Free range eggs?

[Amowat]

In a local shop yesterday I noticed boxes of eggs from Aberdeenshire with a picture of a farm on the label stating "Fresh from the Scottish countryside". How misleading because when you turned the box round it said "This pack contains eggs from caged hens". I am so glad that if you buy locally produced eggs at least you do know that the eggs are from free range hens and not from hens surviving in hideous cramped conditions. Check out www.bhwt.org.uk (http://www.bhwt.org.uk)

[mccaugm]

In a local shop yesterday I noticed boxes of eggs from Aberdeenshire with a picture of a farm on the label stating "Fresh from the Scottish countryside". How misleading because when you turned the box round it said "This pack contains eggs from caged hens". I am so glad that if you buy locally produced eggs at least you do know that the eggs are from free range hens and not from hens surviving in hideous cramped conditions. Check out www.bhwt.org.uk (http://www.bhwt.org.uk)

I only buy free range eggs produced locally in Halkirk. They are sold in the Halkirk shop and other local stockists. I quite often get the luxury of double yolkers. :D

http://www.spanglefish.com/farnortheggs/index.asp?pageid=24834

[bekisman]

Back in 1989 we decided to start a flock of free-range hens, following the official laid-down regulations for 'free range' can't quite remember but we exceeded the 10 square metres per bird etc.. At this time the Ministry tested the droppings every five weeks for Salmonella. In our first year we (well the hens) produced 30,000 class one eggs.. We supplied a lot of the hotels and shops along the north coast and Thurso.

We had our egg boxes sent over by pallet load from Northern Ireland and each individual box was stamped with our name and stated they were 'Free Range'.. One day we did one of our regular deliveries to a shop (which will remain nameless) - there was no one in the front, so went through to the back and caught the owner in the process of transferring a stack of cheap battery eggs into our 'free range' boxes!.. he went red and blustered a lot. We just took our boxes and reported him to Trading standards - I hate to think what would have happened if someone had salmonella from what were 'our eggs' - the whole flock would have been destroyed.. moral of the story; you may really never know what type of egg you're getting..

[Solus]

Thats shocking bekisman, your whole business and lively hood would be down the drain. some folk really dont consider others :~(

[Sapphire2803]

We've got our own hens. Free range? Yep, they're quite often off down the garden or up the road in a neighbour's field :lol:
I was amazed by the regulations when I looked into it. Their idea of free reange is certainly not the same as mine and as for for barn eggs, don't get me started...

[Kevin Milkins]

Back in 1989 we decided to start a flock of free-range hens, following the official laid-down regulations for 'free range' can't quite remember but we exceeded the 10 square metres per bird etc.. At this time the Ministry tested the droppings every five weeks for Salmonella. In our first year we (well the hens) produced 30,000 class one eggs.. We supplied a lot of the hotels and shops along the north coast and Thurso.

We had our egg boxes sent over by pallet load from Northern Ireland and each individual box was stamped with our name and stated they were 'Free Range'.. One day we did one of our regular deliveries to a shop (which will remain nameless) - there was no one in the front, so went through to the back and caught the owner in the process of transferring a stack of cheap battery eggs into our 'free range' boxes!.. he went red and blustered a lot. We just took our boxes and reported him to Trading standards - I hate to think what would have happened if someone had salmonella from what were 'our eggs' - the whole flock would have been destroyed.. moral of the story; you may really never know what type of egg you're getting..
When We lived in Shropshire we used to buy our eggs off a local small farmer that had a hand written sign at the end of his drive FREE RANGE EGGS. I used to be big on supporting local producers , the eggs we got off this farmer were a bit inconcistent with the colour of yolk and the egg size.
A little while later we went to Kidderminster wholesale market to buy some plants and there was our local farmer buying eggs for next to nowt.
She saw me and I saw her but no more was said ,but no more eggs did she sell to me.

[teenybash]

Free range for definite from my mini army of bantams.........little eggs, Big Flavour..........worht their weight in gold. :Razz

[Venture]

Back in 1989 we decided to start a flock of free-range hens, following the official laid-down regulations for 'free range' can't quite remember but we exceeded the 10 square metres per bird etc.. At this time the Ministry tested the droppings every five weeks for Salmonella. In our first year we (well the hens) produced 30,000 class one eggs.. We supplied a lot of the hotels and shops along the north coast and Thurso.

