By Carleen Wild
Moody County Enterprise
A product we’ve always grabbed without a second thought is now giving many of us pause. Egg prices are still soaring, and there is no sign they’ll come down anytime soon.
The culprit, according to local experts, is the latest strain of bird flu. H5N1 is sweeping through the U.S., hitting poultry farms hard and leaving producers, once again, scrambling to meet demand.
“By far, HPAI is the largest driver in this short supply,” said Jason Ramsdell, co-owner of Dakota Layers, an egg producer based in Flandreau.
“Even if the outbreaks stopped today, it would take the rest of the year for farms to repopulate to normal levels — if they can even find chicks to order.”
The bird flu, officially known as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), is widespread in wild birds globally, according to the CDC. But the virus isn’t just staying in the wild. It’s infecting commercial poultry farms, dairy cattle, and even humans. The U.S. has already reported 67 human cases, including its first fatality earlier this month.
While the CDC says the risk to the general public remains low, officials are keeping a close watch. If the virus mutates to spread between people, it could create an even bigger problem. A significant amount of research is underway to understand why this spread is happening.
Among the findings, last year, scientists discovered that dairy cows could carry the virus and spread it to other cows and poultry — an unsettling development, Ramsdell said.

“It was just less than a year ago that we learned dairy cows are carrying the virus and spreading it to other cows and poultry. Before that, we didn’t know it was possible,” he said.
“This presents another challenge as dairies’ normal practice is to move their herds from farm to farm. The most frustrating part of this is that the USDA has not enforced any quarantines on dairies but has given subsidies for lost milk production while still requiring each poultry farm to euthanize their entire flock.”
And then there’s the vaccine debate.
Ramsdell explained that while vaccines are available and effective against this strain, the U.S. government doesn’t currently allow their use.
“The main fight against permitting a vaccine is that it would stop our export market, but the only ones concerned over that vs. using a vaccine is the broiler industry, as very few eggs or turkey are actually exported,” Ramsdell said.
“We have been hounding the USDA, as an egg industry, to fast-track permitting the vaccine for HPAI so we can protect our flock.”
Dakota Layers has faced its share of challenges, twice in recent years, being forced to cull hundreds of thousands of birds after infections, essentially rebuilding their operation from scratch. The company is closely monitoring new cases being confirmed across the country.
“More than six different farms, all in different states, just tested positive for HPAI,” Ramsdell shared this past week.
“The farms range in size from 100,000 hens to 3.2 million hens at one of the larger ones. There is also a call later today, which I believe is to announce another farm of 1.2 million hens in Missouri that tested positive over the weekend.”
Despite the challenges, the Dakota Layers team states it continues to do what it can to ease the burden for local consumers.
“Typically, egg prices are based on a market price, similar to grain and corn,” said co-owner and company spokeswoman Tracy Ramsdell.
“But because we care about our communities and consumers, we have held our price instead of following the increases in the market.”
Consumers, however, might not see those efforts reflected on store shelves. Ramsdell emphasized that farmers don’t control the final price.
“It’s important for people to understand that once we sell eggs to the store, the final price that shoppers pay is determined by the store, not the farmer.”
With the spring migration of wild birds just a couple of months away, producers, along with backyard chicken owners, are bracing for more potential outbreaks.
For now, Ramsdell said they’re doing what they can to adapt and advocate for better long-term solutions, holding out hope for a break in what feels like an endless cycle.