The Egg Farmers of Ontario marketing board is offering an incentive to persuade farmers to stick with 12-month flock replacement.
The move comes because there are indications that many more farmers are considering a switch to 13 months and the board is concerned that may result in shortages in peak demand periods just before Christmas and Easter and in poorer egg-shell and interior-egg quality.
The incentive is an extra half of one per cent hens that can be placed with the next new flock.
Harry Pelissero, general manager of the egg board, said "the trade" indicated concerns about how many are considering going to 13 months, so it convened a meeting to discuss the situation. He said about nine per cent are now on a 13-month cycle and there were indications that might increase to 20 to 25 per cent.
