View Full Version : 'Caged' hens.
northener
17-Feb-10, 16:24
Just noticed something.
We've been given some free range eggs off a friend. Now, the eggs are always in whatever container our friend has handy.
Todays batch was in a Tesco 'Caged' egg box. I was a bit puzzled as I'd never heard of 'caged' hens before. I thought maybe it was some new half-way classification between free-range and battery.
The label said 'see side of box for details', there, in letters so small you needed an electron microscope to read it was the following information.
The classifications are:
Organic
Free range
Barn
Caged.
Noticed anything?
What a bunch of cynical manipulating gits.[disgust]
Invisible
17-Feb-10, 16:42
When i saw the thread "'Caged' Hens" I thought this could be about drunken women in Glasgow
Dog-eared
17-Feb-10, 16:44
Free range , barn, caged !! And organic !! That's a new one ! :lol:
Mebbe they let them out of their cages into a barn now and again, and on a nice day they get outside !
For "Caged" substitute "Battery" For "Barn" substitute " Battery with elbow room"
Todays batch was in a Tesco 'Caged' egg box. I was a bit puzzled as I'd never heard of 'caged' hens before. I thought maybe it was some new half-way classification between free-range and battery.
The label said 'see side of box for details', there, in letters so small you needed an electron microscope to read it was the following information.
The classifications are:
Organic
Free range
Barn
Caged.
Noticed anything?
What a bunch of cynical manipulating gits.[disgust]
Since almost half of Tescos eggs are from caged hens, this isn't surprising, just shocking.
Apparently after 2010 the traditional cage will be phased out; in their place, so called, ‘enriched’ cage units; these give the birds a perch and nesting area, as well as slightly more head space. Germany will still have nothing to do with them (good for them!).
Since almost half of Tescos eggs are from caged hens, this isn't surprising, just shocking.
Apparently after 2010 the traditional cage will be phased out; in their place, so called, ‘enriched’ cage units; these give the birds a perch and nesting area, as well as slightly more head space. Germany will still have nothing to do with them (good for them!).
I only buy free range, don't see the point of organic but there is a Massive market for cheap eggs and chickens so while people buy em....
Wouldn't organic and free range eggs be the same? Can you really get an organic hen? :confused
I prefer the free range myself as they're bigger and tastier. But more importantly they are from hens that have a had a good life not a rubbish one stuck in a battrey farm which no space at all to move.
I think all animals should have a good life and should never suffer any form of cruelty. Sadly this is not the case hence why i won't buy anything but free range eggs.
My feelings on animal cruelty are so ingrained and conscious in me that on farmville all my animals are well spaced out ;)
We've been given some free range eggs off a friend. Now, the eggs are always in whatever container our friend has handy. Todays batch was in a Tesco 'Caged' egg box.
In the past we used to have our own free-range hens (30,000 eggs a year) and had to follow all the reg; 10 square metres per bird etc etc.. although a lot of work we were totally against caged. but were not allowed to reuse boxes..
Not trying to stick my nose in, maybe regs are different for smaller amounts?
"The eggs must be sold in new boxes. You cannot re-use old boxes, no matter how environmentally unsound this is. If you have your eggs on a large tray, the customer can bring their own old egg box along to pack them in but you must not keep a stock of old boxes and offer them to customers"
http://www.poultry.allotment.org.uk/Chicken_a/Chicken_Egg_Excess/selling-eggs.php
northener
17-Feb-10, 17:11
In the past we used to have our own free-range hens (30,000 eggs a year) and had to follow all the reg; 10 square metres per bird etc etc.. although a lot of work we were totally against caged. but were not allowed to reuse boxes..
Not trying to stick my nose in, maybe regs are different for smaller amounts?
