’s literally no other way he could have beat the recall without fake votes illegals votes dead people’s votes trashing opposite parties votes recounting already counted votes and so on these are just some of the ways that have been proven that they use in order to cheat the system screwing everybody over Gavin Newsom said it himself California that’s the standard for the rest of the country he said this because he knows damn well that they’ve got the cheating here perfect and down to a science but implementing it across the rest of the states will turn the country blue and is why he says California is a model for the rest of the country, that douchebag and don’t get me started how all these politicians just so happened to be related keep the money in the family and none of these politicians give a damn crap about us here in California that’s for sure because they all live somewhere where they don’t have to deal with the laws that they implemented take I don’t know accessing a closed Lake to be the only one on the lake while watching everyone else unable to do so by law for getting your haircut at a close barber shop that was forced to close to everybody else due to the scam demic but not to those that made the rules to shut down in the first place nice little test that they had there to see how much they can get away with and for how long Californians would put up with it well stats are in more than 2 years locked down for no damn reason whatsoever due to this fake planned pandemic amen I just said that too
in 2005 40% of California consisted of illegal aliens 40% mostly for Mexico I can only imagine what it is now it’s scary to think about if they gave a damn about this country they would just do it the legal way but them coming here illegally proves that they have zero respect for anyone or anything and is why our streets are now littered with all of their trash that they just throw outside their car and not bother finding a trash receptacle and that’s the not just the individual illegal alien but also the so-called businesses they illegally own illegally run in illegal manners in illegal locations such as blocking off the sidewalk which is done constantly and is supposed to be illegal, and these people don’t hesitate to throw their trash wherever the hell they want making California resemble what Mexico looks like way too much for comfort just filthy disgusting these people are
lol , Boomer Basher!
Generally older people are much more conservative than the younger generation.
Soon the price of gas will skyrocket to $8+ per gallon. I welcome it!! If the price of gas does go up that high it will turn California deep dark RED!!! The democrat party is on life support and will be euthanized come the midterms!!
ya but to bad the all a cheaters with no other way to win
they really don’t outnumber us by that huge of a margin, their secret to winning in California and other blue states is that have created a system so they never lose by executing multiple methods to literally cheat in all elections so much so that it has even convinced Californians that this is just the norm that the state is dark blue when in reality it isn’t and democrat wins are achieved solely from cheating what do you think Gavin Newsom beat the recall because he cheated there’s literally no other way he could have beat the recall without fake votes illegals votes dead people’s votes trashing opposite parties votes recounting already counted votes and so on these are just some of the ways that have been proven that they use in order to cheat the system screwing everybody over Gavin Newsom said it himself California that’s the standard for the rest of the country he said this because he knows damn well that they’ve got the cheating here perfect and down to a science but implementing it across the rest of the states will turn the country blue and is why he says California is a model for the rest of the country, that douchebag and don’t get me started how all these politicians just so happened to be related keep the money in the family and none of these politicians give a damn crap about us here in California that’s for sure because they all live somewhere where they don’t have to deal with the laws that they implemented take I don’t know accessing a closed Lake to be the only one on the lake while watching everyone else unable to do so by law for getting your haircut at a close barber shop that was forced to close to everybody else due to the scam demic but not to those that made the rules to shut down in the first place nice little test that they had there to see how much they can get away with and for how long Californians would put up with it well stats are in more than 2 years locked down for no damn reason whatsoever due to this fake planned pandemic
Rent control is something liberals yearn for (mandated limits on what landlords can charge their tenants is pure liberalism). To cite a 17 year old proposition as a reason for the price increases of eggs over the last few months or so is a reach and the author conveniently fails to cite the bird flu and the flock culling that started the current price rise…
As if cage-free laws didn’t exacerbate the avian flu epidemic as well…
Use your head. What do you think is the natural consequence of increasing contact between domestic chickens and wild birds?
common sense is in short supply!
how can this be constitutional????? regulation is supposed to ENCOURAGE commerce…oh sorry California doesn’t teach what commerce is. The key word in our Declaration of Independence is oh, INDEPENDENCE and freedom from Tyranny. Doesn’t it take a constitutional amendment to change the Constitution? like to deny me my FREEDOM of choice to buy what I want??? That can’t be put to a simple vote! Why do I not hear attorneys arguing along these lines but using some other stupid illegal “precedence” that overrides the Constitution??? Like “environmental law”, are we that stupid?
“Higher injury rate” is a result of them actually being able to walk around. We all know clowns like Will are in big pork’s and Smithfield’s pocket and have zero interest in free markets, American farms, or consumers
have you actually looked at the conditions of a “free range” chicken farm? its awful.
