$2 per dozen eggs!

[ClissAT]

I felt this news item was worth putting in here as it gives a stark look at what the supermarkets are focing the producers to undergo and what is happening in the egg industry.

It highlights the commercial aspects of free range V cage eggs.
Its basically the same crap as what the dairy industry has been going through over the last several years with dollar milk.

It just shows how important it is for us to produce our own eggs at home. The act of buying eggs at the supermarket increases the demand but simultaneously puts undue pressure on already stretched commercial producers who are forced to be locked in to very low prices by the supermarket chains. If you can't produce your own eggs or buy at the farm gate from local producers, then only buy locally produced free range at the supermarket. Also be aware that the supermarkets will con you with their branding by making the brand appear as though it is produced by a private farmer when in fact it is just battery farming on a massive scale egg production given a homely twist.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2...brink-due-to-imports-by-supermarkets/10467130

This news item should not be geo-locked for Australians but may be for other countries.

With the drought biting Australia wide and the cost of grain so high, how dare the supermarket chains force egg producers to sell their eggs for less than last years prices. It undermines the whole process of changing from cage to free range or barn production. And what happened to the regulation dates about the changeover from cage to barn or free range? I thought that was to be completed by 2019.

As the guy says in his interview, there has been no drop off of cage production volumes, but rather an added increase in free range production causing a gult of eggs which the supermarkets can profit from.

 

[AndrewB]

I don't understand the pressure to reduce price on things like milk & eggs, people buy them regardless.. The more money the farmers are making, the better quality the food, as they aren't cutting costs to scrape by. Feeding 12 birds for $1.20 per day seems nearly impossible for large scale farming & that's just the food cost, add packaging, cleaning, handling the eggs, & all the other aspects of farming, it's a wonder anyone even bothers.

For the supermarkets to then put a 400% or higher markup on the cost is insane. Greedy corporations...


Free range means about as much as organic does. Both have a very loose definition.

If you are buying from a store, these are a handy starting point to check up where your eggs are coming from:

https://www.choice.com.au/food-and-...cles/what-free-range-eggs-meet-the-model-code

http://flavourcrusader.com/blog/2011/09/free-range-eggs-australia/

Or, you quite often find people selling home grown eggs on Gumtree.

 

[ClissAT]

Those are great links Andrew, thanks for posting them.

I'm spoilt here for choice when it comes to genuine free range eggs.
2 of those mentioned in the lists for Qld are just up the road from me while another 2 are not that far away.
Also there are another 2-3 not listed that also fit the bill in my area.

Quite a few years ago I also wanted to do free range according to the rspca and qld free range chickens regulations of 1000 birds per hectare plus a whole host of other rules for both land and birds. Then there was the EPA regs which are very demanding.

But after I got all the finances worked out and found a suitable 500ac property about 30mins from where I now live, I couldn't go through with it because at the end of each 12-18mths I would've had to send those beautiful birds to processing (slaughter). I just couldn't do it.

This is why I want to go back to growing my own eggs even with all these fantastic farms on my doorstep. I want my birds to live long lives and die naturally.

I still don't believe the spiell put forth by the farms because they all send their birds to prodessing every 12-18 mths. Then there is the thing about the genetics of the commercial birds because I consider they have been turned into slaves due to the number of eggs they are forced to produce and the dire health implications that causes.

 

[AndrewB]

Not to mention all those poor roosters. Its not a good species to be born a male!

 

[ClissAT]

. You are quite right there, Andrew!

At least with the new Pikr, RAPD, TaqMan type genetic maker processes the male eggs are more easily sorted out prehatch rather than post hatch.
Not all hatcheries are using these genetic improvements and need to be forced to lift their game or close shop. Its about the only genetic adaptation I'll accept in poultry breeding!

On the other hand I maintain there is a market for a cross bred bird where all the eggs get to hatch. They all grow up together on free range farms.
Then as they reveal their sex they get drafted into different barns either to lay eggs or fatten for meat.

That way the females would not lay quite so many eggs therefore staying healthy an extra year until first moult when they would be sent for processing.
The males would be sent for processing as they fattened probably around 12-16wks so have a better flavour rather than the current 6-12wks.

Of course some people can do this at home by having egg layer breed hens and a meat type rooster. The eggs would be crossbred and mostly male but that's as it should be. We eat a lot more chicken than we need hens to replace egg layers.

Our own Aussie breed called Australorp which is a cross between the British Black Orpington and the American Leghorn plus some Rhode Island Red is a classic dual purpose bird developed for the first world war use. Comes in black usually but also white these days due to crosses between Langshan and white Orpington.

So they do have plenty of choice. There is no need to cull.
It just needs teeth and determination on the part of the law makers who won't be influenced by big business.
When you find some of those, we need to breed them up too!

The downside to having utility birds is they cost a fair bit more to keep and there's the sticking point.