NI sees 19% growth in laying hen numbers

The number of laying hens producing eggs for NI-based packers increased by 19.2% over the 12 months up to November 2024, survey results published by DAERA show.

There were 6.84m hens supplying NI packer units at the time of the survey, up from 5.74m the previous year.

Across all production systems, including those hens supplying eggs direct to packers in Britain, the total number of hens in NI was 8.6m, up 12% in just one year.

Of the 6.84m hens supplying NI egg packers, 76% (5.2m) are in free-range production systems.

A further 17.6% (1.2m) hens are in enriched cages, and 6.5% (440,899) in either barn or organic production systems.

Free-range

Looking specifically at free-range systems, the number of birds supplying eggs to NI packers is actually up 23.5% when compared to November 2023.

As well as growth in the overall sector, some suppliers that were sending eggs to packers in Britain, have reverted to a NI packer. The number of free-range birds producing eggs for packers in Britain is down 10.1% at 1.75m. Across all laying hens in NI, 20% are producing eggs that are sent directly to Britain.

Of the cases of eggs packed in NI, 65% are sold to markets in Britain, 3% to the Republic of Ireland, and the remaining 32% stay within NI.