Egg quality

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Can anyone help with a probem of the quality of my eggs please?
I have 4 ex commercial free range hens who are now laying 4/5 eggs a week each. A production level which pleases me lots, however some of the eggs have very runny whites, as if the eggs were 2/3 weeks old. I know this is not the case, all eggs are collected 2x daily and marked with the collection date so could there be another reason for the runny white?
 
Hi there Gill,

Yes, as hens get older, their Whites get more runny. High production strains seem to suffer with this sooner - They have been bred to produce as many of their eggs as possible in the shortest space of time.

My friend has had alot of ex bats, and when he got his last (50 or so) they were about 18 months to 2 years old. During the first year he finds they lay well but by the second year, most of his flock are getting to 4 years old and they get very thin shells and watery egg whites and there is a marked drop in egg numbers.

I don't know how old your girls are - but maybe they could just be getting on a bit ?

Hope this helps..

Tim
 
I second what Tim has said. I've kept ex battery hens and tbh found the egg quality poorer as they got older. Not much you can do about it.

I've given up taking in ex battery hens now as tbh while its good to home them, I found so many of them died within a year or so or had egg laying problems (prolapse/egg bound) that meant they had to be culled it put me off keeping them. They really have been bred to produce well for the first year, excessively so, and then after that they are shipped off as egg quality and production drops and the birds themselves are worn out physically and often fall into ill health through no fault of their own. Of course many birds are rehomed and go on to enjoy good lives. But my experience and that of others I know who have kept them is this may be true, but only for the short term. I've never had an ex batt last longer than 18 months. Some only lasted a few weeks. Yet I've had my original stock of pure breeds 4 years plus.
 
Many thanks for your advice, at least I'm not doing anything wrong. :) As and when I get some more I will go for pols.
 
I hope this doesn't put people off getting Ex-Batts mind you- I feel everyone should at least have a go at rehoming some of them once....

However... even better IMO, the choices we make as consumers have a far greater effect. If just 1 person doesn't eat products that contain battery hen eggs, think of how many eggs that would be per year - that equates to a few hens not being in cages just by buying free range eggs!

It's amazing how many products do contain battery hen eggs - this is what I use when I shop.

RSPCA - Guide to products containing Free Range Eggs (pdf -quite big due to photos so can take a second or so to load).

Tim
 
Sorry Tim. Wasn't meaning to put people off taking them in. I'd give it another go if I had more space and time. But I'd not be expecting them to be anything like pure breeds or to have longevity. Plus it really is a labour of love as many of these birds are in poor condition so can take a lot of time and effort to get back into shape. Its worth it to see them running round happy and well, but that result can often take months. I lost half the chooks I took in within a few months (3 prolapses and others keeling over). :( Was quite gutted as put in a lot of time, good feed, husbandry and so on with them. Hate losing stock like that.

I know people who take them in and don't have too many problems with health and egg quality/production but generally there are some problems as you would expect with battery birds who are designed to mass produce for a year and then be culled. My experience was it was the same sort of problems kept showing up in the rehomed birds I know of. I had 3 chooks all have prolapses that could not be saved and others simply went from running round to dying within a few days. The pure breeds in my flock never really got ill in the same way.

And I have to say I agree with your point about consumer choices. I try to shop ethically, not easy but it can be done, at least in some areas. Others its much harder due to costs, but where I can I do.

My other personal thing is that I don't really like the type of hen that they are. Sorry but its how it is :? The brown/red colour has never appealed, neither have hybrids and I really do like my pure breeds that I keep. I've never been worried about having eggs all thorugh winter or anything and tend to keep what I like for my own enjoyment. I took in battery hens as a friend asked me if I was interested as there was 200 to find homes for. I thought I'd give it a go as we had 7 acres for them to roam around in and was happy to give them an extended life. Have to say I didn't find them as having anywhere near the character of my own chooks and while they were friendly they didn't really appeal to keep in amongst my flock constantly. I had 20 or so and if I ever take them in again I'll only take in half a dozen at a time.
 
snifter said:
Sorry Tim. Wasn't meaning to put people off taking them in. I'd give it another go if I had more space and time.
Click to expand...

