From the Fields: Frank Hilliker, San Diego County egg producer

By Frank Hilliker
San Diego County egg producer

We’re experiencing all-time lows in egg prices—the lowest I’ve seen in the last four or five years. That’s due to overproduction after bird flu. When prices were high, a lot of egg farmers put more chickens in. There’s huge overproduction in the United States, which is keeping prices low. We’re doing the same thing we’ve been doing because it’s been working well. We limit visitors, keep our biosecurity tight and make sure we have healthy birds.

In California, it’s all cage-free. We have five buildings. Three are cage-free and two are empty. Hopefully, within a year, we’ll have one of the last two buildings converted over. It’s taken a lot of money to get it ready. We have to pay for the equipment, and that takes savings, but hopefully we’ll be able to do that.

As commercial egg producers, our birds are in temperature-controlled areas. Chickens pretty much lay at the same rate as long as you keep them warm and healthy. Sales are higher this time of year, but the problem is we’re selling eggs for less than it costs to produce them. That’s just how the market is.

We’re working on expanding our reach with our local farm store. We’re always trying to capture that and push the local product. These are fresh eggs. They came from our local small town, and they’re better. Our farm store is what helps keep us going. Local people will pay a fair price for a dozen eggs. During the egg shortage, I didn’t raise prices too high. That helped keep customers, and it helps fill the gap when the wholesale market is low.

Down the road, we’d like to expand agritourism, but with avian influenza, we limit visitors for biosecurity. We do have a small front area with a miniature horse and sometimes goats or sheep for people to pet. It’s something we’d really like to expand in the future.

The latest news from AgAlert.com

• Grape glut lessens as growers scrap vines
• Bill brings back ag overtime tax credit proposal
• Solving veterinary shortage is crucial for agriculture
• From the Fields: Laura Gutile, Madera County pistachio grower
• From the Fields: Jennifer Beretta, Sonoma County dairy farmer
• From the Fields: Frank Hilliker, San Diego County egg producer
• From the Fields: Bruce Fry, San Joaquin County winegrape grower
• 'Unrelenting' fog aids Central Valley fruits and nuts
• Strong beef prices keep milk replacement heifer count low
• Transplant nurseries celebrate seed improvements
• Advocacy in Action: Tricolored blackbird, government shutdown, farm bill, fumigation alternatives, air board workshop
• How California farms can reduce pumping power costs
• Award applicants sought for Leopold Conservation
• Section 179 deductions for farm machinery in 2026