The number of female poultry birds intended for egg production fell sharply in July 2026, while birds raised for fattening and eggs placed for incubation recorded annual increases, according to figures released on Wednesday by the Statistical Service.
A total of 24,190 female birds intended for egg production were recorded in July, down 32% from 35,820 in the same month of 2025.
The decline was considerably steeper compared with the previous month. There were 60,670 female birds recorded in June 2026, meaning the July figure represented a monthly drop of 60%.
More poultry raised for fattening
The number of male poultry birds intended for fattening moved in the opposite direction.
According to the Statistical Service, the figure reached 1,402,640 in July 2026, an increase of 10.7% compared with 1,267,560 in July 2025.
The figures point to contrasting trends in poultry production, with the number of female birds intended for laying falling while the number of male birds raised for meat increased year on year.
Eggs for laying production rise 84.7%
A particularly significant annual increase was recorded in eggs placed for incubation for the purpose of egg production.
The number reached 73,920 in July 2026, an increase of 84.7% compared with the previous year. However, the figure was 10.5% lower than in June.
Meanwhile, 1,752,150 eggs were placed for incubation for meat production.
This represented an annual increase of 8.3%, although the figure fell by 4.9% compared with June 2026.
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