Cage-free
Cage-free egg premium
The national cage-free minus conventional large white loose spread, USDA, cents per dozen
Data through Sep 1, 2026 · source last checked Sep 1, 2026 · page revised Sep 1, 2026
Cite
- Cage-free
- Conventional (caged)
About this data
- Source
- USDA AMS Egg Market News, Daily National Shell Egg Index
- Series
- National cage-free minus conventional, large white loose
- Basis
- Loose
- Geography
- National
- Unit
- ¢/doz
- Calculation
- 5-day weighted average, both legs
- Last observation
- Sep 1, 2026
- Update frequency
- Daily (business days)
Cage-free carries a 16.4¢/doz premium over conventional right now (45%): cage-free 53.0¢/doz vs conventional 36.5¢/doz, USDA, Sep 1, 2026.
The cage-free premium is 16.4¢/doz, with cage-free at 53.0¢/doz and conventional at 36.5¢/doz. Cage-free rose 17.7% on the week but is down 75.9% year over year.
| Period | Current | Prior | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week over week | 53.0¢/doz | 45.0¢/doz | +17.7% |
| Month over month | 53.0¢/doz | 95.0¢/doz | -44.2% |
| Year over year | 53.0¢/doz | 220¢/doz | -75.9% |
Previous weeks
Week of Aug 25, 2026
The cage-free premium widened to 4.5¢/doz on the week, though it remains compressed from prior periods. The premium has fallen 67.3% from 138¢/doz a month ago and 79.5% from 220¢/doz a year ago.
Week of Aug 19, 2026
Cage-free premium stands at -2.8¢/doz, with cage-free at 39.1¢/doz versus conventional at 41.9¢/doz. The premium has fallen 52.9% on the week and 84.4% on the year. Cage-free eggs now trade below conventional.
An earlier week
The cage-free premium inverted to negative 3.3¢/doz on August 11, with cage-free at 88.1¢/doz trading below conventional at 91.4¢/doz. Week over week, cage-free fell 7.3 percent, though month-over-month the category recovered 55.7 percent from 56.6¢/doz. Year-over-year cage-free is down 64.8 percent from 251¢/doz, showing the long-standing premium structure remains impaired.
Week of Aug 11, 2026
The cage-free premium has turned negative at 9.4 cents a dozen, with cage-free trading at 95 cents versus conventional at 104.4 cents. The premium fell 31.8 percent on the week from 139 cents but recovered 170.7 percent from the month-to-date trough of 35.1 cents. Year over year it sits down 54.8 percent from 210 cents a dozen.
About Cage-free egg premium
The cage-free premium is what a buyer pays over conventional (caged) eggs for cage-free. It is structural and widening over time as state mandates and retailer commitments move demand, but it swings: when a supply shock lifts conventional prices, the premium compresses, and it re-widens as conventional eases. This page computes the premium as the difference between the two USDA national large white loose benchmarks, never a stored number.