If you've been to the grocery store lately, you know how expensive it is to buy eggs -- prices have jumped 50% in the last year. The bird flu has killed millions of chickens, drastically reducing egg supplies.
Local farmers on the front lines are having to take extra precaution to protect their birds, as some people are turning to them for a better price, selection and safety.
At Hilliker's Ranch Fresh Eggs in Lakeside, customers are lining up at the door for a flat, a dozen, extra large or large.
"My goal is to produce a safe, healthy product at the most affordable price," said Frank Hilliker, a third-generation egg farmer.
Hilliker's Ranch Fresh Eggs has been a family-run business since Hilliker's grandfather started it in 1942 on the same 5 acres. Hilliker is responsible for the egg production of some 26,000 hens in three barns. During this crisis, he manages the balance of price and production.
"We want to make sure they keep coming back when this is all over," he said. "People are struggling right now, so we are just doing what we can to help out."
Hilliker says prices fluctuate and rationing can change daily. Doing so, he stays one step ahead of running out.
"Because our prices are fairly reasonable, we're getting a few extra customers, and we're just trying to make sure everybody gets something," Hilliker said.
NBC 7 was not allowed past the chain-link fence due to the threat of avian flu. On the other side of the fence are the chicken barns. Only veterinarians and staffers are allowed there, but they still must wash off their feet. Safety protocols are one of the important reasons people come to Hilliker's Ranch Fresh Eggs.
"Right now, with the way eggs are, I'd rather just buy it closer to the source than mass produced," customer Laura Dederdreen said.
In all his years in business, Hilliker says Hilliker's Ranch Fresh Eggs has never had the bird flu.
"Everybody is very vigilant," he said. "You disinfect before you go into the chicken area. You wash the equipment off. You disinfect the equipment. You disinfect the truck."
While the egg shortage has created new customers, Hilliker's Ranch Fresh Eggs also has a generational customer base.
"It's a local shop, and I prefer to give business to our local people," customer Amrit Shahzad said.
"It's tough. I've been able to get them at Trader Joe's and stuff, it depends on where you go," customer Art Garcia said.
Hilliker says there is an old saying: "If you want to make a little money in the egg business, you're going to need a lot .... of money."
"Nobody is getting rich," he said. "We're just average, middle-class folks."
He has ridden out the good years and the bad. Experience tells Hilliker that egg supplies and prices will recover.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while the current public health risk is low, the CDC is watching the situation carefully and working with states to monitor people with animal exposures.