A MECHANICAL FAILURE, which abruptly knocked 35 000 chickens out of the egg-laying business, left Barbadians scrambling for eggs yesterday, with supermarkets and other outlets turning away customers empty-handed.
Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS) chief executive officer James Paul said his agency had stepped in to fill the breach by importing 900 cases – an estimated 324 000 eggs – when it became aware of the problem in October but “this was proving not to be enough”.
He said the problem started when “one of the major suppliers of eggs” suffered a mechanical malfunction that disrupted the feed supply to chickens.
The birds went into moulting – a response to stress that involves shedding feathers and losing weight – and stopped laying eggs, according to Paul.
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