For a quarter century, egg aficionados the world over have celebrated the power of this oblong, protein-packed orb on October 8th, also known as World Egg Day.

“I’ve been basically picking eggs my whole life,” says Rick Lee, who manages 6,500 laying hens in the Holland area.

"I am a third-generation egg farmer on this farm. I enjoy everything about it. As our slogan says, ‘We're egg farmers. We love what we do.’ That's a true statement to the passion that all Manitoba egg farmers have with their operation," said Lee. "Probably the biggest thing for me is being able to work with my family every day in our barn.” 

Lee says automation plays a large role on the modern egg farm.

So, what does a day in the life of an egg farmer look like? 

“We're a family-owned farm, just like many are in Manitoba. Every morning we head out to our barn and look after our birds, to pick the eggs. Everything is very automated in our facility here. Our eggs get picked up by Burnbrae [Farms] and sent into Winnipeg to the grading station. They get picked up once a week. Those eggs get graded, washed and sent directly to the supermarket.”

Lee says automation plays a large role on the modern egg farm.

“Our automation looks after our feeding schedule, our lighting schedule and ventilation," he explained. "If there's ever an issue in our barn, it sends a text to my phone right away so we can head back to the barn and correct the problems. It definitely makes everything in the operation run a lot smoother.”

To mark World Egg Day, Manitoba Egg Farmers will be celebrating virtually all over Manitoba with “...an eggstravaganza.”

“Folks can follow us on social media, @eggsmnitoba, to participate,” explains Lee. “We will be going to an event in Winnipeg, giving away free egg sandwiches. So stop by if you're in the city.”

As for Lee’s go-to egg dish, it is scrambled with onions, cheese and peppers.

According to Manitoba Egg Farmers, laying hens produce about 76 million dozen eggs in Manitoba each year, sustaining an egg industry that contributes $1.15 million annually to the provincial economy. About 45 per cent of egg production in our province is processed into dry and liquid products and shipped all over the world.