April 8, 2009

There is too much emphasis on egg size and the UK industry should educate consumers to prefer medium eggs, according to Tom Vesey, chairman of the British Free Range Egg Producer's Association.

Vesey highlighted the Continental system, where producers use breeders which lay smaller eggs than those in the UK.

Consumers in the UK believed they are better value so producers are encouraged to produce as big an egg as possible, but there are many benefits to consumers and producers in opting for the Continental-sized eggs, said Vesey.

Smaller-egg breeds used widely in Europe laid longer, he said.

UK hens were depleted at 72 weeks, but smaller-egg breeds often continued laying until 80-90 weeks, which was a great economic advantage.

If the price of medium eggs increases, smaller-egg breeds may become more popular, Vesey said.

Vesey said medium eggs are also less watery and the shell quality is better. As the hen got older, egg size increased and the egg white tended to become more watery, he said.

Managing flocks for smaller eggs also has a welfare benefit, as eggs larger than the breed standard could cause bird health problems and bird stress.

Vesey said one do not have to change breeds to produce smaller eggs, as egg size can be controlled through the hen's diet by adjusting amino acid levels.

But there is no economic advantage for UK producers to produce smaller eggs, as there is a large price difference between large and medium sizes.

According to the latest DEFRA figures, the packer-to-producer price for very large free-range eggs was 98.9p/dozen, whereas it was 83.8p/dozen for mediums.