Eggs Flashcards
History
- Consumption of eggs is parallel to consumption of chicken meat
- Symbol of fertility and religious icon in many cultures
EU egg consumption
increased greatly after 2003 and decrease slightly after 2004
UK egg consumption between 1974- 2010
decreased by 50%
eggs marketing history
- Early 20th century: egg industry sideline to other farm practices
- 1928: National Mark Scheme - attempt to provide reliably graded, quality egg
- 1939-45: Rationing; Eggs rationed until 1953
National Egg Distribution Association ltd set up to supply eggs - 1957- 1971: British Egg Market Board - aimed to bring stability to market - introduced the “lion” brand - go to work on an egg” : increased egg consumption 14%
- All eggs had to be purchased from suppliers: became ‘dumping ground’ for surplus/inferior eggs
- 1971-1986: Eggs Authority- producers had to find own market - Lion symbol dropped- Issues of diet and health raised (cholesterol)
- 1973: subject to EC marketing regulations
- 1986: British Egg Industry Council (voluntary ) - Salmonella scare- Consumer research - Re-launched Lion brand (higher welfare and safety standards, vaccinated against salmonella)
UK production of laying hens
Unit rearing
Selected genetic improvement > pedigree stock > great grandparent stock > grandparent stock > parent stock > laying hen
No of grandparent and parent stock
No of male
3-400 000 grandparent and parent hens; 30 000 males
how many breeder rearing farms
how many breeder production farms
12 breeder rearing farms (4 companies), 42 breeder production farms (9 companies)
Preparation stage of grandparents
- Grandparents imported as day olds or hatching eggs
- Placed on specialist rearing units then transferred to production units
- Grandparent hatching eggs transferred to hatchery: chicks reared in same way as for grandparents.
Hatchery:
how many
% production in UK
how many pullets and cockerels hatched
- 6 hatchery owned by 5 companies
- 1 hatchery produce 70% UK production
- 32 millions pullets and 32 millions cockerels hatched per yr
[Hatched to batch order ]
Baby Chicks
Treatment for F/ M
- Day old chicks sexed at hatchery
- Males discarded
- Females transported to rearing unit
Laying hen rear farm set up
Reared on floor or special cage units.
Organic layers reared free range (after brooding period)
No of rearing farms registered?
Batch size?
No of batch reared
- 260 rearing farms registered; batch sizes 5000 - >140 000
- Rear 2.5 batches per year
point of lay pullets.
- at 14-16 weeks: moved to production units
- Vaccinated against range of diseases (including Salmonella)
Commercial production units setting
Brought into lay by lighting regime (10 h light increasing to 14 h, I h/wk)
Four systems of commercial production units
Cage, barn, organic, free range
