camelot-forum.co.uk

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/m ... ns-told-me

Funny(not) how rhe govt hasn't leant on better (faster & more realistic) pay deals for fluctuating food proceds for growers ...oh wait, they believe in "market forces" (ie selling all down a sh1t filled river Wye courtesy of Cargill the American player)

Regardless, an interesting piece on this free range egg production unit with a few recent cost rises put in by way of explanation.

I'm off to buy a tray off a producer at a price they ask, with no greedy duplicitous middle man supermarket screwing them over.

I'm of the opinion that many non city bound folk are unwittingly close to an egg farmer, if they cared to look & take a decisive step to help a local producer, shop local etc.. we need more thought & appreciation in the mainstream farm to table process, which may mean as little as a summer shed housing trays, or a PAYG egg locker. (limiting contamination possibilities to the farm)

I look forward to a solar free range egg farm (designed well) popping up ..shading, planting, contented livestock, energy production & better security in general.

A worthwhile govt investment for farming future in numerous levels "if only" we had competent forward thinking govt working with local councils for multi use land projects, ..at least they have started solar covered car-park acres round our way.

As a former egg producer I can confirm that the article is 100% accurate. Helen Davey started in the business shortly after us and was a very good producer but like us she is now a small producer. We had 10,000 birds in 2 separate houses with individual ranges, then they changed the rules to allow multi- tier houses so that 30,000 could be put in one shed and then another one alongside. some birds that go up to the top level will never come down to go outside, why would they, they have feed, water and nesting on the top level so why fight your way out. The producer egg prices are about the same as 2010 when we quit but then we were paying £2.50 a bird and £250 a tonne for feed. We thank the Lord for our good fortune that we got out before it turned into all the sh!t that it is today.

Mr Gus wrote: ↑Thu May 18, 2023 10:59 am
I look forward to a solar free range egg farm (designed well) popping up ..shading, planting, contented livestock, energy production & better security in general.

A worthwhile govt investment for farming future in numerous levels "if only" we had competent forward thinking govt working with local councils for multi use land projects, ..at least they have started solar covered car-park acres round our way.

As an afterthought, you would need to run sheep on the field with the hens to keep the grass short, we used to have sheep on the grass and they enticed the birds to range further from the house and the short grass exposed the worm eggs in the chicken poo to the sun's rays.

Thebeeman wrote: ↑Thu May 18, 2023 12:06 pm

Mr Gus wrote: ↑Thu May 18, 2023 10:59 am
I look forward to a solar free range egg farm (designed well) popping up ..shading, planting, contented livestock, energy production & better security in general.

A worthwhile govt investment for farming future in numerous levels "if only" we had competent forward thinking govt working with local councils for multi use land projects, ..at least they have started solar covered car-park acres round our way.

As an afterthought, you would need to run sheep on the field with the hens to keep the grass short, we used to have sheep on the grass and they enticed the birds to range further from the house and the short grass exposed the worm eggs in the chicken poo to the sun's rays.

Slight deviation from the thread, but I can just imagine the poor farmers and their dogs chasing sheep around the legs of the solar panels while trying to herd them

richbee wrote: ↑Thu May 18, 2023 1:28 pm

Thebeeman wrote: ↑Thu May 18, 2023 12:06 pm

Mr Gus wrote: ↑Thu May 18, 2023 10:59 am
I look forward to a solar free range egg farm (designed well) popping up ..shading, planting, contented livestock, energy production & better security in general.

A worthwhile govt investment for farming future in numerous levels "if only" we had competent forward thinking govt working with local councils for multi use land projects, ..at least they have started solar covered car-park acres round our way.

As an afterthought, you would need to run sheep on the field with the hens to keep the grass short, we used to have sheep on the grass and they enticed the birds to range further from the house and the short grass exposed the worm eggs in the chicken poo to the sun's rays.

Slight deviation from the thread, but I can just imagine the poor farmers and their dogs chasing sheep around the legs of the solar panels while trying to herd them

Oh yes, it’s great fun!..