PART two of this edition of the Sustainability Podcast sees Tom, Teun and Nick delve into the topic of white-egg laying hens.
In just two years, white eggs have left behind the ‘processing egg’ tag and become a feature of the supermarket fixture nationwide, now occupying a 12% share of the UK laying flock.
In a more relaxed discussion, the three explain how white and brown eggs differ from the shopper’s perspective.
Spoiler alert: they don’t.
But as Teun and Nick explain, in the keeping of poultry, whether in the hard performance data, or the objective welfare outcomes or the softer and more subjective enjoyment of managing a flock, there is no comparison to their brown feathered cousins.
Farming is a tough way to earn a living, even in times of much-needed improvement in profitability.
Livestock is a 24/7 commitment, and a difficult flock can feel like a jail sentence.
Nick and Teun explain how their white hen, the Dekalb, has improved not just the financial outlook for producers, but their mental health too.
Not long ago, the notion of a 100-week flock cycle would be the preserve of moulted flocks in countries not interested in animal welfare or subject to the kind of regulation European markets take for granted.
The 500-egg club was the target, a glass ceiling waiting to be cracked.
Many have since achieved this milestone, and the 600 club awaits. How long until we see the first such performance? Listen to find out.