Selling Eggs from Your Lifestyle Block
How many hens do you have?
A small flock of hens will usually keep a household supplied with fresh eggs, with a few to share. If you keep five to ten hens, you may have a steady surplus for the farm gate. If you want to sell regularly, especially beyond direct customers, you will need to think about flock size and the legal requirements.
Do you need to be registered to sell eggs?
According to New Zealand Food Safety acting deputy director-general Jenny Bishop, whether you need to register depends on flock size and how the eggs are sold.
You do not need a Risk Management Programme, known as an RMP, if all of the following are true:
you have 100 female birds or fewer in total, across all poultry species
every egg is sold directly to the final consumer or end user, for example at the farm gate, at a farmers’ market, or online direct
you do not sell any eggs to another person for further resale
If you have more than 100 laying birds, or you want to supply shops, supermarkets, or other retailers, you must operate under a registered RMP. MPI provides a template you can complete and register.
Local district councils may also have rules for poultry and egg businesses. Check with your council before you scale up.
As part of registering an RMP, you will need a verifier to audit your operation. You can find recognised verifiers here: https://mpi.my.site.com/PublicRegisterRecognitions/s/
Are the rules different for shops versus the farm gate?
No. Eggs must always be safe and fit for purpose under the Animal Products Act. The key differences are flock size and whether the eggs are being resold. Under 100 female birds and direct to consumers means no RMP is required. Supplying shops or wholesalers requires a registered RMP.
What counts as a poultry farmer?
MPI considers anyone who raises poultry for the sale of eggs to be a poultry farmer, including backyard and lifestyle block producers.
Do you need to label the eggs?
You do not need labels if the eggs are sold directly from the farm where they were laid, packed in front of the buyer, not sold in a container or wrapper, or sold at a fundraising event.
If a customer asks, you must provide the name of the food, storage directions, and nutrition information if you are making a nutrition claim. You can give this verbally, on a sign at the point of sale, or on a container if you choose to pack the eggs.
If your situation does not meet the exemptions above, follow MPI’s labelling guidance: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/1216/direct/
For full detail on requirements, see MPI’s egg production and processing page:
Bottom line
If you have 100 female birds or fewer and sell only to the final consumer, you do not need an RMP.
If you sell to shops, supermarkets, or wholesalers, or you go over 100 female birds, you need an RMP registered with MPI.
Labels are not usually required for small direct sales, but be ready to provide basic information if asked.
Want to know more?
Understand how chickens see the world
More articles on keeping poultry
For a deep-dive, enroll on our What You Need to Know to Keep Chickens online course.
