COEUR d’ALENE — It’s getting tougher to find eggs for under $5 a dozen.

Shelves at the Walmart in Hayden were wiped out entirely Friday as supply chains grapple with a nationwide avian influenza outbreak.

Steve Murphy, director of retail sales and merchandising for Super 1 Foods’ distributor Urm Stores, said even a single confirmed case of influenza within a flock has widespread effects.  

The higher prices are directly attributed to a decrease in egg-laying hens, which impacts supply, Murphy said.

"We were in the $2 range not too long ago," he said. "They've gone up about four times that price now."

As for the available stock at Walmart, the cheapest was $6.11 for a dozen large, cage-free brown eggs. The cheapest price for a half dozen large white eggs from Walmart store brand Great Value was $2.62.

Other stores yielded similarly limited stock and high prices.  

Super 1 Foods in Coeur d’Alene’s cheapest dozens of large white eggs from the brand Cherry Lane cost $4.98, while the cheapest available at WinCo Foods cost $5.96 for organic brown eggs from the brand Gold Circle.  

WinCo also had notices to customers about the egg shortage posted on refrigerator doors Friday.  

“We will continue to monitor egg costs closely, and as soon as costs come down, we will adjust our prices accordingly and pass those savings back to you,” the notices read in part. 

While there has yet to be a significant outbreak of avian influenza in any Idaho commercial facilities, the supply chain has still felt the strain as outbreaks continue in other parts of the country.  

Dr. Scott Leibsle, a state veterinarian with the Idaho Department of Agriculture, said the demand for eggs outpaces Idaho’s in-state supply, requiring stores to rely in part on out-of-state distributors.  

“We’re seeing cases rise and birds taken out of the supply chain, that’s where the issues are happening,” Leibsle said.  

So far, avian influenza has only been detected in Idaho “backyard” farms, which Leibsle defined as flocks of about 15-50 birds.

Five cases have been confirmed in backyard farms within the last week, Leibsle said, which he described as a “fairly significant increase.” 

    WinCo Foods in Coeur d'Alene had posted notices to customers regarding egg supply chain issues on Friday.