Don’t wing it game day: Possible shortages, price jumps for chicken wings

>>> watch your wallet and waistline before eating on super bowl sunday. this year, chicken wing may cost a bit more. as michelle franzen reports, it's more fallout from last year's drought now coming home to roost.

>> reporter: it is the hit of the party, the wingman, so to speak, to the big game .

>> i guess a football thing. everyone likes to eat wings and watch football and drink beer.

>> reporter: but super bowl weekend, those popular chicken wings could be harder to find and may end up costing you more.

>> i really couldn't imagine a super bowl without chicken wings . it's like baseball and apple pie .

>> reporter: experts blame last summer's drought when corn and soybean prices used to make chicken feed went up, farmers cut back on chicken production.

>> is there a shortage of chicken wings for the super bowl ? no. is there a tight supply? yes.

>> reporter: economists say wholesale chicken prices in january are up as much as 10% from this time last year. at the grocery store, retail prices are up 6%. those higher prices come as fans coast to coast gear up for super bowl weekend parties where americans are expected to gobble up more than a billion wings. thanks. that's 1.23 billion to be exact. enough to stretch from san francisco to baltimore 27 times.

>> we have more and more consumers saying, well, you know, i can't eat one. they're like french fries or potato chips .

>> reporter: at atomic wings in new york city , owner adam lippin says the price increase hasn't hurt business one bit.

>> the popularity is insane. and it has not peaked.

>> reporter: a stop for wings was even at the top of the list for this couple visiting from ireland.

>> i think we'd eat something like that -- we don't have a wing shop back home at all. i think this is a great idea.

>> reporter: as for super bowl fans, the advice is order early, and don't try to wing it on game day . michelle franzen , nbc news, new york.