Egg shortage drives demand for hens

Tasmanian egg producers are reporting continued demand and enquiries about hens for sale as an ongoing egg shortage in major supermarkets sparks interest in backyard poultry ownership.

While IGA supplies have not been affected, Coles and Woolworths still have depleted supplies on the shelves and the egg prices have increased.

Sheffield egg farmers Phil and Angela Glover reported last month that they sold nearly 1000 chickens in an hour after advertising they were selling some of their birds.

Another producer has been taking truckloads of 600 birds to sell from a property at Wesley Valey and has not only sold the lot but has been inundated with requests to travel further afield to Launceston and Deloraine.

The national egg shortage was triggered by a series of bird flu outbreaks in 2024 and earlier this year, with around 10 per cent of Australia's chicken population wiped out during that period.

This resulted in egg prices rising around the country and a renewed interest in keeping chickens for egg production at home.

Pippa Gunningham and her family run Shakespeare Hills Eggs at Mawbanna in Tasmania's north-west.

She said the number of people wanting to buy chickens from her had increased.

"We retire our older girls at approximately 18 months to two years old," Ms Gunningham said.

"As their eggs get larger and the shells get thinner, they lay fewer eggs - so we take them out of the system, and we sell those to the public.

"We sell on a regular basis. The demand has gone up a bit."

With more people buying chickens, coupled with the egg shortage, Ms Gunningham said that could have a long-term impact on the poultry industry.

"I think the price of eggs will inevitably go up. You've got less birds laying less eggs, and still the same demand.

Ms Gunningham said that while her business had not been affected, some producers could go out of business – and she hopes that bird flu doesn’t make its way to Tasmania.