Actually Matt, if you knew anything about chickens, you’d know that hens in a large area will attack one another. They can be vicious. I have laying hens, and I routinely need to separate one or more into a different pen to protect them from the other hens. it amazes me that people whose only contact with animals is with their Cockapoo or their tabby are suddenly ‘experts’ on farm animals. smh
there is also the problem of free range. If they can mingle then they are just like kids in school. 1 of them gets the flu and then they all have it.
Thanks, Rand. These folks deny the concept of a pecking order. It’s probably because they’ve been at the bottom of it for so many years.
California government does nothing well, unless you count making fools of themselves at every opportunity.
That may be valid, but don’t forget, California has the 5th largest economy in the WORLD. So we can’t be doing everything wrong.
being that all animal protein is carcinogenic then why would you want to eat any of it anyway. if you would like to see how animals ate treated in the animal agricultural industry watch a show called earthlings.
my mom is 89 years old cancer free doing great eats tons of ice cream butter chicken meat so I don’t know where you get your facts at but you might want to check them
Why? Because your mom is a representative sample of the entire earths population ? Might want to recheck your logic
my gosh you stated that so well. i can’t get over how people have believed the vegan way is a healthy way. I’m so glad you shared this. thank you
if that’s true , why didn’t the human race go extinct thousands of years ago.
saw dust is carcinogenic. stop living in a house.
There’s room for all of God’s creatures ………. right next to my mashed potatoes and gravy.
there are regulations in raising chickens in every state. You didn’t even try to show a casual link as far as price hike to California.
The regs you’re talking about go back to 2018? Old news. How can that explain a recent price hike? And California being the eleventh highest in chickens is high not low out of 50 so it is hard to see any proof there.
we are a large state. 11th is bad for being the largest tate. that’s not a good argument .
California is the 7th largest economy in the WORLD. It has more farmable land than other state in the U.S. and it’s 11th in egg production. That would be your answer.
CA is now the forth largest economy in the world. Eat your heart out haters.
Apparently you missed the memo that California started in the top five. You also missed the memo that the law in question didn’t go into effect until 2022. Causal link established.
That’s how the stuip evil minded Demorats think. They are not for the people.
They are first class RATS!
you got that right, im about sick of the way theyve screwed up everything they get their fingers in, while LINING THEIR POCKETS!! ITS PAST TIME TO PHYSICALLY REMOVE THESE LOWLIFE POS’s and STOMP A MUDHOLE IN THEY ASSES IM OVER IT!!
the good people of California voted for egg price raising legislation, stupid firemarshalls who allowed los Angeles to burn and forced the prices of oil up while giving away billions of tax payer money to lazy drug addicts..and guess what,this is ALL subsidized by the other taxpayers inthe other state’s. !! don’t believe me do you,digest a bit deeper and you will see if am correct. bastards !!
I remember getting a haircut just about election time in 2008 and this came up at my salon, which was filled with women. I encouraged a “NO” vote, pointing out the probable fallout; e.g., unintended consequences, higher prices, farms in the state having to shut down, etc. As I recall, no one cared, what I said had no effect at all, because they had seen a sob story on Oprah or somewhere and everyone was shedding crocodile tears for the poor chickens. Sure it’s anecdotal and the sample is a small one, but still…. Shows you what televised sob stories about chickens can do to people’s brains..
Too many people don’t think for themselves. That, and common sense, have flown out the chicken coop!
You said it, Pat. YES.
it is amazing to me just how many people from outside of California feel it’s their right to comment negatively about California and it’s laws and lawmakers. Pease look to your own states for mistakes, bad policy, etc. before making “anti-lib” statements. There are many things you might want to address in your very own backyard.
I live in California, and I agree with all the “right wing loons”.
Count me in, too, and as a CA native on top of it.
My own state’s biggest mistake is letting Californians come here and start running the show.
Believe me, this is an issue that I would *love* to address…
The only thing worse than a Democrat is a Republican. And being as idiotic as Democrats are, it explains why our potical system is all screwed up. Vote out all incumbants, regardless of party, and inact term limits. Do this a few election cycles and we may get competent people elected.
the most sensible statement made
the state elected officials need to some cleaning up of the free range chickens rules maybe go back to some of the old ways
No doubt the price of eggs greatly increased after Gov. Gavin “Hair-gel Hitler” Newsom declared a state of emergency over bird flu and then the hordes of healthy chickens that were destroyed because of it?
Oh yeah, TJ, that too! The Gavin Destruction Project never ends.
