Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Neither! If you’re asking the American people, who already scarfed down a grilled chicken sandwich and an order of Buffalo wings in the time it took to wait for the answer. According to a Bloomberg report from today, beef and pork prices are at a record high, and the U.S. population will eat the most chicken it’s had in three years.

Wholesale prices for chicken have also shattered records, and have led to a profit surge for companies like Tyson Foods Inc. (TSN). Since the end of 2012, whole chickens sold by Georgia farmers climbed 9.2 percent, and are now priced at $1.07 per pound, USDA data shows. Even Ozark Mountain Poultry, a distributor based in Arkansas,  says he can’t keep up with the demand — and they process 3 million pounds a week. “We’ve sold out,” said a salesperson for the company.

That’s a lot of bird.

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