Single hen

[helenc]

I have just read this and thought maybe I should report myself to the RSPCA for cruelty for allowing mine to lay large size eggs

 

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1161256/Lay-large-eggs-Shoppers-warned-big-varieties-cause-pain-stress-hens.html

[chelsea]

eh?

 

Surely its nature that determines what size egg a hen lays???

 

Why on earth tell people to just buy small eggs as its kinder.....what a silly remark for that breeder to make.

[helenc]

eh?

 

Surely its nature that determines what size egg a hen lays???

 

Why on earth tell people to just buy small eggs as its kinder.....what a silly remark for that breeder to make.

 

 

Thats exactly what I thought, he ought to be stressing the point that we should be buying free range eggs not medium sized ones - surely being caged is more cruel!!

[chelsea]

eh?

 

Surely its nature that determines what size egg a hen lays???

 

Why on earth tell people to just buy small eggs as its kinder.....what a silly remark for that breeder to make.

 

 

Thats exactly what I thought, he ought to be stressing the point that we should be buying free range eggs not medium sized ones - surely being caged is more cruel!!

 

I was thinking the same thing as I was out walking the dog just a moment ago - their efforts should be discouraging people from buying battery - not large eggs.

 

the mind boggles it really does!

[Chickvic]

I just don't get it I agree with you, free range is FAR more important than size!

[Blackrocksrock]

Its not the 1st of April yet is it? What nonsense the man is talking (in my humble opinion) and hens lay what they lay for what they are doing I presume and mine lay big eggs so happy girls I think.

[Avalon Fantasy]

You would THINK it was the 1st of April..but this has just been on Radio 2..not 10 minutes ago!!!

Saying that large eggs are cruel and that its down to additions to chickens diets that will make them lay very large eggs.. and as the farmer pointed out its better to let them be free frange and the older a bird gets the larger the eggs anyway..

Dashing off to hear the rest as its email and debate time about it..

[Ygerna]

{quote}Mr Vesey insists farmers only produce large eggs because they receive more money for them from supermarkets. {unquote}

 

Now, I could be wrong but, isn't it the chickens who produce the large eggs

 

 

I've had a word with my girls and I have asked, nay, DEMANDED that they produce these large, eye watering eggs. Sadly nothing I say to them seems to make one jot of difference to the size of the eggs. If anyone knows how to ensure they do as they are told could they please PM me. Or, maybe I should write and ask the good ol' Daily Mail to put me into contact with these magical farmers who can force their chickens to produce eggs of a certain size on demand.

[westleigh]

yes must be the 1st of april,how really really stupid

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Happened to catch this in the car this afternoon on Radio 2. The egg discussion is from 31.28 - 59.30 minutes (first minute is a Tony Hancock sketch!). Some interesting callers including a lady called Emma from Preston called in - just wondered if she was one of us .

 

Lots of people seem to be believing what they've read in the papers and "won't buy large eggs anymore" .

 

Who says larger eggs are watery ? Mine aren't . And how do they explain that fact that of my 3 hens - who are all fed exactly the same - 2 lay over 70g regularly and one always lays under 68g. And another thing, how are you supposed to "over-feed" a chicken ? They eat the amount they want, surely .

 

Sorry, this has turned into a bit of a rant .

[jackiepoppies]

I rarely have an egg under 63 grams

 

It makes me wonder a) whether this 'farmer' treats his girls as well as he could and b) is it just sour grapes on his part that because his are not 'happpy hens' and they are only managing to sqeeze out littleuns, he doesn't get paid as much

 

Jx

 

Edit to say.... my OH has put his two pennorth in..........He's stupid (not the OH on this occasion, the farmer ).....he says 'ours eggs aren't watery and he's talking a load of cess pit' (he's quite inscensed and although he has a phobia about birds, he likes ours ) and that the farmer is a 'toss pot':!: . Now, I am sure the last two words will probably be 'ooped' but it rhymes with 'boss rot'

 

Jx

Edited March 12, 2009 by Guest

[westleigh]

yeah little egg syndrome i think hee hee

[Avalon Fantasy]

ok am back...

Sooooooo..having listened to that..and yes... LOL..I wondered if the someone from Preston was one of ours..(typed with affection I might add..)

Any way, the upshot of it is..for me that is..

Surely we have a few issues here?..IMO ( humble or not )

 

1st: Stop keeping battery chickens in forced houseing/conditions

(yes I am considering the comment about the millions more mouths to feed as the world ages and the non insistance of gm crops..ok other issue..sorry I digress)

 

2nd: Stopppppppppppp sticking additives into chicken feed (I`m assuming this is where the humungous egg thing is coming from? I know that some large un-named" cough cough" food stores do in fact ask for particular colours for their yolks... so colour additive is put in the chick feed. for that golden yolk glow. stop adding garbage into their diet..what you reap so do you sow.

 

Why? Why bother? OMG the yolk isnt golden..well duh... feed them well...

RHE

 

3rd, let the chickkies free range, give them decent food that doesnt make them grow fat in 2 minutes and lay dinasaur eggs if the large eggs is or has anything to do with a growing agent ? of sorts...?

 

4th, my 2 chicks, (I`m obviously not going to be suppling a suppermarket here LOL..)

Have laid eggs that have been small, medium, and yesterday one laid a 100gram double yolk egg.

So you tell me?..I didnt force her, I feed all with organic layers pellets, organic corn and veggies from my veggie garden and they forage for icky grubs....(shivers) anyway thats it...

The yolks are golden, the eggs are lovely, and so what that some may be a bit water some not, whats the big deal?

 

On an aside I was back in Malta last year and I heard a couple at the market moaning about the mis-shaped tomatoes and the fact that they seemed a bit dusty....

Not being one to keep my mouth shut I pointed out that this wasnt Tescos and that the toms were local and probably tasted better than anything they had ever had before...

 

Perhaps we have this perfection thing going far too far!

Rant over for the moment...

[Forge Cottage]

Brilliant debate.

 

I was stunned by the stupidity of the article. Egg size seems to fluctuate daily for I presume internal reasons - and, while some may make their eyes water on the way out, every warm egg is a precious present!

 

I have never noticed any difference in the consistency, whatever the size. All of our eggs are beautiful and full of the same goodness.

[Egluntyne]

The argument put forward at the beginning of the article was politely rubbished at the end by someone from the British Egg Information Service who said:

 

'Chickens lay eggs of all different sizes depending on their age and breed and amount of protein in their diet. There is no research evidence of any welfare issues associated with larger eggs and this is not a view which is accepted by most of the industry.

[ubereglu]

That's weird. I don't tell Starlet to lay large eggs, but she does! Spice who is my heaviest chicken lays the smallest eggs-but most regularly...

[bronze]

My huge girls lay big eggs and my small girls lay little eggs and surprise surprise they are all treated and fed the same way.

[mags]

Cassie laid a really big egg ( not sure what wieght ,need to get scales)

double yorker but laying normal eggs would say meduim

 

 

mags