Russia’s egg crisis: mass hen culling sparks alarm

Russia’s egg industry is facing an unprecedented crisis, with poultry farmers across the country resorting to mass culling of laying hens—often using unconventional and inhumane methods.

David Corredor

Russia’s egg industry is facing an unprecedented crisis, with poultry farmers across the country resorting to mass culling of laying hens—often using unconventional and inhumane methods. The root of the issue lies in a severe profitability collapse, which has pushed many egg farms to the brink of financial ruin.

In recent months, several disturbing incidents have come to light. At a farm in Krasnodar Krai, over 150,000 hens were reportedly left without food due to the company’s inability to sustain operations amid mounting debt. The birds, left to starve, began exhibiting cannibalistic behavior before veterinary officials intervened. In another case in Udmurtia, thousands of hens were abandoned in open fields, likely as a desperate measure to dispose of the flock.

• These events underscore the depth of the crisis.
• According to industry experts, most egg farms in Russia are currently operating at a loss.
• In June 2025, the wholesale price of eggs dropped to just 2 rubles (approximately $0.025) per unit—less than half the production cost.
• Although prices have slightly rebounded, they remain below the break-even point for most producers.

The oversupply of eggs is a major contributing factor. Since the beginning of the year, production has surged by nearly one billion units. This glut is partly due to the reactivation of farms previously shut down by avian influenza outbreaks. Compounding the issue are rising feed and fuel costs, inflation, and weakened consumer demand, all of which have eroded profit margins.

Animal welfare advocates are calling for urgent reforms. Kirill Goryachev, a local activist, described agricultural animals as “the most unprotected” in Russia, criticizing the lack of legal safeguards against mistreatment. Environmental groups are urging the government to implement stricter animal welfare regulations and to restructure the supply chain to support small and medium-scale farmers.