Backyard chook pens return as rising farm input costs sparks $15 egg price fears

The humble egg is about to be the latest food staple hit by major production costs, with the prospect of $15 free-range cartons prompting some Aussies to opt for a home hen solution.

Aussie families are investing in their own chickens amid warnings the price of the humble egg is about to skyrocket with a free-range carton fetching almost $15 in one supermarket.

Egg Farmers of Australia claimed farmers are paying 20 per cent more for young laying hens, fuel prices were up 25 per cent, feed grain was up 45 per cent and the cost of canola oil has climbed 141 per cent per tonne.

CEO Melinda Hashimoto said the speed of rising farm input costs “is so alarming that some long-term egg farmers are genuinely fearing for the future of our industry”.

“It is a reality that Australians are going to have get used to paying more if they want their eggs and other food grown in Australia, or they’ll see Aussie farmers go out of business.

“Likewise, wholesalers are urged to review the price they pay for Aussie eggs, to ensure our farmers get a fair and profitable return on their product.”

Daniel and Amber McGovern with one of the family’s chickens in Ryde. Picture: Richard Dobson

This comes after last week a Western Australian Woolworths customer went to TikTok to share her disbelief over the price of eggs on social media, showing a price tag reading $14.50 for a dozen free range eggs.

Next to it, another dozen eggs were being sold for $12 in the Perth store.

Australia’s egg industry body is warning that price rises could hit the pantry staple. Picture: Burak Kara/Getty

But many families across the state could be saved from the rising costs of the pantry staple by their own backyard chickens.

Ryde mother-of-two Jocelyn McGovern has kept six chickens for eggs since September last year to save on groceries and now could be saving up to $30 per week on groceries if the Western Australia prices hit Sydney stores.

“It was a bit of a novelty for the children when we first got them but now we’ve got everything set-up they’re pretty easy maintenance and they do generally produce an egg each day,” Mrs McGovern told The Daily Telegraph.

“We eat loads of eggs, so it’s great to have one thing we don’t have to buy each shop, we’d probably go through one or two cartons a week.”