McDonald’s Australia reduces breakfast hours to 10:30 AM amid egg shortage from 2025 bird flu outbreaks, affecting supplies and prices nationwide.
Bird Flu Forces McDonald's to Slash Aussie Morning Service:
McDonald’s Australia has cut its breakfast service by up to 90 minutes in response to a severe egg shortage triggered by recurrent bird flu outbreaks. The decision, implemented in mid-2025, sees breakfast wrapping up at 10:30 AM instead of midday, affecting popular items like McMuffins. This move spotlights vulnerabilities in Australia’s poultry industry, where millions of hens have been euthanized, leading to empty shelves, higher prices, and broader economic ripples for farmers and consumers alike.
Timeline of Australia's Bird Flu Crisis and McDonald's Breakfast Cuts:
The latest adjustment to McDonald’s breakfast menu came in July 2025, mirroring a similar response the previous year. According to company statements, the shortage stemmed from avian flu detections at multiple farms, prompting mandatory culls to contain the virus. In February 2025, bird flu spread to a third property in Victoria, exacerbating supply issues that had lingered from 2024.
Timeline of events: The first major outbreak hit in May 2024, affecting 11 farms and leading to the destruction of about 1.5 million chickens. By July 2024, McDonald’s shortened hours to conserve eggs. Supplies partially recovered by August 2024, allowing an extension to 11:30 AM. However, new cases in early 2025-confirmed at farms near Euroa and Meredith-reignited the crisis, with farmers reporting prolonged disruptions. McDonald’s confirmed the change applied uniformly across its 1,000+ outlets, prioritizing stock for high-demand periods.
Eggs in Crisis: Australia's Poultry Industry Under Siege from Bird Flu:
Australia’s egg industry, valued at over $1 billion annually, relies on about 20 million laying hens. Bird flu, or avian influenza, is a highly contagious virus that spreads rapidly among poultry, necessitating swift culls under biosecurity protocols. The 2024-2025 outbreaks involved H7N3 and H7N9 strains, which are low-risk to humans but devastating to farms.
This isn’t Australia’s first brush with avian flu-previous incidents in the 1970s and 1980s were contained quickly-but the scale here is larger due to intensive farming practices. Similar outbreaks in the U.S. led to the culling of tens of millions of birds in late 2024, causing international price spikes. In Australia, the shortage has compounded post-COVID supply chain strains, including labor shortages and rising feed costs.
Significance lies in food security: Eggs are a staple protein, and disruptions affect low-income households most. Retailers like Coles and Woolworths imposed two-carton limits, while prices rose 20-30% in affected areas. The crisis underscores reliance on domestic production, with imports restricted to prevent further disease introduction.