| Britons are buying record numbers of Free Range, | | | | have sloping mesh floors so that the eggs roll |
| Barn and Organic Eggs. Research shows shoppers | | | | forward out of the reach of the birds to await |
| bought 2.04billion of them last year, up from | | | | collection. Droppings pass through the mesh floors |
| 1.64billion in 2002 (Article from the Daily Mail - 09 | | | | onto boards, belts, the floors of the house or into |
| 08/2006). | | | | a pit to await removal. |
| The Benefits of Eating Eggs | | | | 2) Barn system. Around 7% of eggs sold in the |
| Eggs are low in calories and could actually protect | | | | UK are produced in the barn system. In the barn |
| against heart disease, breast cancer and eye | | | | system the hen house has a series of perches |
| problems and even help you to lose weight. Eggs | | | | and feeders at different levels. In the deep litter |
| are actually good for you. They are rich in | | | | system the birds are kept in hen houses in which |
| nutrients, one egg provides 13 essential nutrients, | | | | all the floor area should be solid with a litter of |
| all in the yolk (egg whites contain albumen, an | | | | straw, wood shavings, sand or turf. |
| important source of protein, and no fat). You | | | | 3) Free range system. The free range system |
| should keep eggs in the fridge in their box and eat | | | | accounts for around 27% of eggs produced in the |
| them by the use-by date. | | | | UK. And the Welfare of Laying Hens Directive |
| We now know the benefits of eating eggs but | | | | stipulate that for eggs to be termed free range, |
| does the welfare of the chickens matter? | | | | hens must have continuous daytime access to |
| Davinos Greeno investigates the eggy world of | | | | runs which are mainly covered with vegetation |
| production systems. | | | | and with a maximum stocking density of 2,500 |
| Eggs are produced in 3 types of production | | | | birds per hectare. The demand for free-range |
| systems. | | | | eggs is also growing by 10 per cent a year. |
| 1) Laying Cage System. Laying cages are the | | | | Somerfield will be the first supermarket in the |
| most common method of commercial egg | | | | country to switch to selling French free-range |
| production in the UK - representing around 66% | | | | eggs. Tesco is also understood to be lining up |
| of eggs produced in 2004. | | | | suppliers on the Continent if it is not able to |
| Typically a laying cage system consists of a | | | | guarantee supplies at home due to this rising |
| series of at least three tiers of cages. The cages | | | | demand. |