NFU conducts housing survey for egg producers

20 February 2026

The interior of a laying hen shed

Producers across the egg sector were asked to help the NFU to understand the age and condition of poultry sheds across the UK, to aid lobbying work for the sector.

The NFU sought input from members and non-members within the egg sector to contribute to the NFU's poultry shed age survey.

The survey aimed to inform our understanding of the current age and condition of the UK's poultry sheds and builds on the recently collected data from broiler producers.

The data collected will be used to inform the NFU's policy work by allowing us to understand the age and condition of key infrastructure within the sector and will allow the NFU to highlight where investment is needed.

20 February 2026

Survey results reveal need for better planning and fairness in supply chain

The NFU has published the results of a new survey showing the age of layer hen housing, revealing a sector heavily reliant on ageing infrastructure and facing a sharp slowdown in new buildings.

NFU Poultry Board Chair Will Raw said: “This survey gives us the clearest picture yet of the state of the UK’s egg production infrastructure – and it shows a sector that needs the right tools and confidence to invest.

“British egg producers have weathered an exceptionally difficult few years, and while demand for British eggs continues to grow, the slowdown in new housing development is a warning sign we cannot ignore.”

See the full results of the survey. 

16 June 2025

Survey closes

The survey is now closed. We will publish our response to the consultation shortly.

28 April 2025

NFU launches survey

The NFU launches a survey to understand the age and condition of layer hen housing sheds across the UK.

This page was first published on 29 April 2025. It was updated on 20 February 2026.

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