Home made run and house for sale

[Guest]

just been having a chat with DH about the interesting point you raised and he said he'd had a chat with this chap about it.

 

He told DH that eggs coming from EX battery chickens do not conflict with any of his principles because he knows the chickens are well looked after, fed good food and he supports 100% what the BHWT do and stand for, so he's happy to eat our eggs.

 

He says he sees it as a by-product of having a pet rather than a commercially produced product and our hens are not being exploited, rather he sees it as the other way round because we pamper our girls so much

[HennyPenny]

You chaps are terrific! Thanks for all the helpful advice and letting me see your lovely egg box labels - don't think mine will be anything like as creative but I love the idea of putting our girls' pictures on the box. Can't imagine how I could get them to stand still enough for a photo shoot though!

 

Just in case anyone thinks I'm being mercenary, we DO give our eggs away to family and friends but since our friends insist on giving us money, I'd rather set a fair price than have to accept their over-generous donations! All the money goes on chicken feed anyway, so it isn't a money-making venture to exploit our pets!

Thanks again

[Christian]

Saying you are a vegan who eats eggs is like saying you are a vegetarian who eats chicken.

 

Its like that on the aircraft! They are vegetarian until they find out what the veggie option is! If its houmous and carrot chutney then they snatch the chicken wrap out of your hand!!!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Can't imagine how I could get them to stand still enough for a photo shoot though!

You do this! (But pick a better backdrop )

[Egluntyne]

If its houmous and carrot chutney then they snatch the chicken wrap out of your hand!!!

 

Houmous and carrot chutney sounds delicious to me. :lol:

 

I have a batty friend who is a "vegetarian".....but she eats liver once a week ....for the iron.

[nicki9]

It is exciting, we've just taken our first order for eggs, from friends at work, we only charge £1 per 1/2 dozen, and people wanted to give us more, but the money will help pay for the chickens food etc. We give extras away to family and neghbours, but I think if people want a regular supply they don't mind paying.

I've ordered some egg boxes to get started, once they've had one we'll expect them to recycle, and today I'm going to put off tidying and design the labels! The ones on here have inspired me.

[Cinnamon]

For the first time I have accepted a regular order from a lady,for a half dozen every wednesday.

Never wanted to do it before as the eggs were inconsistant,but I am getting between 4 & 6 a day now, so a regular order is very welcome

[Steve.]

A very good read - thank you.

 

I'm surprised that "Ooops, word censored!"ody has included allergy advice, 'Contains Eggs'

[Ms Tilytinkle]

Hi All Creative Peeps,

Well, oh dear - hope our neighbours & friends don't see this post! They kindly contribute towards our 'Organic Pellets' etc by donating £1.30 for 6 garden & woodland free roaming chickens. We have a big old fashioned bottle & all kind donations are popped into the bottle awaiting our next Pellets order. Our labels are free, as they don't get any, just an old sainsburys, waitrose or whatever box i can grab which they also donate (maybe adds to the character & recycling theory:)

 

I have rinsed my eggs ( especially the one with blood speckles ) oh dear have i contaminated them? Think i best make a separate query about this.

What lovely creative ideas & what dedication!

 

Ms Tillywilltrytobemoreenthusiasticabouthereggboxesasherchickenswouldbesoproudoftheir eggsdisplayedalltogetherinanicelovinglycreatedboxwithniquelabelling

[..lay a little egg for me]

Just wanted to add (as I couldn't spot this anywhere in the thread, apologies if I missed it) that we are not allowed to sort the eggs into small, mediium, large without filling in 100s of DEFRA forms, being inspected, registered, taxed or whatever and considered some kind of commercial producer!

 

I did see, somewhere, the rules for what constitutes 'free-range' (it was something like 6 sq metres per hen I think, don't quote me) but can't find it now. I remember working out that our 50m of electric netting made a big enough enclosure for our 4 hens to be officially free range. I think, unfortunately, that although we feed organic pellets, and never use pesticides we can't call them organic because of all the regulations surrounding the term to do with whether the neighbours use pesticides etc etc.

 

We have just too many eggs for us to keep up with but not quite enough to sell, unfortunately, but I do give some away occasionally (to particularly honoured friends)!

[Mutrix Farmers]

I saw large organic free range eggs in Tescos (sorry chaps but I have to shop somewhere) selling for £2.30 for half dozen!!

 

Interesting point about the definition of free range and organic! Much prefer Garden Hens anyway, sounds more homely!

[Chooken]

I don't have chooks yet, but I know someone who has them, so I'll try to answer using the knowledge from them

 

1. How much is a resonable amount to charge per half dozen?

My neighbours sell theirs for £1.50 per half dozen.

2. What constitutes 'free-range' eggs?

I would say letting them out for the majority of the day, and when they're not out, kept in a large run?

3. Where can I get the right size labels to go on my egg boxes and a way of producing my own labels?

Sorry, I don't know this one

4. Should I clean the eggs and, if so, do I need to use special egg wash stuff?

I know my neighbours don't clean theirs with anything more than a paper towel

[..lay a little egg for me]

I found this:

 

THE OFFICIAL RULES FOR FREE-RANGE EGGS

 

- No more than nine hens per square metre of usable area inside sheds

 

- No more than four levels in sheds

 

- Openings, or "pop-holes", giving access to the outdoors must total two metres for every 1,000 hens

 

- Outdoors, each hen should have four square metres of ground available at all times

 

I presume "at all times" means during daylight hours.

 

Of course this applies to commercial operations, but I would imagine that the 4 sq m of space outdoors would apply to us. I would not think one needs to count the eglu/cube/coop as a 'shed'!!!

[dancing cloud]

I am obviously a soft touch! I give eggs freely to friends/family/neighbours, usually in the Omlet boxes that they then give back.

 

The rest (and there's a lot of rest) get sold at work for 50p for 6. I have trained people to bring in their own boxes, and have a few spares for those without a box, which are all labelled so I know who to give the eggs to. My reception staff volunteered to take the money (and no one would dare not give it to them ), which will all be donated to the BHWT, as my feathery/furry family and I are very grateful to them. Having checked out your posts, I clearly need to re-think the prices!

 

Having said that, I wanted to make them cheaper than the cheapest battery eggs in the supermarket so that people would buy them. With six very prolific layers and only one of me, it would be a shame to let them go to waste.

 

I don't wash the eggs, as a little muck looks so natural, but I did weigh them for a while so I could tell folks they were getting eggs that officially classed as "large".

 

I do understand that not everyone has the luxury of being able to give eggs away, but I rather like my deal. People get cheap eggs, BHWT gets some money, six ex-batts get thoroughly spoiled and indulged and, best of all, I get my lovely hens.