Layer Feed - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2026-2031)

The layer feed market size is projected to increase from USD 80.75 billion in 2025 to USD 85.84 billion in 2026 and reach USD 116.50 billion by 2031, registering a CAGR of 6.3% during 2026-2031. This report is Segmented by Form (Mash, Pellets, Crumbles, and Others), by Ingredient Type (Cereals, Oilseed Meal, Molasses, Fish Oil and Fish Meal, Additives, and Other Ingredient Types), and by Geography (North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Africa). Forecasts are Provided in Terms of Value (USD).

Global Layer Feed Market Trends and Insights

Growing Shell Egg Consumption and Commercial Layer Flock Expansion

Persistent egg demand is giving the layer feed market a durable volume base across both mature and developing poultry systems. Germany’s Federal Statistical Office recorded 13.7 billion consumer eggs in 2025 from a flock of around 44.6 million hens, with an average of 304 eggs per laying hen. Saudi Arabia is also adding new commercial egg capacity from late 2025, supported by food security programs and related infrastructure spending that reduce import dependence, which keeps local feed demand on a firmer base. In Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, the formal shift from on-farm mixing to compound feed purchasing is widening the addressable customer base, even as flock numbers are not rising at the same pace. This pattern keeps the layer feed market closely linked to both flock expansion and the commercial formalization of egg production.

Feed Conversion and Egg Yield Optimization Focus

Feed represents 60% to 75% of total laying hen production cost, so performance improvement remains one of the strongest commercial drivers in the layer feed market. Producers are increasingly judging nutrition programs by cost per egg rather than by cost per kilogram of feed, which shifts buying decisions toward higher precision formulation. That has increased the appeal of amino acid balancing, digestible phosphorus programs, and tighter energy-density control in commercial layer diets. Cargill presented its REVEAL Layers near-infrared (NIR) body-condition monitoring platform at VIV Asia 2025 and the International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) 2026, demonstrating how feed adjustments can be tied to flock condition over a 100-week cycle. As a result, the layer feed market is moving further away from simple ration supply and closer to a technical service model with higher switching costs.

Corn and Soybean Meal Price Volatility

Corn and soybean meal volatility remains the most direct margin restraint in the layer feed market because those inputs dominate the cost of standard rations. Corn and soybean meal together account for more than 70% of a standard layer diet by weight, and Brazil’s animal nutrition sector consumed around 60 million metric tons of corn and 20 million metric tons of soybean meal in 2025. Brazil also recorded a 171.8 million metric ton soybean harvest in the 2024-25 season, but prices still remained exposed to export demand, biofuel pull, and geopolitically driven trade shifts. Soy origin also affects digestibility, so procurement shifts can change formulation value even when headline price moves look manageable. That uncertainty slows premium feed adoption and keeps the layer feed market highly sensitive to raw material purchasing discipline.

Other drivers and restraints analyzed in the detailed report include:

• Rising Demand for Fortified, Omega-3, and Premium Eggs
• Antibiotic-Free Production Increasing Additive-Rich Feed Adoption
• Avian Influenza and Disease-Led Flock Disruption

Segment Analysis

Mash accounted for 54.9% of the layer feed market share in 2025, establishing itself as the leading feed form in the global layer industry. Its extensive adoption is attributed to lower manufacturing costs, formulation flexibility, and its applicability to both commercial and small-scale egg production systems. Mash is particularly prevalent in Asia-Pacific, Africa, and other cost-sensitive regions, where producers prioritize minimizing feed processing costs while maintaining nutritional efficiency. Despite the increasing use of automated feeding systems in modern integrated farms, mash remains the preferred feed format in much of the global layer industry due to its cost-effectiveness and established role in commercial egg production.

