The demand for egg-laying hens is putting strain on the hatchery industry, with bird producers in Indiana backlogged for six months.

The increased demand is due to people wanting to start raising egg-laying hens in their backyards, driven by the cost of eggs.

Although the strain on hatcheries is significant, it is unlikely to have a big impact on the cost of eggs on shelves as the US still has around 300 million birds producing eggs.