Supposedly Free Range eggs but caged from local butchers

xlt_hunter

jaxxy00 wrote: »

Thats very interesting, as i didnt know there was colour coding for the trays. Yes, the trays were grey the same as the boxes. So everything all matches then for them being caged bird eggs.
Is this inside info or am i ok to mention to them that if they have free range then they should have blue trays of eggs?
Very interesting the stuff you learn when you look a little deeper into things. I will now know to check shops eggs also after ticklemouse experience.
Does anyone know if all the programmes will be getting repeated as i didnt see that much of them, only the odd bits and pieces?

No its fine - IIRC its a legal requirement if the eggs are sold on trays they are to be done with the correct colour coded stuff ie in your case Blue trays (boxes are excluded from this!), you can only use different tray colours unless you have a bloody good reason to do so - but all trayed eggs should be in the colour for the system they come from (unless its a small scale back yard operation from Joe Bloggs and his 10 hens in the back yard jobbie?) - the shop keeper can find himself in deep water not with DERFA but also EHO (bio risk!) from the local council and Trading Standards for misleading customers - I don't think he will want 3 gov bodies swaming all over his shop that may drive away customers for him... so maybe a print out of this forum might be best to let him know what he could be letting himself in for .;)

Eggs are shipped in and out on pallets by the tray loads (about 720 dozen to a pallet and its 15doz to a stack or 180eggs to a stack of 6 layers high

I would go fully free range and have a pair of hens (2 eggs a day is more than enough here) I got 2 in my back garden on bark bed they have 6'x8' of space to play/roam/dig up - also open the pen for access to grass (what grass), they don't take much to sort out, maybe is something you may want to look into?

fitorbust

I had to smile as you are really trying Jaxxy!
I buy my eggs from a local farmer who leaves them in a plastic box at his gate, and we leave the money in a box. They are great eggs for £1.60 a dozen, all shapes and sizes, and free range as I nearly ran over one of the chickens last time I got some.
Interestingly they don't have a stamp, but I am quite happy.

WheelerDealer_3

I agree with earlier posts about the discrepancy in the term free-range, especially with supermarkets. How long before free-range secretly becomes the new battery farm? that is the ugly head of capitalism. I always try and go local, better quality and much better prices!

xlt_hunter

fitorbust wrote: »

They are great eggs for £1.60 a dozen, all shapes and sizes, and free range as I nearly ran over one of the chickens last time I got some.
Interestingly they don't have a stamp, but I am quite happy.

Thats fine, they don't need a stamp or date on this as its classed as door sales, just as long he doesn't "grade" the egg and put dates on. The way I mean by grading is putting them in certain weight bands and removing all of the second eggs

Seconds are eggs with poo on it(you can not wash eggs - not allowed!), funky shaped eggs with ribbles on them (nothing wrong with the egg), cracked egg etc

jaxxy00

xlt_hunter wrote: »

Seconds are eggs with poo on it(you can not wash eggs - not allowed!), funky shaped eggs with ribbles on them (nothing wrong with the egg), cracked egg etc

I didnt know you werent allowed to wash eggs. Am i being a bit thick then by thinking they were washed which is why we always get clean eggs from supermarkets? How come they are always clean if they arent washed? Just realised, please dont think im calling you a liar as im certainly not, just very interested in these things. Why are they not allowed to be washed?

Hope you dont mind me asking all these questions but you obviously know what you are on about so youre the best person to ask. Thats the word i was looking for, as youve described it with ribbles on. Another question ive just thought of, ive often wondered is it ok to use an egg that is found in the box cracked or is it best to throw it? Thanks

xlt_hunter

jaxxy00 wrote: »

I didnt know you werent allowed to wash eggs. Am i being a bit thick then by thinking they were washed which is why we always get clean eggs from supermarkets? How come they are always clean if they arent washed? Just realised, please dont think im calling you a liar as im certainly not, just very interested in these things. Why are they not allowed to be washed?

