Eggs
Hen eggs, the cheapest animal protein, produced by industrial laying flocks close to consumers and seldom traded far.
Livestock & dairy · No. 113
- Not on a critical list
- HHI 1,438 · unconcentrated
The world lays about 1.78 trillion hen eggs a year, and China alone lays more than the next five countries combined.
Chart: Illustration: Eggs
Where it comes from
Chart: Map of where it comes from
Nearly every laying hen comes from a few commercial genetic lines; hybrids lose their traits after one generation, so farmers rebuy birds and rear pullets for months first.
Three things to know
- World egg output almost tripled from 649 billion in 1990 to about 1.78 trillion in 2024.
- Eggs travel badly, so most are eaten where they are laid; the Netherlands leads a short-haul European trade with 18.5% of exports.
- There is no world egg price: US contracts follow quotations from Urner Barry and USDA, and Chicago's egg futures are long gone.
The journey
- 1 Breeding companiesA few global firms supply hybrid hens
- 2 Pullet rearingYoung hens raised for months before laying
- 3 Laying flocksHens fed maize and soybean meal
- 4 GradingCollected, washed, sorted by weight and quality
- 5 MarketCartons, or broken for egg products