Campaign- Production Method Labelling

With the new introduced 'EU laying hens directive' to help hen welfare in egg production by promoting use of 'enriched cages', food manufacturers have started to look elsewhere. This means that business are now looking to other countries or non-compliant production systems in the EU where costs are cheaper and not necessarily where the hens health is kept in mind, and that means battery farming. 

If you have forgotten what battery farming is ....

• Battery hens often have less 0.6 square feet space in their cages which is smaller then a regular A4 piece of paper.
•  Their beaks are often removed to prevent them from pecking each other in high stressed and often starving conditions as the manufacturers save money.
• their cages are indoors, they are packed closely together in artificial light. Their claws often grow painfully long because they aren't allowed outdoors.
• Manufacturers also save money by forcing the hens to molt (lose their feathers) to promote recovery of the reproductive tract so that the quality of eggs are improved. Although this is not allowed in the UK this is still practiced in other countries. The hens are starved for 2 weeks and given little maybe no water in order to shock their bodies. It is common for up to 10% of hens to die in this cruel process.
• Hens are killed after 2 years when their egg production begins to drop, the Battery Hen Welfare Trust is a charity that hopes to re-home some of these hens.

Therefore, to try and battle this problem the BHWT along with me is campaigning for "manufactures to add country of origin and production method labelling information to ingredients list by name i.e. Ingredients: barn egg (UK), free-range egg (UK), colony egg (UK), conventional caged egg (non-EU)." 

This information will help inform us consumers where our food has come from and hopefully reinforce to manufacturers how much we believe in hens having a comfortable, free range lifestyle.

To do this we require your help. Please contact your local parliamentary representative with this (sample letter provided by BHWT) or your own letter in support of the campaign:

Dear (PLEASE ADD NAME)

I am writing to seek your support for a British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT) campaign seeking the implementation of a production method labelling scheme for foods with egg as an ingredient across the EU.

The BHWT supports egg farmers farming to high welfare standards, and wishes to see farming remain strong in the EU where there is a desire to continue to improve welfare standards for laying hens.

The BHWT is concerned about a competitive threat to the EU egg industry (following the implementation of the EU laying hen’s directive) from (a) food products manufactured from eggs produced in non-compliant systems in the EU and (b) food products manufactured from eggs produced in conventional cage systems outside of the EU. The liquid egg and egg products sectors are most at risk of importing and using product, and the most difficult to monitor.

These issues have been highlighted as major areas of concern by the British Egg Industry Council, British Free Range Egg Producers Association, British Egg Products Association, NFU Cymru and a UK parliamentary committee investigating the implications of the welfare of egg laying hen’s directive for the egg industry.  British Egg Industry Council figures suggest it will be cheaper to produce egg powder in countries such as the US and India and export to Europe than to produce within the EU.

To counteract this problem, the BHWT is seeking your support for the implementation of a production method labelling scheme for foods with egg as an ingredient.  Such a scheme will empower consumers with necessary information to support compliant egg farmers from EU member states.

The BHWT proposes such a scheme would require manufactures to add country of origin and production method labelling information to ingredients list by name i.e. Ingredients: barn egg (UK), free-range egg (UK), colony egg (UK), conventional caged egg (non-EU).

If products contain egg from conventional cage systems from outside of the EU this will be marked on the ingredient list. This labelling will minimise the impact of egg product produced in either non-compliant systems within the EU or conventional caged systems outside of the EU, entering the EU and undermining compliant egg farmers, helping to alleviate the problem which has been identified as a threat to the egg industry.

I am seeking your support for the adoption of such labelling and would like to include your name on the BHWT website as a supporter for this campaign.

Yours sincerely

YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS (INCL POSTCODE)

For more information please visit:

http://www.bhwt.org.uk/cms/latest-campaign-production-method-labelling/

BREED OF THE DAY- MARSH DAISY

The Marsh Daisy is a rare breed due to interbreeding and World War II and is listed as endangered by the Rare Breed Survival Trust. They are large fowl of gentle and calm nature which arose from a complicated series of cross-breeding which started with an Old English Game bantam cockerel and some Malay hens in Lancashire, 1880's. 

(Marsh Daisy- Female)

Marsh Daisies are of very traditional appearance and is found in Wheaten and Brown varieties (gorgeous combinations of gold, black and brown colouring). They have rose combs with red eyes, face and wattles. They have hackle feathers at the neck which rest at the shoulders. In addition, they often have white ear lobes and beautiful featherless willow-green legs. Marsh Daisies are calm but active and are good flyers when bothered- so wing clipping is often recommended.