Can't wash the eggs due to bio sercuity - however the washing also cooks the egg as well (I have heard of one or two hard boiled eggs getting into the system and out to shops, places like Sainsburys fine the plant for complaints). Also washing strips off the protective layer on the eggs which alwasy the breathable membrain of the egg to let in the nastys - remember eggs breath over time (hence the air sac gets bigger as its get older and become stale), you can get a UV lamp out and washed eggs stand out with a orange glow (like a sore thumb!)

The are so clean as soon as theylaid they rolled down to the belt, like on a cage farm - but its behind the nest box.in Barn and Free Range units. Organic is a bit different as they got to be collected (but they rol away so the bird can't eat them or crap on them - but sometimes there are blocks in the system which eggs break all over the place (not nice with load ofdf smashed eggs to sort out)

jaxxy00 wrote: »

Hope you dont mind me asking all these questions but you obviously know what you are on about so youre the best person to ask. Thats the word i was looking for, as youve described it with ribbles on.

Not at - this is why I was screaming at the TV when Jamie Oilver did his show on tv (Fowl Dinners) even though I like him and his cooking ways (I am not upto his par - but like the idea of going back to basic) is missing some of the serects that the public doesn't know. Bet you don't know about blood eggs (if you see one it might put you off eggs for go )

jaxxy00 wrote: »

Another question ive just thought of, ive often wondered is it ok to use an egg that is found in the box cracked or is it best to throw it? Thanks

If the eggs is cracked on the shell and not leaking it would be okay - but its not ideal but do so at your risk. IIRC the figure is that all cracked eggs must be removed - however out of a box of eggs they are allowed 5% of the eggs sold to the public to have cracks or other faults (Seconds)

JDMYOFAN

Great read guys, interesting stuff! /didn't think local farms would be cheaper than supermarkets, I have a LOT of eggs so this could save some monies too!

jaxxy00

xlt_hunter wrote: »

Not at - this is why I was screaming at the TV when Jamie Oilver did his show on tv (Fowl Dinners) even though I like him and his cooking ways (I am not upto his par - but like the idea of going back to basic) is missing some of the serects that the public doesn't know. Bet you don't know about blood eggs (if you see one it might put you off eggs for go )

I really dont think im going to want to know the answer to this but ive just got to ask now you have said. So what are blood eggs then? Im assuming its something to do with that little blood spot thing maybe.

xlt_hunter

jaxxy00 wrote: »

I really dont think im going to want to know the answer to this but ive just got to ask now you have said. So what are blood eggs then? Im assuming its something to do with that little blood spot thing maybe.

Nearly there - them little bits are called meat spots.

What you will find is that going time the poor chook has a day like a female of our race where she bleeds (at that time of the month) but the poor chook inside break up after laying too many eggs (one every 25/26 hours) is a bit of a strain on her. So she bleeds inside for a while in the area egg white is formed.The blood stays with egg white and travels down to have the shell added - hence a blood egg.

There is machines that flash a very bright light into the egg and if you get a dark patch it gets rejected by the machine - very good as well (but someone you "do" not want to be cracking out on a hot frying pan as it will make you puke!)

I have seen some chooks where is has carried on and the egg lodged in her vent and bleeds badly - the only best thing to do is to cull her. (Its not worth the cash so they say to get her to the vet etc..)

jaxxy00

xlt_hunter wrote: »

Nearly there - them little bits are called meat spots.

What you will find is that going time the poor chook has a day like a female of our race where she bleeds (at that time of the month) but the poor chook inside break up after laying too many eggs (one every 25/26 hours) is a bit of a strain on her. So she bleeds inside for a while in the area egg white is formed.The blood stays with egg white and travels down to have the shell added - hence a blood egg.
There is machines that flash a very bright light into the egg and if you get a dark patch it gets rejected by the machine - very good as well (but someone you "do" not want to be cracking out on a hot frying pan as it will make you puke!)

Have thanked you but not sure i really mean it. So does that mean if i get them direct from a farm shop then they wont have gone through the machine thing and i am much more likely to end up with one of them blood eggs one day? Scary thought that :eek:

At the risk of sounding really dumb, how do you know which eggs are going to grow into chicks and which are not? Is there ever a chance of breaking an egg and having a chick inside? I know the................ soz im going to look it up or people will think i really am stuped . Im not.