Crumbles are anticipated to be the fastest-growing feed form in the layer feed market, with a projected CAGR of 5.0% during 2026-2031. This growth is primarily driven by their application during pullet and transition feeding stages, where uniform particle size enhances feed intake and supports early bird development. The ongoing modernization of poultry production systems, particularly in emerging markets, is driving the adoption of feed formats that ensure consistent flow characteristics and efficient distribution via mechanized feeding equipment. While pellets are gaining traction among some large-scale integrated producers due to their handling and feed management advantages, mash is anticipated to retain its position as the dominant feed form throughout the forecast period.

Complete Report Scope:

• By Form
  • Mash
  • Pellets
  • Crumbles
  • Others
• By Ingredient Type
  • Cereals
  • Oilseed Meals
  • Molasses
  • Fish Oil and Fish Meal
  • Additives
  • Other Ingredient Types
• By Geography
  • North America
    • United States
    • Canada
    • Mexico
    • Rest of North America
  • South America
    • Brazil
    • Argentina
    • Chile
    • Rest of South America
  • Europe
    • Germany
    • United Kingdom
    • France
    • Italy
    • Spain
    • Netherlands
    • Poland
    • Russia
    • Rest of Europe
  • Asia-Pacific
    • China
    • India
    • Japan
    • Australia
    • South Korea
    • Indonesia
    • Thailand
    • Vietnam
    • Philippines
    • Rest of Asia-Pacific
  • Middle East
    • Saudi Arabia
    • United Arab Emirates
    • Turkey
    • Rest of Middle East
  • Africa
    • South Africa
    • Egypt
    • Nigeria
    • Rest of Africa

Geography Analysis

Asia-Pacific held 44% of the global layer feed market in 2025 and is the fastest-growing region during 2026-2031, with a CAGR of 4.4%. China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines support this position as urbanization, rising egg consumption, and the shift from on-farm mixing to purchased compound feed continue to expand the commercial demand base. In China, the scale of the laying hen population means that even small gains in formulation precision can translate into significant increases in feed demand for manufacturers. India and Southeast Asia are showing the strongest momentum, as a growing middle class continues to lift egg demand and support investment in commercial feed capacity. Heat stress also remains a built-in demand driver across tropical markets, which supports steady spending on functional additives and specialty nutrition.

North America remained a mature but active regional market, with feed demand shaped more by housing transitions and flock recovery than by new structural volume surges. In the United States, post-Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) recovery normalized feed purchasing, while the shortage of cage-free layers, against corporate buying commitments, continued to support demand for higher-value diets. Canada is growing faster than the broader region because cage-free standards in retail procurement and premium egg channels are expanding. South America is led by Brazil, where integration between feed manufacturing and domestic soy crushing gives producers a clear raw material cost advantage. Smaller Andean and Southern Cone markets are also moving more farms from on-farm ration preparation to purchasing commercial compound feed, gradually broadening the regional customer base.

Europe remained a mature regional market in 2026, with European Union 27 poultry feed production reaching 51.6 million metric tons, up 1.2% from the prior year. Germany and Poland recorded the strongest gains within Europe, while the United Kingdom is moving faster on barn conversion as retailer cage-free commitments pull demand toward higher-value formulations. The Middle East is expanding quickly as Gulf states invest in domestic egg production for food security, and heat-stress additives remain a recurring cost line for regional feed producers. Africa is also becoming a stronger growth cluster, particularly in Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa, where urbanization and lower protein prices are boosting commercial egg demand and shifting more buyers into formal feed channels.

List of Companies Covered in this Report:

• Cargill, Incorporated
• Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Company Limited
• Land O'Lakes, Inc.
• De Heus Animal Nutrition B.V.
• ForFarmers N.V.
• AB Agri Ltd.
• Sunjin Co., Ltd. (Harim Group)
• Kalmbach Feeds, Inc.
• Kent Nutrition Group
• Form-A-Feed, Inc.
• Star Milling Co.
• Leland Mills
• Thomas Moore Feed
• FeedMix (Pvt) Ltd
• Wonder Feeds Limited

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support