"The eggs must be sold in new boxes. You cannot re-use old boxes, no matter how environmentally unsound this is. If you have your eggs on a large tray, the customer can bring their own old egg box along to pack them in but you must not keep a stock of old boxes and offer them to customers"
http://www.poultry.allotment.org.uk/Chicken_a/Chicken_Egg_Excess/selling-eggs.php
My apologies B, I should have made it clear that this is a friend who keeps a few hens as a hobby. No cash or commercial set up.
northener
17-Feb-10, 17:15
Wouldn't organic and free range eggs be the same? Can you really get an organic hen? :confused
....;)
The Organic regs stipulate a higher standard of welfare for hens.
So you could get non-organic free range (because they may have been fed certain additives that aren't allowed by the organic regulators), but it is unlikely that you would get Organic accreditation for birds that are not free-range, regardless of their diet.
You are allowed to sell eggs from your gateway if you have any spare, but there are a few regulations, its a totaly different ball game once you sell to the general public via shops/markets.
The few i sell that i have spare are sold within 12 hours of the hen laying them on most occasions, unless i have informed them otherwise.
Cages are being phased out in favour of bigger cages!! But as long as people buy them it will go on.
Even freerange eggs/chickens do not get as much space as we would like to believe:(But are better than caged.
Wouldn't organic and free range eggs be the same? Can you really get an organic hen? :confused
Theoretically you can have organic caged hens. I say theoretically because organic means that that the hen eats organic food and is not subject to medicine/chemical treatments. The theory part is that caged hens have to have to be given chemicals to control the natural infections that occur when you house alot of animals at very close quarters or otherwise you end up with ill animals.
Free range means acess to the outside/ natural life. Organic just means exclusion of synthetic chemicals from production.
Yes you can buy organic live birds from an organic hatchery:)
Theoretically you can have organic caged hens. I say theoretically because organic means that that the hen eats organic food and is not subject to medicine/chemical treatments. The theory part is that caged hens have to have to be given chemicals to control the natural infections that occur when you house alot of animals at very close quarters or otherwise you end up with ill animals.
Free range means acess to the outside/ natural life. Organic just means exclusion of synthetic chemicals from production.
Ah i see. Now i understand what kind of hens organic and free range eggs from.
northener
17-Feb-10, 18:32
Theoretically you can have organic caged hens. I say theoretically because organic means that that the hen eats organic food and is not subject to medicine/chemical treatments. The theory part is that caged hens have to have to be given chemicals to control the natural infections that occur when you house alot of animals at very close quarters or otherwise you end up with ill animals.
Free range means acess to the outside/ natural life. Organic just means exclusion of synthetic chemicals from production.
Not quite right, Ju.
I've just checked up regarding Organic accreditation taking into account the welfare of the hens as well as their diet etc. It would appear that I'm right when I say that Organic layers must be given 'range'. Thus meaning it would be impossible for organically fed battery hens to gain organic accreditation.
Linky: http://www.egginfo.co.uk/page/eggproduction
I never buy caged hens eggs,it so cruel! Even on my very limited budget I just refuse to buy anything but free range,I couldnt live with the guilt x
Not only do I not agree with the whole caged hens idea, I find they don't taste as nice. After getting eggs from very free range hens on the family farm, I find supermarket eggs are just not as tasty, and the yolk is not the same colour, but I believe this is to do with what they are fed.
Living in Caithness I can't understand why anybody would want to buy supermarket eggs when local free range eggs are easy to come by, all the butchers have them, the fish shop has them, the market square in Wick has them etc. I suppose if it's all your used to, your not ethically minded and you haven't tasted 'real' eggs then you don't realise the difference,let alone think about the poor birds.
northener
17-Feb-10, 21:17
Not only do I not agree with the whole caged hens idea, I find they don't taste as nice. After getting eggs from very free range hens on the family farm, I find supermarket eggs are just not as tasty, and the yolk is not the same colour, but I believe this is to do with what they are fed.
Living in Caithness I can't understand why anybody would want to buy supermarket eggs when local free range eggs are easy to come by, all the butchers have them, the fish shop has them, the market square in Wick has them etc. I suppose if it's all your used to, your not ethically minded and you haven't tasted 'real' eggs then you don't realise the difference,let alone think about the poor birds.
