Chicken Egg Production in Canada: Market Size, Businesses & Forecast 2026

The chicken egg production industry in Canada is a highly structured agricultural sector that operates under a national supply management system to balance domestic supply with demand. According to Statistics Canada, the industry reached a record output of 997.20 million dozen eggs in 2025, representing a notable 9.2% increase from 2024 and marking the highest year-over-year production growth since 1957. Total industry sales, which encompass both hatchery eggs and eggs destined for direct consumption, rose 9.8% year over year to reach $2.54 billion in 2025. Moving forward, the industry is focused on expanding flock sizes to meet growing consumer demand for affordable protein while simultaneo

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What does the Chicken Egg Production in Canada industry cover?

This industry comprises agricultural establishments primarily engaged in the production of chicken eggs, which includes both table eggs intended for direct human consumption and hatching eggs utilized by commercial poultry hatcheries. The scope extends from the specialized feeding and management of layer-type chick flocks to the collection, initial storage, and farm-gate distribution of shell eggs. Activities within this sector are distinct from subsequent processing tiers, though many operators maintain integrated logistics and transport capabilities.

• •The sector covers the management of started pullets up to approximately 19 weeks of age before they enter the formal laying cycle.
• •Egg distribution is categorized by government standards into table eggs, which represent roughly 80% of domestic market volume, and processed or industrial eggs, which comprise the remaining balance.
• •Product categories include graded shell eggs sorted by weight into extra large, large, medium, and small classifications under federal guidelines.

Who operates in the industry and how is it structured?

The Canadian egg market is structured around a regulated network of registered farm operators and authorized grading stations distributed across the provinces. Data from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada indicates that there were 1,295 registered egg producers operating nationwide in 2025. Production is geographically concentrated in Central Canada, where Ontario and Quebec collectively account for 53.2% of the country's registered egg-producing farms.

• •Western provinces and the Northwest Territories together account for 42.8% of registered producers, while the Atlantic provinces represent the remaining 4.0% of the farm network in 2025.
• •The midstream sector of the market was supported by 161 federally registered egg grading stations and 12 federally registered processed egg establishments in 2025.
• •Over 920.63 million dozen eggs were formally processed through these registered grading stations during 2025, with Ontario and Quebec driving 56.9% of that total volume.

What drives demand in the industry?

Domestic demand for chicken eggs is fundamentally driven by rising population numbers, expanding per capita consumption, and the growing consumer preference for affordable dietary protein. Public data highlights that per capita disappearance of eggs in Canada reached 22.53 dozen in 2025, which represents a 4.8% increase compared to the previous calendar year. Total domestic disappearance across all consumer, foodservice, and industrial channels reached 938.31 million dozen eggs in 2025.

• •Domestic commercial consumption is heavily insulated by federal import controls, including Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs) that restrict foreign shell and processed egg inflows.
• •Foodservice sector procurement acts as a key secondary driver, with institutional demand expanding by 2.6% over the course of 2025.
• •The White Leghorn remains the predominant chicken breed utilized by Canadian operators due to its optimal feed-to-egg conversion efficiency under commercial conditions.

Who are the notable companies in the industry?

Due to the strict quota system enforced under Canadian supply management laws, the farming segment of the industry is highly decentralized among a large number of independent family farms, while the midstream grading and processing segments are moderately concentrated. Major corporate entities operate extensively across multiple provinces, managing proprietary layer flocks alongside substantial grading, breaking, and distribution operations. Notable market participants include deeply rooted multigenerational family businesses that handle a significant share of the national retail supply.

• •Burnbrae Farms Limited operates as one of the country's largest producers and processors, controlling large quota volumes and maintaining 9 major operating sites across 5 Canadian provinces.
• •L.H. Gray & Son Limited is a dominant industry player that owns Gray Ridge Eggs Inc. in Ontario, managing major grading facilities in Strathroy and Listowel.
• •The Western Canadian market relies on regional operating divisions under the L.H. Gray & Son corporate umbrella, including Golden Valley Foods in British Columbia and Sparks Eggs in Alberta.
• •Global Egg Corporation operates as a major industrial participant focused on the further processing sector, converting shell eggs into specialized liquid, frozen, and dried formulations for foodservice clients.

What are the recent trends and outlook?

The industry is undergoing an extensive structural transition driven by shifting animal welfare standards and farm-level health initiatives. Egg Farmers of Canada reported that the national laying flock expanded by 2.92 million hens during 2025 to keep pace with demand, despite ongoing biosecurity pressures. Farm operations are actively converting facility infrastructure to meet a sector-wide commitment to phase out traditional housing environments.

• •Conventional housing systems held 39.5% of the national layer flock in 2025, down from 42.0% in 2024 and 52.9% in 2021, reflecting a steady pivot toward enriched, free-run, and organic housing.
• •Biosecurity challenges persisted throughout 2025, with highly pathogenic avian influenza affecting more than 2.4 million birds across 6 Canadian provinces.
• •A mandatory national vaccination mandate against Salmonella Enteritidis was implemented for all commercial laying hens in Canada to strengthen supply chain safety.

How is the industry regulated?

The industry functions under a rigorous, legally mandated supply management system governed at the federal level by the Farm Products Agencies Act and administered nationally by Egg Farmers of Canada. This framework controls total production volumes via strict quota allocations distributed to individual provinces, sets farm-gate producer pricing based on cost-of-production formulas, and regulates international trade. Food safety and quality classifications are strictly enforced at the production and grading stages by federal authorities.

• •The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) enforces structural compliance and health guidelines across all federally registered grading stations and processing plants.
• •Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada regulates the precise definition of Grade A, Grade B, and Grade C qualities, ensuring only Grade A eggs enter the consumer retail market.
• •The average national producer price for table eggs for consumption edged up 0.1% to sit at $2.20 per dozen under regulated pricing structures.

Government, statistical and trade sources used for this Claight analysis.

• Statistics Canada Poultry and Egg Statistics 2025 ·
• Statistics Canada Poultry and Egg Statistics 2026 ·
• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Poultry and Egg Market Information 2026 ·
• Egg Farmers of Canada Annual Report 2025