East Michigan News

State Representative Jerry Neyer, a Republican from Shepherd and a dairy farmer with extensive experience in agricultural boards, addressed the ongoing issue of high egg prices. Neyer, who represents Michigan's 92nd House District, clarified that the recent surge in egg prices is due to the bird flu rather than the new cage-free law.

Neyer explained that confusion arose when stores displayed signs indicating that as of January 1st, most eggs sold in Michigan must come from cage-free operations. This coincided with rising egg prices, leading consumers to mistakenly believe the law was responsible for the increase. However, Neyer emphasized, "The reason egg prices are so high is because of the bird flu, not because of the cage-free law."

He further detailed that over 40 million egg-laying hens have been lost nationwide due to bird flu within the past year. In Michigan alone, more than 6.5 million hens were affected, primarily in late 2024. These losses have contributed significantly to both price hikes and shortages.

According to Neyer, once an operation is infected with bird flu, all hens must be culled. The process of cleaning facilities and raising a new flock can take nine to twelve months before normal production resumes.

Addressing concerns about costs associated with transitioning to cage-free operations, Neyer stated that producers had ample time—15 years—to adjust financially to this change. He noted that these costs were accounted for long ago and do not contribute to current price increases. Additionally, he mentioned that "the cage-free law is better for the birds."