Hay River Reserve (Jan 17/05) - Hay River's two egg farms are clucking away and one has plans of expansion.

Denendeh Eggs and its owner K'atlodeeche First Nation are working hard on a plan to grow.

"We have another quota that we own," said KFN Chief Roy Fabian. "We're hoping to put together a business plan that will include the two, hopefully with a newer and better building and a better rate of production."

The chicken barn at Denendeh Eggs is 17 years old. The grading station was used when it was purchased, so its exact age is unknown. Fabian thinks with modern technology and equipment, the egg company could do twice the volume.

"Whether we can convince a bank or a funding agency is another matter," he said.

Eggs Are Us, the other egg producer in Hay River, has its own quota and will not be affected by any expansion plans at Denendeh.

Eggs Are Us manager Chris Gostick says the company is running at about 80 per cent capacity and producing 200 cases per day.

At 15 dozen eggs per case, close to 36,000 eggs are pumped out daily.

There are five full-time workers at Eggs Are Us. But later this year the company will be decreasing its production by 9,000 birds.

"We have a lease from the NWT Egg Producers Board that ends for us when we empty our barn and get our new birds in May," said Gostick.

Over at Denendeh, the egg company's manager said their production numbers are solid.

"We're fully housed and our birds are at their peak laying season," said Maureen Richardson, manager of Denendeh Eggs, adding it produces close to 220 cases of eggs per day. The math on that figures out to 39,600 eggs a day.

On an annual basis, Denendeh Eggs is producing close to 14.5 million eggs.

Some of the Hay River eggs are shipped to Edmonton, but the operations also supply parts of the North.

Currently, egg and poultry producers are concerning themselves with a food management system designed to ensure the food consumers buy is safe after an outbreak of avian flu in B.C. last year.