Rose Acre to depopulate White County egg farm

Learn why Rose Acre Farms is depopulating one of its layer facilities.

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The White county Egg Farm's hens will be depopulated, but the egg packing facility may continue to be used.
The White county Egg Farm's hens will be depopulated, but the egg packing facility may continue to be used.

Rose Acre Farms has informed the Indiana Department of Workforce Development of its intention to close layer houses on the White County Egg Farm effective June 14, 2021. Tony Wesner, COO, Rose Acre Farms said that, in its current configuration, the farm could house up to 1.4 million hens in cages. At the time of the depopulation announcement, the farm housed around 0.9 million hens.

Wesner said that the hens are being taken out of production early in response to high grain prices and a relative oversupply of eggs on the U.S. market which has kept egg prices down. Spot market prices for corn and soybeans in the U.S. have at times exceeded $6.0 and $15.0 per bushel, respectively, in April 2021.  

The company does not plan to repopulate the existing houses. Wesner said that while the farm has been a productive one for the company over a number years, the houses are old and they were slated to be retired in the near future. The company has plans to convert the White County Egg Farm into a 100% cage-free facility at some point in the future, but that the project is on hold for now because the demand for cage-free eggs in the U.S. is still exceeded by the supply.

Some operations will likely continue after the farm is depopulated, Wesner said. In particular, the egg packing facility may continue to be used. The number of employees working on the farm is listed at 94. Wesner said that the Ros Acre will attempt to find suitable jobs for the farm’s employees at other company facilities.

Rose Acre Farms is the second largest egg company in the U.S. with an estimated 27.6 million hens housed on December 31, 2020, according to Egg Industry’s 2021 Top Egg Company Survey.

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