Indeedy, more power to the Caithness FR Chikkin Massive:Razz
cuddlepop
17-Feb-10, 21:24
Free range caithness eggs available to buy from our Portree baker and they're good.
A friend of ours wanted to register his hens eggs as free range but was told his hens had to much space to roam and were "stressed" so wouldnt be acceptable to call them free range.:confused
I get Caithness Free Range Eggs in Stornoway and my visitors love them.
Cuddlepop - think your Portree baker and myself must get them from the same Caithness Supplier
Boozeburglar
17-Feb-10, 23:01
Living in Caithness I can't understand why anybody would want to buy supermarket eggs when local free range eggs are easy to come by, all the butchers have them, the fish shop has them, the market square in Wick has them etc. I suppose if it's all your used to, your not ethically minded and you haven't tasted 'real' eggs then you don't realise the difference,let alone think about the poor birds.
What bacon do you buy, if you ever do?
Don't eat a lot of bacon or any meat really but if I do it's usually from castletown butcher or Mackay's in Thurso , I haven't tried the greystones bacon, I know where your going and it is very easy to do the supermarket thing which I do do as well.
Boozeburglar
18-Feb-10, 00:14
I did not mean anything by it, it is just that so many people seem to attach themselves to the egg/chicken issue and relatively few that I know are looking at the other animal products they consume.
It used to take me up to an hour to find where our hens had laid, I don't believe for a second they were stressed because they had too much range.
:)
I did not mean anything by it, it is just that so many people seem to attach themselves to the egg/chicken issue and relatively few that I know are looking at the other animal products they consume.
It used to take me up to an hour to find where our hens had laid, I don't believe for a second they were stressed because they had too much range.
:)
Lol i know the feeling of looking for an hour,and it is important to look at what we buy,even down to feather duvets! In a few cases the geese have been plucked alive in order that they will grow more feathers to be re plucked alive[disgust]
Greystones bacon is perfect with eggs:D
In the past we used to have our own free-range hens (30,000 eggs a year) and had to follow all the reg; 10 square metres per bird etc etc.. although a lot of work we were totally against caged. but were not allowed to reuse boxes..
Not trying to stick my nose in, maybe regs are different for smaller amounts?
"The eggs must be sold in new boxes. You cannot re-use old boxes, no matter how environmentally unsound this is. If you have your eggs on a large tray, the customer can bring their own old egg box along to pack them in but you must not keep a stock of old boxes and offer them to customers"
http://www.poultry.allotment.org.uk/Chicken_a/Chicken_Egg_Excess/selling-eggs.php
I think that ruling will only apply to a retailer. My three hens produce 3 eggs a day and I often pass some on to friends and family, using old egg boxes. I have even removed the old labels and added my own 'Please Return Box' labels.
As an aside...
We have become very concerned about the plight of chickens and can now get free range eggs and chicken in the super markets, but I can never find free range pork or beef. Why is that? :eek:
cuddlepop
18-Feb-10, 09:37
I get Caithness Free Range Eggs in Stornoway and my visitors love them.
Cuddlepop - think your Portree baker and myself must get them from the same Caithness Supplier
We get our eggs from M & L Armitage @ Son from Castletown they're the best we've found since we lost our "stressed" hen supplier.:D
As an aside...
We have become very concerned about the plight of chickens and can now get free range eggs and chicken in the super markets, but I can never find free range pork or beef. Why is that? :eek:
I don't know about Pork but if you only buy Aberdeen Angus you can rely on it being free range, good chance it will be Caithness too! I don't eat meat but if I did this would be it. :D
thebigman
18-Feb-10, 10:53
I think that ruling will only apply to a retailer. My three hens produce 3 eggs a day and I often pass some on to friends and family, using old egg boxes. I have even removed the old labels and added my own 'Please Return Box' labels.
Applies to anyone selling eggs, no problems if you're just giving them away.
Applies to anyone selling eggs, no problems if you're just giving them away.
Also shoul be crack free,non graded ,and best befor date for farm gate sales as they are called.:) I have just ordered new boxes for the few i sell to keep within the law.
We always chalk the laid date on the shell after washing them.
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