The 2024 Top Egg Company Survey estimates the 63 largest U.S. egg producers had 338.1 million hens housed on December 31, 2023, 9.17 million more than the 328.93 million hens reported in the 2023 survey.
The Top Egg Company survey is conducted annually, and the results reported are comprised of a combination of company-submitted information and estimates based on input from publicly reported information and industry sources. Egg producers’ reported hen numbers, whether submitted by the company or estimated, may not reflect all hen losses due to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks occurring in November and December 2023. Companies are ranked based on the number of hens housed on December 31, 2023.
The Top Egg Company Survey report estimates there are 16.06 million more hens housed in the U.S. than does the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The November 24, 2023, USDA Chicken and Eggs Report estimated the U.S. had 322.4 million table egg-laying hens housed on November 1, 2023, up 4.34% from the estimated 309 million head housed on November 1, 2022.
According to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), almost 43.3 million table egg layers were depopulated due to highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in 2022. The 2014-15 HPAI outbreak caused the loss of 43 million table egg layers and pullets.
As of November 30, five commercial table egg layer farms have had confirmed HPAI cases in 2023, resulting in the loss of 5.1 million hens total.
All Top 5 egg producer flocks grew in 2023
The Top 5 egg producers in the U.S. saw growth in their layer flock size, according to the 2023 and 2024 Top Egg Company surveys.
Cal-Maine Foods continues to be the largest egg producer in the country, with a reported 44.51 million layers housed, a 1.2% increase compared with last year. Rose Acre Farms, the nation’s second largest egg producer, is estimated to house 25.5 million layers, a 1.7% increase from last year’s survey. Daybreak Foods Inc. moved from being the fourth largest egg producer in 2023 to the third in 2024 due to its acquisition of Hen Haven LLC and Schipper Eggs LLC. The buyout increased its layer flock to 20.5 million, an almost 21% increase compared with last year.
Hillandale Farms reported 18.75 million layers, an increase of 1 million layers from last year, and is the fourth largest U.S. egg producer.
Versova Holdings reported 18.45 million layers, a nearly 9% increase compared with last year’s survey, ranking it as the fifth largest producer.
In total, the top 5 egg producers in the U.S. house approximately 127.7 million birds, or 37.8% of the total U.S. layer flock.
Top 10 still houses more than half of US layers
The 10 largest U.S. egg producers had 183.41 million layers in this year’s survey, up almost 8.5 million from last year. In total, the top 10 U.S. egg producers housed more than 54% of the total U.S. table egg laying flock in this year’s survey. The egg producers ranked No. 6 through No. 10 have 1.5 million more layers housed this year compared with last year.
MPS Foods remains the sixth largest egg producer and housed 13.64 million layers in 2023, an increase of 1.5 million compared with last year’s survey due to its acquisition of Country Charm Eggs in February 2023. Center Fresh Group grew its flock by more than 500,000 hens and is the seventh largest egg producer with 12.53 million layers.
Mid-States Specialty Eggs added 3.83 million layers and moved into the top 10; it is now the eighth largest egg producer. Michael Foods jumped from 10th to ninth in the rankings this year at 9.7 million, even though it reduced its flock size by 100,000 birds.
Herbruck’s Poultry Ranch earned the last spot in the Top 10 this year, with 9.53 million layers, a slight drop from last year.
Nos. 11 to 20
Gemperle Family Farms ranks as the 11th largest egg producer with 8.8 million hens. Prairie Star Farms has 7.91 million layers, down from 10.4 million last year, and fell from No. 8 to No. 12 in the rankings.
Sauder’s Eggs increased its ranking to No. 13, compared with No. 15 last year, with 7.63 million layers. Kreider Farms added 1 million layers to its flock this year, boosting its rank to No. 14 with 7.1 million. Opal Foods fell two spots in the rankings this year with 7.01 million layers, compared with 7.52 million layers last year, and places 15th.
Hickman’s Egg Ranch and Fremont Farms of Iowa tied for No. 16 in this year’s survey. Hickman’s moved up two spots from last year, with no changes to its flock of 6 million layers. Fremont Farms increased its flock size by 500,000 compared with last year’s survey.
Cooper Farms dropped two spots in the rankings to No. 18 with 5.93 million layers. Pasture-raised egg producer Vital Farms ranks 19th this year with 5.7 million layers housed. Hidden Villa Ranch rounds out 2024’s Top 20 egg producers with no changes reported from last year’s survey at 5.5 million layers.
The market share for the top 20 U.S. egg producers increased slightly from last year to more than 75% of the total.
