Police in the US state of Pennsylvania on Wednesday were searching for clues and leads to identify the thieves who stole 100,000 organic eggs four days ago.

A bird flu outbreak in the US has forced farmers to euthanize millions of chickens a month, pushing egg prices to more than double their cost in the summer of 2023.

Egg heist linked to rising prices

Law enforcement authorities say that the theft could be linked to the high cost of eggs. On Wednesday, police said that they were relying on people from the community for any leads on the incident.

Police were also scanning surveillance footage to help identify the perpetrator behind the heist. 

"In my career, I've never heard of a hundred thousand eggs being stolen. This is definitely unique," said Trooper First Class Megan Frazer, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania State Police.

10,000 organic eggs for the cost of one small Faberge egg

The eggs were stolen from the back of a Pete & Gerry's Organics distribution trailer on Saturday night in Pennsylvania's Antrim Township, police said. 

The eggs are worth about $40,000 (€38,500), meaning the crime is a felony, Frazer said.

In a statement to several US media outlets, Pete & Gerry's Organics said they were working with law enforcement authorities to crack the case.

In the US, the average price per dozen eggs hit $4.15 by the end of 2024, which is double the cost in the summer of 2023. 

The US Department of Agriculture predicts that egg prices will rise up to 20% this year due to the shortage. 

Edited by: Roshni Majumdar