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Bird flu latest: Egg producers temporarily lose free-range status

Free-range eggs have previously carried labelling to explain that the birds are housed indoors for welfare reasons.
Free-range eggs have previously carried labelling to explain that the birds are housed indoors for welfare reasons.

Poultry farmers across the country have temporarily lost their free-range egg status due to ongoing restrictions against avian influenza.

The restrictions, which require poultry keepers and farmers to keep their birds indoors to prevent the spread of bird flu, have been in place since late November 2021.

Producers were able to keep the free-range status for their eggs for a 16-week grace period, however this ended today and any eggs from free-range units will now have to be labelled as “barn eggs” while the restrictions – sometimes referred to as flockdown – continue.

Free-range egg packaging has to have stickers or labels marking them as “barn eggs”, and supermarkets and shops have to display information in-store and online to tell consumers what is happening and why.

It comes just days after an outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 was confirmed on a farm owned by one of Scotland’s biggest egg producers – Farmlay Eggs.

The outbreak at Auchtygills Farm near Strichen – a breeding unit owned by Farmlay which has a throughput of five million eggs per week – could mean a cull of almost 100,000 birds.

Farmlay Eggs managing director Robert Chapman.

Farmlay Eggs managing director, Robert Chapman, confirmed today that culling had started of the birds and the company’s packhouse remained locked down due to the outbreak.

“We are hoping we will get our packing centre running again in the next few days but obviously we are in the hands of the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA),” said Mr Chapman.

Meanwhile, the chief executive of the British Free Range Egg Producers Association (BFREPA), Robert Gooch, said he hoped consumers would support free-range egg producers during this period.

He said: “The last time the housing order had to be extended beyond the permitted free-range marketing period, egg boxes were clearly marked and consumers were told they were buying eggs from hens kept to barn standards.

“They were fantastically supportive of a situation that was out of farmers’ control, and as soon as it was safe for hens to be allowed out again, they returned to buying free-range.”

Mr Gooch added: “We have no reason to believe the situation will be any different this time, and thank the public in advance for continuing to support British free range egg farmers.”

Egg producers are currently not allowed to let their birds outside due to bird flu restrictions.

NFU Scotland’s poultry chairman, Robert Thompson, said the threat of avian influenza to Scotland’s poultry farmers remained very high and the housing restrictions were designed to safeguard the industry.

He said: “Protection of the national flock and the entire poultry industry and all those that work within it is of paramount importance.

“We strongly recommend that the high levels of biosecurity that are currently in place are maintained, and it is vitally important that all birds remain housed including small backyard flocks.”