Egg crisis at Easter: Chickens suffer from our love of eggs

Increased demand combined with the emergency killing of laying hens due to avian flu: many places in Austria and Germany are already talking about an "egg crisis" at Easter. A good opportunity for consumers to reconsider their egg consumption. Because eggs can still be associated with animal welfare problems. FOUR PAWS provides information for consumers who want to celebrate Easter with animals in mind. 

The trend towards a protein-rich diet has led to an increased demand for eggs. At Easter in particular, more eggs are bought than at any other time of the year.

"Although we are back in full production in Austria, some egg varieties are out of stock in some shops. Catering wholesalers, who previously supplied domestic restaurants with cheaper foreign eggs, are currently unable to obtain eggs abroad, or can only obtain very expensive eggs. Restaurateurs are therefore switching to food retailers for their purchases," explains Heinz Schlögl, Deputy Chairman of the Austrian Poultry Industry.

However, this also leads to animal suffering, at least in part, as Nora Irrgang, expert for animals in agriculture at FOUR PAWS, explains:

"The increase in consumption in Germany shows that many people are reluctant to give up eggs. From an animal welfare perspective, however, at least limited consumption would be desirable: osteoporosis, for example, which often leads to painful bone fractures, is still a side effect of breeding laying hens. The rearing of so-called broiler chickens is also often associated with animal suffering. Breeding often takes place abroad and under completely inadequate husbandry conditions."

What to look out for when shopping?

Not only important at Easter: If the farming method is not indicated on eggs or processed products containing eggs, consumers should not buy them under any circumstances. This applies, for example, to cakes from the bakery or omelettes at the hotel breakfast buffet. Labeling the farming method is generally not mandatory for products such as cakes, colored eggs, cookies or egg noodles. Cheap eggs from abroad are often used in industrial production. As a result, there is a high probability that the eggs they contain come from caged hens.

Prefer organic eggs

When buying eggs, organic (husbandry system 0) or free-range (husbandry system 1) should be preferred. In these systems, the animals at least have access to an outdoor run and do not have to spend their entire lives in a dark, enclosed barn.

Some organic labels, such as Demeter, also guarantee that the broiler chickens are also reared under organic conditions with more space in the barn and an outdoor run.

However, it is best not to buy eggs from the supermarket, but from direct marketers or organic specialist retailers. Direct marketers often use particularly animal-friendly husbandry systems and usually keep smaller groups. In addition, many direct marketers also endeavor to raise their broiler chickens in a more animal-friendly and regional way. Customers can also see how the chickens are kept on site.

Import problem

At around 72.8%, the level of self-sufficiency in hen's eggs in Germany is relatively low, which is why Germany imports eggs from countries such as the Netherlands, Poland and Denmark - countries where, according to Statista 2024, cage farming is still used in some cases.

Animal-friendly Easter

As with all products of animal origin, the same rule applies to eggs: the most animal-friendly way is to avoid them. If you still want to continue eating eggs, you should follow the 3Rs concept - Reduce, Refine, Replace. This means buying products from better farms, gradually reducing animal products and replacing them more often with plant-based alternatives.

Further information on this topic can be found here.