The 'good egg list'

[porterswoods]

The ban of conventional laying cages came into effect on the 1st January 2012. The situation in the EU is that 30% of hens are still in conventional cages and are therefore producing illegal eggs.

In the uk there are 300,000 hens that are still in the old cages, this is in part due to the lack of slaughtering facilities, but still represents 1% of the UK's flock.

The EU are still allowing these eggs to be used. In response the NFU have produced a 'Good Egg List' Which singles out those who are likely to be using illegal eggs.

I would urge people to check and be vigilant. All lion eggs are compliant, so look for the lion on the pack.

 

[theeggman]

We were freerange producers but there is a market for "value" eggs.
The cage producers have put their money upfront to comply with the new regs.
Please don't let them down by buying imported battery eggs even in processed food.

Tim

 

[dpearce4]

i work for a local council producing food for pupils. i have had a 3year battle with my manager about the use of caged bird eggs(even the threat of disapline for spending 1p per egg more).

even tho we are healthy schools and are teaching pupils how to cook using eggs which should be freerange it is a battle every day, as the management feels price is more important than welfare.

what hope have the kids got of getting the message.

 

[milkermel]

when i last moved house i sold up my chickens after 3 months and one box of eggs from supermarket wasted after first egg, we got more chickens - just cant bear to eat anything from the supermarket even the top of the range ones are pale and flat. love my luminous eggs!

Along the lines of kids and food - I was shocked when my daughter in law (20) came down with the family, she saw the eggs fresh out of the shed with a speck of poo on them - She didnt realise that eggs come out of the chickens bum! refused to eat any from that point as they were health risk in her opinion!

 

[iand]

You are doing your bit dp but I bet a lot of people still think food comes from supermarkets only and not originally from farms and that is why the countryside is not one big playground.

 

[mbc]

when i last moved house i sold up my chickens after 3 months and one box of eggs from supermarket wasted after first egg, we got more chickens - just cant bear to eat anything from the supermarket even the top of the range ones are pale and flat. love my luminous eggs!
:

supermarket free range eggs come from chickens who eat virtually 100% layers pellets and theres no comparison to eggs from chickens with a varied, mostly self caught diet.

 

[porterswoods]

supermarket free range eggs come from chickens who eat virtually 100% layers pellets and theres no comparison to eggs from chickens with a varied, mostly self caught diet.

I have 12000 hens and supply supermarkets but my free range chickens do not eat layers pellets, many of my rehomed ones refuse them. It is far better to feed mash, and the quality of shop brought mash is of far less quality than i would even contemplate feeding mine.

 

[psafloyd]

We were freerange producers but there is a market for "value" eggs.
The cage producers have put their money upfront to comply with the new regs.
Please don't let them down by buying imported battery eggs even in processed food.

Tim

I don't buy any battery eggs and haven't for years. So I won't be buying any of those.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

I don't buy any battery eggs and haven't for years. So I won't be buying any of those.

 

[Skyhook]

Good to see pretty much all the supermarkets are on there.

 

[porterswoods]

as long as the big 4 are on there, they have a lot of power within the market place. A decision taken by them could make or break people

 

[Brosville]

There is the problem of eggs being missold/mislabelled - back in the 80's it was a well-known fact that at least one local packer was flogging far more "free range" eggs than they were buying in, and a major local packer used to buy eggs in glut for a few pence a tray, and shipped them over to apple stores in Kent, and they would reappear many months later labelled as "packed today".

The system is very open to abuse, and am happy to ensure my own supply with a few chooks of my own

 

[The Cumbrian]

I must admit I am at a loss to understand how I can find out if the eggs in any product are from British none battery eggs as opposed to imported battery eggs.

I probably eat more eggs in products than I do as eggs (if you see what I mean).

 

[porterswoods]

I must admit I am at a loss to understand how I can find out if the eggs in any product are from British none battery eggs as opposed to imported battery eggs.

I probably eat more eggs in products than I do as eggs (if you see what I mean).

That is the problem and wht it worries UK producers. Any product that carries the lion mark will be compliant.

 

[theeggman]

I understand that most of the major supermarkets have given assurances that all eggs in their OWN brand products will be British and in some cases only freerange. The other major brands are still a bit of a lottery as yet I think.

My personal opinion is that if you can't keep chooks of your own try to find a local producer and buy direct, they have a vested interest in supplying a good quality, fresh product. Failing that the Farmers Markets should be a good route to go.

Like Porterswoods we used to supply the major supermarkets through a packer.The eggs we supplied locally were delivered at worst on the day after lay, preferably on the day of lay (sometimes still warm).
Our customers used to say that they couldn't get a decent egg in the supermarkets when they could have been our eggs BUT older.
Our eggs were collected three times a week, travelled to Lincolnshire for grading and packing and then were sent to the supermarkets, in one instance they turned up in Tesco's Launceston as fresh Westcountry eggs with our picture on the box. Just a few food miles added.

On the subject of food for your birds I also agree with Porterswoods that mash is preferable but in 25kg. bags it is a case of pot luck re. quality, we had one feed supplier that admitted that any feed we sent back would end up in bags for the 'backyard' consumer. Also if you can please avoid BOCM feed, we found in was consistent rubbish and got to know their 'sucker' drivers very well.

Sorry for the long post.
Tim

 

[porterswoods]

I sell my eggs for £2 a dozen. All of the eggs are laid on the day they are brought. Our eggs are collected twice weekly and then sent to a packing station and packed into boxes for whoever they sell them to.

Our eggs once turned up in Tescos in towcester. Given that the best before date is 28 days for the date of lay, the eggs were 2 weeks old on the shelf. As theeggman says age of the eggs assures better quality. The older the egg the more pale the yolk will be.

We have customers in my farm shop that say our eggs are the best they have ever had, better than those in tesco. In reality they are the same eggs but a lot fresher.

As for feed, a good quaity layers mash should actually have cereal grains visible. If not it is most likely to be made up of food waste.

 

[theeggman]

Peeling boiled eggs

Slightly off the original post but still egg related.

Did anyone else see the mess Heston made of peeling his hardboiled eggs to make Scotch eggs.

His problem was that the eggs were too fresh.They need to be 14 days old at least before boiling and then they will peel cleanly. The contents will have shrunk away from the shell.

It does mean that you have to plan your salad 14 days in advance.

Tim

 

[oliver90owner]

This thread amply demonstrates that the vast majority of consumers do not eat fresh eggs.

The practice of storing in a fridge was totally alien, back when we had chickens on the farm. An egg is left while the rest of the clutch are laid in nature, so they do not 'go off' that quickly!

Same as milk; I remember one uncle who drank a full quart of mil - over a litre - straight from the cow (still warm, not even in-churn cooled) every morning, whenever he came on holiday to the farm.

Nothing quite like fresh (non-intensive) fresh farm food (or home-grown).

RAB

 

[porterswoods]

I was brought up on raw milk and still drink it, but I have never liked warm milk i prefer it really cold. But it comes straight from the bulk tank.

Back on the egg front, the only conditions that i have to adhere to when storing my eggs are:
1. Store below 20 degrees
2. The egg store should be clean
3. Accesible by artic lorries.

We never chill any of the eggs produced on farm, they are not even chilled on supermarket shelves. Why people then put them in the fridge is unknown to me.

 

[porterswoods]

A quick question for RAB. What would you consider as intensive farming?