[maninvan]

In our local paper here in Derby their is is an article on a farmer who has got 12,000 hens for sale!! The reason is because after certain age the hens start laying slightly different eggs, which the supermarkets will no longer accept. Is it just me or as the retail industry started to get far to big for their boots on what is just a natural process and are they brainwashing us as to what we should class as an acceptable egg,  its seem's they do this allready with fruit and veg. The hens are being sold this saturday and sunday at the farm at Stanton Hall in Derbyshire at a price of 4 pound each or 3 for a tenner if anybody can give them a good home, if anybody out their is interested. I will just say ive no connection at all with this farmer, but im just flabbergasted at this newspaper article if this is what goes on in todays world, ta Andy.

[jinty1911]

12,000??  OMG.  It beggers belief     

[min200]

Wheres that then maninvan?? Stanton by Dale?  Only in Nottingham so may pop over and get 3 more girls. 

[min200]

Just found the article if anyones interested...

http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/Chance-buy-farmer-s-12-000-chickens/article-3299523-detail/article.html

[GrannieAnnie]

When the hens are spent, some farmers try to sell as many as they can because the ones that are left are taken by companies who pay about 10p each for them to be sold to go into pies, dog food etc.

Our first rescue birds in 1997 were ex free range hens and we paid £1 each.  Then our rescued ex battery hens here in Lincolnshire were only 50p.

£4 does seem a lot for something that may not lay many more eggs.  If he sells them, he is doing well as the farmers pay around £3.79 for each point of lay hen they buy from the rearers.

[jinty1911]

Just found the article if anyones interested...

http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/Chance-buy-farmer-s-12-000-chickens/article-3299523-detail/article.html

Anyone can have a hen in their back yard? You only need a bit of feed and a hutch? Has anyone commented on this story yet??? 

[maninvan]

Stanton by Dale is very close to sandiacre which is near junction 25 of the M1 glad to see a comment made by the paper is on the forum that you only need a bit of food etc.

[GrannieAnnie]

12,000??  OMG.  It beggers belief     

That's only a small one Jinty, I used to know a lady up in Cumbria on another forum years ago.  Her husband had 250,000 on his farm that had to be replaced every 18 months.  They used to do a shed a month until they were all gone and replaced.   

[Lindeggs]

maninvan,  this is a very normal part of the egg industry.  It's just not economical for commercial egg suppliers to keep hens while they moult, go off the lay, and keep eating.  They would need to double the price of eggs if they were going to keep the hens longer and take into account their whole life-cycle of laying. 

Also we would need to go back to the old days of a seasonal egg supply.  Plenty of eggs in spring and summer, followed by a shortage in autumn and winter because whole populations of hens would all stop laying at once.

Personally I think it's up to us as consumers to learn about what happens in all commercial food production and decide what we will support with our money.

The same applies to expecting fresh tomatoes in mid-winter, grapes in spring, oranges that are all a perfect size, apples with unblemished skin, etc.  It all adds up to a huge amount of unnecessary waste and food that is selected for good looks and ability to last weeks in a cool-store, instead of taste and nutrition.

Good on this egg producer for a) rehoming their chickens and b) publicising it so people become more aware of the consequences of their choices.

[Lindeggs]

Just found the article if anyones interested...

http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/Chance-buy-farmer-s-12-000-chickens/article-3299523-detail/article.html

Anyone can have a hen in their back yard? You only need a bit of feed and a hutch? Has anyone commented on this story yet??? 

I was tempted to comment but I think it would be better coming from someone more local.  I would love to see one of you comment - maybe even point out that there are some very informative on-line forums that can advise about proper chicken care.

[Vecten]

What supermarkets sell is driven by public demand. If they only sold what they thought we should buy they would soon be out of business. Don't blame the industry, educate your friends and family.

[Dominic]

Commerical Farming is simply a numbers game.
Egg Laying chickens are profitable for somewhere between one year and two, after that, they stop laying every day and lay increasingly "odd" eggs.
At which point the farmer can either go bankrupt, or replace the chickens with young ones.

12,000 is actualy remarkably small farm.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/businessclub/8200758/Glenrath-Farms-puts-all-its-1.4m-eggs-into-two-baskets.html#
1.4million eggs, a day.
And they claim to be a SMALL FARM!!!

"When the hens are spent, some farmers try to sell as many as they can because the ones that are left are taken by companies who pay about 10p each for them to be sold to go into pies, dog food etc."
If indeed they get anything.  One farmer I spoke too merely got the sheds cleaned properly and chickens removed.

[jinty1911]

Oh dear  .   How can 1.4 million+ chickens be a small farm?   Well, I have decided that to make the world a better place,  everyone should have a few chickens in their back garden and supply their own eggs    .  After some sort of education of course!!   

[Dominic]

Apparently they're 5% of the UK egg market.
Did have a look for how big happy egg were, but couldnt find them.

[ManicMum]

It's not just eggs, though - I've been seeing reports recently that large numbers of small dairy farmers are giving up as the supermarkets are paying the farmer less than it costs to produce our pint of milk..... they apparently say that consumers won't pay more.... surely consumers pay what the shops are charging?  That is in their control.

And the same is happening with British pork, according to local radio today: farmers are losing about £20 on each pig they rear and, while that doesn't sound much, it is if you are relying on selling your pigs as your income, to feed your family.  They'll have to sell up or diversify.

I don't want farmers (eggs, milk, meat, fruit and veg) to make HUGE profits at my expense, but surely we the consumer should not expect to pay less than the cost of production.  What will that do to the British farming industry? To animal welfare? and so on.

Sorry - I feel very strongly about this.