We had our egg boxes sent over by pallet load from Northern Ireland and each individual box was stamped with our name and stated they were 'Free Range'.. One day we did one of our regular deliveries to a shop (which will remain nameless) - there was no one in the front, so went through to the back and caught the owner in the process of transferring a stack of cheap battery eggs into our 'free range' boxes!.. he went red and blustered a lot. We just took our boxes and reported him to Trading standards - I hate to think what would have happened if someone had salmonella from what were 'our eggs' - the whole flock would have been destroyed.. moral of the story; you may really never know what type of egg you're getting..

I always buy my eggs from the lady who has a stall in the Market Square on a Saturday. One weekend I was late and she had sold out so I went to a shop which advertised in the window that they sold fresh local free range eggs. I bought them, but the instant I used them, I knew there was something odd about them. They were small and the yolks were not the usual bright, orangey/yellow you get from a free range egg. There were definitely no double yokers like my usual buy, in fact, I had to use double the eggs compared to normal because they were so small.

Thanks for that bekisman. Your post might not necessarily be about the same shop, but, it has certainly convinced me now that what I was thinking at the time, about the quality of the eggs, was probably true.

[jac1791]

I sell Free range eggs in my shop "poltney news" -- I know Helen that we get them from, and all her eggs are definately free range - and we get double yokers too in the bargain..........

[Geo]

I had been getting my free range eggs from a couple of sellers on the Camster Cairns road; about 3 miles along from the south side. They are delicious eggs and recommended if you are out that way. Sadly I don't work in Lybster now so don't get them there anymore. Anyone know of a good supplier near Watten?

[mccaugm]

I had been getting my free range eggs from a couple of sellers on the Camster Cairns road; about 3 miles along from the south side. They are delicious eggs and recommended if you are out that way. Sadly I don't work in Lybster now so don't get them there anymore. Anyone know of a good supplier near Watten?

See my original post....Halkirk Eggs. Call the number to see if they supply the shop in Watten as I am not sure.

[carson]

I've bought the Halkirk eggs and the ones from the stall in Wick and at the start both were good. It has become apparent to me that once they get established that their free range standards go down the tube and they start to mass produce as greed becomes the driver not quality or welfare of the hens.

[mccaugm]

I've bought the Halkirk eggs and the ones from the stall in Wick and at the start both were good. It has become apparent to me that once they get established that their free range standards go down the tube and they start to mass produce as greed becomes the driver not quality or welfare of the hens.

Please explain as I am not sure what you are driving at? Have never tried the Wick eggs, but Halkirk eggs are great.

[Venture]

I've bought the Halkirk eggs and the ones from the stall in Wick and at the start both were good. It has become apparent to me that once they get established that their free range standards go down the tube and they start to mass produce as greed becomes the driver not quality or welfare of the hens.

I haven't tried the Halkirk eggs but I can safely say that I have never had any problems with the quality of the ones bought in the Market Square.

[chaz]

I've bought the Halkirk eggs and the ones from the stall in Wick and at the start both were good. It has become apparent to me that once they get established that their free range standards go down the tube and they start to mass produce as greed becomes the driver not quality or welfare of the hens.

I have bought both the Halkirk eggs which yes i agree with the fact they have changed in both apperance and taste on a downward slope.And the ones sold in Wick market that come from the Durran area which i now get a couple of trays about every 10 days, they are definatly freerange and bought direct from the farm they are so fresh and delicious.

[percy toboggan]

Ive no wish to be controversial, but on a related topic...I find cage reared chicken much tastier than free-range.

[Angela]

Ive no wish to be controversial...

Oh ......ROFL, Percy! :lol: that doesn't sound like our own PT!

Have you had a personality transplant? ;)

[ak1]

I've bought the Halkirk eggs and the ones from the stall in Wick and at the start both were good. It has become apparent to me that once they get established that their free range standards go down the tube and they start to mass produce as greed becomes the driver not quality or welfare of the hens.

this really bugs me because lots of people have this idea that free range eggs r about a dozen hens running wild in your back garden which is great but the supermarkets need free range eggs and this ain't going to supply them, so yeah someone does have to mass produce, if not the supermarket will have to buy the eggs from abroad to meet demand, so just cause it may not meet your extremely high standards these egg producers have to meet the demand of at least 3 associations and are inspected on a regular basis.

[del 123]

i work in a shop where we have been selling more&more of these eggs(the halkirk eggs).and have never had any complaints about them.they remain very popular.its good to see local buisnesses doing well