No, you were seconding what I had said I thought :lol: I was more worried about me having put people off - totally agree with what you say. It is of course right for people to know exactly what they are into with taking on any animal.

It's such a shame they get there in the first place... Something I actually did a year ago was buy some hens that were on there way TO the battery farm :mrgreen: - they said they wouldn't miss a few so I got 10. It will be interesting to compare these as they get older with the Ex-Bats. My guess is, since mine aren't forced with artificial light and are fit and healthy, they will still have the same problems but maybe a little slower / later.

They have laid like nothing on earth this year and should be going into moult soon for a rest I hope.

Tim.

PS 7 Acres - wow I would love 7 acres. I think I'd have to start 'Pigkeeper, Beekeeper and Sheepkeeper' .com sites then! (and probably win the lottery to give up work to look after them :lol: )
 
Yeah 7 acres was great. Pigs, ducks, chooks, horses, dogs and cat all roaming around it. But we moved from there a couple of years back. Downsized and thought we were staying put but had to move again just now because of hubbys new job :(

Am settling into town living though. Just we get out a lot and walk the hills, footpaths and go to lots of farm places :lol:
 
With ex-batts it does seem to be pot luck,I can't really comment as I've only just got my four.In their favour,I let them out of their hen house and run for the first time yesterday.At the moment they are popping in and out of my lounge as I type.If any do die,I will be gutted :( ,but shall tell myself that they have had the taste of the life they should always have had.
Likewise,since leaving home I have never bought battery or barn eggs,buying ready made products with free range eggs was harder,but is getting easier.
One of my neighbours,does buy battery eggs because they are cheap,I have asked her,that when she needs eggs to come and see me,I will happily give her eggs.I don't blame the farmer's or ppl like my neighbour. When you have a family to feed and support,you are going to be as cost effective as possible.I feel sorry for farmer's,who are keeping battery hens.I'm sure they are aware of the hen's needs,and are put in the position to chose.I could not compromise my beliefs,so am glad I'm not a chicken farmer.
it does rquire all consumer's to not buy battery eggs,or cheap meat.If I can't afford free range meat,we go with out.Over the years,different family members and friends have sometimes tried to persuade me otherwise,it is something I cannot do.Our nation is supposed to be a nation of animal lovers,strikes me that a few ppl are,the rest jst can't be bothered,or just dont stop and think.

I do appreciate that ex-batts are not everybodies 'cup of tea',their appearance actually does nothing for me, the pure bred breeds I have seen,do for me have a lot more appeal.The reason I got ex-batts first is because I know they are out there.I could not knowlingly have got myself delightfull pure bred hens,watched them enjoying life knowing that I could maybe have given a few ex-batts the chance of a retirement that they more than desererve.
Please don't anyone say well done,I haven't done anything special or good.I have done what I feel is right for us,I will learn from these hens,and also be able to keep a few pure breds as well.
 
I'm not going to say well done. ;) but good on you.

It's not easy as you say - we have cut down a lot on the meat we eat but when we do buy chicken now, it's a whole, free range bird and we have a real feast and don't waste anything.

I don't subscribe to practical poultry anymore but was staggered :o to see in a copy that was in the local pet shop the other month an editorial at the front in their news page saying something like 'fancy a change in career? How about this fully functional / equipped farm with x thousand battery cages for sale at only x thousand pounds'

I really am surprised they allowed such an advert to be honest!

Tim
 
That is a shame,would be better if poulrty magazines promoted hen welfare better.Everyone who keeps their own chickens,regardless of breed/type are sticking their fingers up to the battery industry.So well done to all of us :mrgreen: .
 
wow Tim
Im really really shocked at that as i thought that by 2012 battery egg farming was to be outlawed
 
I do hope it is-I know that recently-ish laws were changed slightly to give the batteries more room or something,sounded like too little too late :evil: .
If it is going to be banned outright,would explain why someone was selling up though.
 
Yes, the battery cage will be banned (in the UK...) in 2012.

The 'Enriched' battery cage will be allowed....

Same idea, slightly more space with a toy or something hanging from the ceiling for chickens to peck to keep them amused... :cry: :cry: :cry: :o :shock: :o

I've over used the smiles for the first time. :cry:

Tim
 
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