Solitary chicken - need advice

[Jenthelibrarian]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/nadiaarumugam/2012/10/25/why-american-eggs-would-be-illegal-in-a-british-supermarket-and-vice-versa/

 

Interesting article about American versus European regulations on egg production, storage and sales

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That is interesting! Amazing how much eggs are mucked about with before they reach the consumer in the US .

[Space Chick]

Fascinating

[Beantree]

No Salmonella immunisation and sprayed with mineral oil as well! Guess we should say thank you to Edwina Curry.

[BlueSilver]

It's weird but true (I'm originally from the US). But eggs here threw me off when I first came here, because they're all brown! I'm used to white eggs (perfect for easter decorating!) but couldn't find a one when I moved here. Seems people wanted eggs to look more "rustic" so suppliers switched to brown eggs primarily - purely cosmetic!

 

Come to think of it, I'd love to add some white egg layers to the Henz

[Blackrocksrock]

I hated seeing all the white ones in the fridges in the supermarkets when I was over there - never saw a brown one anywhere - lots of indoor production over there!

[BlueSilver]

Indoor production happens here as well ; the colour just makes people THINK it's more wholesome. It's a marketing ploy, like the bottom falling out of the apple growing market as people wanted red or green apples that looked uniform, rather than the variable apple colour native to the UK. Thankfully this sort of thing is starting to shift; I am fussed less about the colour of eggs or apples and more about the care and quality that goes into it. Viva quality!

[Space Chick]

Yep, it was linked to the EU developing the Warren (or ISA brown) hybrid as a calmer breed for battery farming, they laid brown eggs. It was around the time that discussions were happening on brown bread being healthier than white bread... So the British public were duped into thinking brown eggs were healthier. Which as we know is complete rubbish!

 

Americans use White Stars, a leghorn based hybrid, in their intensive battery farms as they lay large white eggs, however, they are more of a skittish breed.

 

Both breeds lay their socks off for the first 12 months then slow down.

 

There are loads of fabulous white egg laying breeds.... I have a gold Legbar, Minorca's, an Appenzellar all which are white egg layers... You can also white stars as a hybrid or the Leghorns which they are based on.

[Blackrocksrock]

I know its just a colour thing - but we are so used to mixed white and brown eggs and not in fridges over here. The eggs were large and very uniform in their trays. They tasted ok too -as I had eaten them at my friends house each time I have been there.

[peachachecha]

Thanks for this wonderful article. I just shared it with my niece who is/has gotten chickens. I was telling her not to wash her eggs once they started to lay and now this does the job for me. You Brits are far wiser than some of us, we need to listen more.