'Caged' hens.

**pat** · 17-Feb-10, 22:39

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

Originally Posted by gunnlass

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?

**gunnlass** · 17-Feb-10, 23:18

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.

**chaz** · 18-Feb-10, 08:07

Originally Posted by Boozeburglar

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

Greystones bacon is perfect with eggs

**Ricco** · 18-Feb-10, 08:59

Originally Posted by bekisman

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/...lling-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.

**Ricco** · 18-Feb-10, 09:01

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?

**cuddlepop** · 18-Feb-10, 09:37

Originally Posted by pat

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.

**ducati** · 18-Feb-10, 10:27

Originally Posted by Ricco

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?

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.

**thebigman** · 18-Feb-10, 10:53

Originally Posted by Ricco

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.