John Lack, owner of Johnny Pamcakes in Rockford and Belvidere, said rising egg prices are affecting his business. (Photo by Lynne Conner/For Chronicle Media)

The long-standing riddle — “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” — may be unsolvable, but business owners, elected officials and residents locally and around the state are finding creative solutions to tackle America’s egg shortages and price hikes. 

“Since November, egg prices have surged and availability has dramatically decreased due to the bird flu,” said Rob Karr, president of the Illinois Retailer’s Association. “Flock owners have had to kill millions of chickens and it will take a couple of years to rebuild those flocks, assuming that there are no further outbreaks of the virus.”  

In the meantime, egg prices have surged. 

“There was a 35-percent uptick in the price of eggs from November 2024 to January 2025,” Karr said. “Additionally, the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays increased the demand for a smaller supply of eggs, therefore making eggs more costly.

“The Easter holiday could also strain supply chain issues. We do not anticipate a decrease in egg prices unless they reach a level where consumers completely stop buying eggs and use egg alternatives for baking.” 

John Lack, a restaurateur for more than 40 years and owner of Johnny Pamcakes in Rockford and Belvidere, said his businesses are feeling the economic impact of the egg crisis.  

“This is truly an unprecedented situation. I use over 100 cases of eggs each week for both restaurants, so that’s 10,000 eggs. I typically order eggs from three purveyors, and their prices have skyrocketed. To save money, I started buying my eggs from Sam’s Club and Costco, which reflected a $20 to $30 per case savings compared to the purveyors.” 

Eventually, Lack noted that egg prices at Sam’s Club and Costco started to increase, and buying limits were instituted.  

“I don’t understand how I could buy eggs from a price club and still save 30-40 percent over the restaurant supply purveyors,” he said. “Currently, I get shell eggs from Walmart and I use a fresh, liquid egg product to save money and keep my stores open. I can get one case of liquid eggs for $50 which equals two cases of shell eggs at $226.”  

Lack said the egg product is used for dishes like Swedish pancakes, scrambled eggs and French toast.  

“I made sure that taste and quality were on par with shell eggs before implementing the liquid eggs. We’re a high-volume breakfast spot, and this change helps me avoid applying an egg surcharge to my customers, and burdening my staff with explaining a price increase.” 

Lack is worried about egg prices and supply going forward.  

“At the moment, our hands are tied. We’re (also) using two-thirds fewer shell eggs due to the liquid eggs, but the price of liquid eggs is going up. Something needs to be done. Why aren’t chickens vaccinated against the bird flu? That would help ease the situation. 

“I don’t think the public understands how the egg crisis is affecting small business owners and restaurateurs who specialize in breakfast,” Lack said. “I am hoping for some answers and innovations within the next several months.” 

The longer days and warmer spring temperatures are conducive to planting gardens and, for some Winnebago County residents, raising chickens.  

Wayne’s Feed Store in Rockford has sold chickens for 61 years and recently noted a rise in so-called hobby farmers.  

“Each year, our chicken orders double as more people are raising chickens in their backyards to have fresh eggs,” said owner Fred Hoople.  

“We used to have a supply of live chickens at the store that people could purchase outright, but in the last three years, we have sold chickens on an order-only basis,” he said. “This shift helps ensure that the chickens we receive are healthy. Keeping a supply of live chickens increases the chance of bird flu and other illnesses.” 

While raising backyard chickens can be a fun, educational and eco-friendly venture for families, certain areas of Winnebago County are not zoned for poultry. 

In the city of Rockford, raising chickens is currently not permitted. However, in an April 2022 Facebook post, Ald. Bill Rose sponsored an ordinance and an online petition to have backyard chickens within the city limits.  

“I put forth a pilot program that would allow 100 property owners a one-year permit for raising chickens in certain areas of Rockford,” Rose said. “Unfortunately, the program didn’t receive support from the City Council due to concerns about overburdening code enforcement officers and the spread of avian flu.” 

Winnebago County, outside Rockford’s city limits, allows residents to raise chickens, but only if their property is zoned for it.  

“Chickens are allowed in the RA (residential agricultural) and the RE (residential estate) districts,” said Troy Krup, Winnebago County Zoning Committee staff liaison. “The RA district, which has a minimum lot size of three acres, allows for six chickens and the RE district, with a minimum lot size of 1 acre, permits three chickens.”  

Krup notes a difference between the county’s residential and strictly agricultural districts.  

“If your property is zoned agricultural, for example, AG-1 or AG-2, there are no limits on the number of chickens you can own, but if you have a residential zoning, limits are imposed.”  

He suggests that residents confirm their zoning district before raising chickens. 

While the impact of our country’s current egg shortage and price increase may continue, it’s no riddle how Winnebago County residents show innovation and creativity in having both the chickens and their eggs.