It is truly amazing that in this day and age just how ignorant the people in power are. The state of California has been ruined by the policies of the Democratic party. Corruption and greed effects every elected official. God Help America.
What’s your point? I’d rather spend the $ then have the factory farm conditions be allowed. Welcome to Cali.
since you you don’t mind the extra cost,then pay for other people’s eggs since you can afford it!
It’s not about a 17 year old proposition. It’s about Prop 12, which started phasing regulations into action in 2020 and become fully enacted in 2024.
This is the one cause supply shortages and increased prices. Suppliers left the CA market due to costs. Lower supply, higher prices. Thus, If you start with a lower supply and then a good chunk of that supply gets decimated with bird flu, guess what, even lower supply and even higher prices.
I hope all you dems are having a good day!
we’re really excited for tariffs.
I don’t know where y’all shop. I have never paid more then 6.50 for a dozen eggs. Ever. in San Diego. buying only pasture or cage free. and organic maybe half the time.
The reason? I buy from local, smaller producers. who have always used these practices and did not suffer from bird flu as they raise chickens in more controlled environments.
this analysis reflects changes that had to be made by large corporate agro-business that will always screw consumers when forced to make investments. if you shop local you have less exposure to price manipulation. I find this analysis…lacking.
There are large concerns here. The large companies that run our modern food systems engineer animals to produce more eggs, milk, etc than would be natural or safe for their bodies. Eggs are high in cholesterol, which is not always the best choice to consume anyway, especially for those who are suffering from heart disease and/or diabetes. It’s never right to treat animals like machines. It’s also not the right solution to subsidize huge corporations who either put small farmers out of business or turn them into indentured servants. It’s time to reevaluate how we eat. That’s what the prices are telling us.
This isnt a political problem, or a chicken shortage problem. It’s a greed problem. Poultry farmers have admitted they made record profits in the last couple of years. That comes from high cost to the consumer and low costs to the producer. GREED!
Party affiliation is irrelevant period from what l can gather from these post how many of the post authors live in California?. The only elephant in the room is the mislead and the ignorant fuck the price of eggs! and try to get back to protecting our great nation from trump and the ones who are helping him destroy America!
“Discriminatory, arbitrary and poorly thought out.”
The current average price for eggs in Florida is $6.36 a dozen. California is $6.06. Alabama and several other states are higher than California. It’s flock culling for bird flu. I hate California’s current government and overr egulation, but this is a nationwide problem.
…egulation…
Good one.
This is yet another example of deceptive voting verbiage meant to mislead the voter. If pros and cons of the results of the legislation were transparent voters could make better decisions. Actually we were fortunate that it was put to a vote by the people; unfortunately most legislation in CA is passed behind closed doors. In some cases Newsom pushes legislation thru only on his own behest/benefit. Politicians need to consult their constituents to assure that they are being truly doing the job they were elected for “to represent the people.”
As for the “animal right” people. Some are well intentioned but totally ignorant of farming. The rest are to a lesser or great degrees damaged people. With “personal issues” Or just straight up nut cases.
The “animals rights” groups makes “documentaries” about “animal cruelty” that range from very slanted and misleading propaganda to outright lies and then use this propaganda to sway the opinions of the 95% of the state population who haven’t a clue where their food actually comes from.
And thats who votes for the stupid propositions . Urban people who have nt a clue about real world farming and food production.
Having growing up around farms and farming so know exactly is involved I have had lots of discussions over the years with people who believe the lies and propaganda put out by the “animal rights” people. It took me a while to realize that these people are often so deluded that when they came out with some statement they claim is factual and I have no idea what they are talking about – it is always a straight up lie. A fabrication. The example of “debeaking” of chickens is just one example.
When dealing with these people I tend to be polite with the ignorant well intentioned. They at least are open to considering that the real world is not what is presented by the animal rights propaganda. But the true believers I have no time for. I get very combative very quickly. To work out if they are just sad nut cases or the really dangerous people – the true believer zealots.
With the nutcase you can do little. Just sad people. But the zealots think they have all the answers. That they know everything. With them its just a matter of how many minutes before they walk away. As it turns out I make it very clear to them they know nothing about farming. In this case raising poultry. From collecting the eggs. Checking for fertile eggs Raising chicks. Or even hand slaughtering. Which is what is done with small (free range) flocks. Or just how much more prone to diseases free-range chickens are over those kept in sheds.
Animal rights people have not a clue about the real world. Not a clue.
Among California’s “free ranging chickens”, I count most of the Sacramentiroso legislavers.