The supply-demand imbalance in the egg industry persists. Egg supply has grown faster than new demand has been created, keeping downward pressure on wholesale prices. Consumer demand remains strong, but the volume of eggs available in the market has increased significantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Domestic egg supply comes down to three key factors: flock size, rate of lay, and export activity. Right now, all three are heading up, and more eggs are staying in the domestic market. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Flock Size<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n AEB estimates suggest the current flock size is between 340 million birds and potentially reaches 347 million birds when accounting for operations not captured in reported totals, including organic producers and smaller flocks. This estimate is based on AEB\u2019s most recent assessment payments received from producers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Estimates from other industry experts put the flock size either above or below the AEB projection. Earlier this year, WATT Poultry reported just over 365 million layers housed as of December 31, 2025. Separately, LEAP Market Analytics has estimated the flock size to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 320 million. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Rate of Lay<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hens continue to be more productive. The projected 2026 rate of lay is 302 eggs per hen annually, the highest on record and increase of 2.3 eggs per hen over last year. At current flock levels, additional productivity alone adds more than 700 million eggs to market. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Exports<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Export volumes remain below historical levels. March exports reached 227.8 million eggs, up 22.5% from February but still down 22% compared to the same month in 2023 and 2024. Exports account for less than 3% of total production, which limits how much they can offset domestic supply growth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Future Expectations<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n These conditions are expected to persist throughout 2026. Breeder activity, a leading indicator of flock size, has declined modestly but remains well above historical norms. Current projections point to continued flock growth through Q4, which is consistent with historic patterns in the back-half of the year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Implications<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Larger flocks, higher productivity, and reduced export demand are converging to putting more eggs into the domestic market than demand can absorb. Without meaningful demand growth, this imbalance will continue to pressure prices and increase the risk of inventory buildup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Driving demand in the near term is critical. American Egg Board (AEB) efforts are focused on expanding egg usage across retail, food service, and industrial channels, while also advancing opportunities to increase export volumes <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" AEB\u2019s June 2026 egg supply commentary examines flock size, rate of lay, export activity, domestic supply growth and expectations for the remainder of the year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-46406","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n