The eggs are medium sized and have a tinted white shell. The Marsh Daisy is a good forager and enjoys space therefore free range is highly recommended (they do not mind wet weather). However, these birds are not economical as the hens are slow to mature and produce eggs despite their good laying capabilities. Because of their rarity, it is important when considering this breed to find a well-established breeder that believes in their conservation.

 Summary: 

•   Eggs: up to 200 a year!
• Colourings: Wheaten and Brown (there’s is Buff, Black and White but these varieties are believed to be close to extinction)
•   Character: Calm but flighty
•  Weight: Female + Male around  2.5 kg

* *IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE INFORMATION ON THIS BREED YOU WOULD LIKE TO ME TO ADD TO THIS POST PLEASE MAKE A COMMENT BELOW*

BREED OF THE DAY- BARNEVELDER

The Barnevelder is a hardy breed that lays beautiful dark brown eggs. It is a relatively new breed as it name originates from a town in the Netherlands and was imported into Britain in the 1920’s. Barnevelders are thought to be a result of crossing local fowl with the Brahma, Langshan and Malay. They were originally bred for their winter laying capabilities and their large eggs. Unfortunately, over time the selective breeding for the desired dark brown egg shell has meant their productivity has decreased over the years. Even so as the hens become older their egg shell colour tends to become of a lighter brown, nevertheless 170 eggs can still be expected each year from a healthy hen in her prime. 

There are bantam versions available but the popularity of this stunning black laced bird began to fall with the increase in desire for sturdy hybrid layers. Barnevelders however, are still robust, good foragers and calm. They are quick to grow and their sexes can be identified at an early stage with day old male chicks having a white breast. Although, as the males become older they do not express the double lacing pattern but instead are black breasted reds.

(A female Barnevelder pullet)

The Barnevelder is a type of large fowl and has a plump soft feathered body. A female should be around 3kg and a male around 3.4 kg. It has a single bright red comb on an un-feathered face with orange eyes. There are other less recognised variations of the typical black and brown double laced feathers with a greenish sheen such as a blue-grey variance on the black colouring.

The bird was bred to be robust and docile and is suitable for beginner chicken owners. Because of their good nature it is important to take extra care when being placed in a mixed flock as younger chicks are prone to bullying. 

Summary:

• Eggs: Dark brown – 170 a year
• Colourings: Black double laced, with blue and white variants
• Character: Docile and robust
• Weight: large, female typically at 3kg

* IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE INFORMATION ON THIS BREED YOU WOULD LIKE TO ME TO ADD TO THIS POST PLEASE MAKE A COMMENT BELOW*

Broken eggs

Are you finding cracked eggs in your nesting box?  This is a fairly common problem and by following these solutions you should soon have nothing to worry about!  There are a number of reasons for broken shells.

1. Your chickens are not having enough calcium in their diet therefore producing shells that crack easily. This is quite an easy problem to solve. Simply buy some specially made oyster shell and this will help the chicken’s deficiency.

2. There could be too many chickens in one egg box. Overcrowding can could extra pressure on the eggs’ shell and force them to break. There should be about no more than four hens for each nesting box. If there is one box that is favoured over the others try and darken that area as it will prevent overcrowding. Also remember to collect the eggs every day!

3.Are your hens bored? Chickens who free range appear to be lee susceptible to egg breaking. Possibly because they are more busy e.g. digging for worms. In this case, try hanging fresh food e.g. cabbage from the top of the coop (so they have to jump to reach it). Alternatively you may purchase a pecking block which would also help any calcium deficiencies.

4.If you find it’s your hens pecking at the egg therefore cracking them try removing the eggs as soon as possible and replace with fake eggs.

Please comment if you have any questions. Good Luck!

Broody Time!

I often caught my hens in the act of laying. But, if you start to notice one sitting in the nest box without laying you may find your hen is broody. Being broody is when your hen decides she needs to incubate her eggs so that they can hatch (otherwise known as going into motherly mode!). Even if you pick her up from the box she will resist to move and may even 'wing flap' or peck (this is defence for her eggs)!  However, unfortunately for many keepers they do not want this. There are many reasons may you may not want this e.g. the eggs may not be fertilised, there will be a reduction in egg laying in your hen even after she has been broody, she is disrupting the other hens from laying, the cost of buying a broody box and finally you may not want to cope with a weak hen ( due to lack of food). When a hen is broody she will only leave her nest once a day for some food and water this is why you hen may not seem healthy or have a pale comb.

Symptoms:

• Cuckoo sounds from the hen
• Feathers fluffed out, more particularly around her tail
• Not wanting to move much and looking hesitant to dust bathe or dig
• Looking around to sit down
• Constantly sitting in her nesting box
• Laying no eggs
• Warmer weather (increases the risk)

So how can you prevent this?
Make sure you remove the eggs from the box every day then she will not have the temptation. This is also important to prevent the cracking of eggs which the hens may develop a taste for. However, it is harder to prevent broodiness in the spring/summer because this is normally their laying season.

