With the increasing global demand for poultry products and the price volatility of feed ingredients used in animal diets, it seemed interesting to investigate the structuring dynamics of a tropical poultry value chain and the strategies used by the stakeholders to secure their raw material supplies and markets. A study of the Beninese egg value chain was thus performed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with egg produc­ers and stakeholders involved all along the value chain. These interviews provided insight into its organization and func­tioning. The results showed that upstream egg production in Benin was affected by the price volatility and low availability of animal feed raw materials on the country’s markets. Down­stream, farmers and traders were faced with consumers’ needs that were irregular and disconnected from production cycles. The various stakeholders adopted several strategies in terms of live-animal supply and egg flow via parallel or informal chan­nels. However, improved productivity can only be guaranteed if outlets are controlled. Setting up central purchasing and dis­tribution would supply the egg market with a balanced contin­uous flow, but underlying mechanisms need to be identified. The results highlighted the importance of alternative feeding systems offering more flexibility in the farm types identified.