How to stop it?
I often found one of my hens was broody, some breeds are more attached to their eggs then others. Many suggest to put a cool pack beneath the chicken to make it seem colder (therefore she might realise that it is to cold to lay). Some people suggest to even dip the hen in to some water (I do not know about this method because I have not tried it!). However, I found the easiest way was to shut her outside the nesting box during the day until she was clearly put off (until she was acting normal again), this normally lasted a couple of days. This did include nighttime where I would shut the other two chickens into the coop box and leave the broody hen in the coop run. This may seem very mean at first, but I found it was the only method that did the trick. Also, it is not nice for the other hens trying to lay their eggs in the same nesting box (causing overcrowding and crushed eggs).

Plastic Coops

Every chicken lover should know that there are plastic chicken coops such as the Eglu (made by Omlet) on the market.I ended up buying an Eglu Go due to Red Mite, my problems with this pest was endless due to small hiding places between the sides of the wooden coop. Buying a plastic coop was an expensive but effective solution as there are no places for the mite to hide and even then can just be hosed off in a summer clean.

Advantages:

• Being clean- as being plastic you can really quickly hose down that dirt
• No Wood Treatment- prevent that yearly cost of wood treatment
• Long Life- Plastic is more durable than wood
• Removable Plastic perches, which means you can keep the underside clean and remove parasites
• Insulation
• PREVENTS RED MITE - a non porous surface prevents these little blighter
• Some are made from recycled plastic adding that extra ECO feel to your house and garden

However, bear in mind the plastic does cost a huge amount more and their appearance may not suit your traditional liking! They are more suitable for domestic keepers because of this.


Websites:
http://www.plasticchickenhouse.co.uk/
http://www.omlet.co.uk/homepage/
http://www.poultry.allotment.org.uk/chicken-coop-ark/recycled-plastic-chicken-coops.php

Fortefog Fumers

Are you scared about the dreaded red mite? Don't allow red mite get to the stage where they are crawling up your arm through the day. I still have tiny pinprick bites from last years flurry of mites. Practical Poultry Magazines are now catching on with this fear of Red Mite and regularly producing articles about them, with next months issues on home remedies (I reccomend you get this issue). One of the simplest ways of preventing red mite is protecting your coop with diatom or poultry shield and keeping your coop in direct sunlight for a day every now and then. But when you get them they are almost impossible to get rid off. And I now feel like there is nothing I can do but keep the the population of Red Mite down, until I can afford a plastic coop. But, for now I think I have spotted something on the market really good. Regency Poultry are now stocking something called Fortefog Fumers. They are meant to fume out your house decimating any insects and red mite and leaving no residue in the house after 2 hours so the chickens can come back in safely.
Please check it out at : http://www.regencypoultry.com/heathcare/redmite_and_Lice/fortefog_mini_fumer.htm

Spring

Now its coming to spring and the chickens have got their plush new feathers, and the farmers are starting to plant the new grass. In the domestic garden again the worry of mites and lice has risen. The resilient pests like warmth and darkness so now is the perfect time for them to start breeding. Its worth now to cover your coop with diatom and poultry shield to prepare for the new year. Also with all those wet puddles its the perfect condition for worms so please keep up your worming routine I would recommend either Verm-x or Flubenvet. Remember- you should move you coop around at least twice a year if you can, so maybe its time to plan your summer coop position.

Frostbite

Now the snow is falling hard and the temperature is plummeting rapidly we are all hiding in doors resting by our radiators. Unfortunately for the chickens, they are at risk from frostbite. The frostbite will attack on the comb, wattle and cheeks. To protect them from this, use Vaseline, the wax will protect them from the harsh freeze. You shouldn't worry about the rest of the chickens body as they sleep close at nigh times and keep each other warm like penguins. Also you have to make sure the chickens have access to warm water to drink, not Ice. Remember, don't always eggspect eggs in the winter!

The National Poultry Show

The very exciting Poultry show is now scheduled to take place on the 20th and 21st of November based in National Agricultural Centre, Stoneleigh Park.As well as watching up to 5000 stunning poultry there will also be a visit from Omlet and BHWT, some poultry will even be for sale as well. Allthough I have yet to see this show it seems to have excellent reveiws and therefore this leads me to believe this a must for all chicken lovers.

For more information on venue please visit:http://www.poultryclub.org/home.htm
http://www.poultryclub.org/documents/Poster_000.pdf