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The market it is a bit peculiar, Central Egg and some wholesale/Packers are pulling down the price of Colony, but nobody seems to have surplus eggs, one wonders why, as everyone that we have contacted are talking of storerooms being empty and bringing forward grading schedules to cover, but there are more Colony about especially Mediums which are a bit slow in moving through lack of demand.
Northern Ireland has reduced Colony slightly and put a smidgeon on Free Range we think all these changes are more in anticipation of surpluses post- Christmas rather than the usual supply and demand, there are a lot of old hens going out right now with a quite a big increase in pullet placements January and into February which might weaken prices it all depends on demand and egg consumption increasing?
In Scotland members have told us there has been an increase in demand in local shops which is not particularly surprising with the appalling weather we have been experiencing but the increase in demand might also be linked to the cut back in special offers in the supermarkets, but it is still most likely weather.
We have a pet theory that naming of storms in the way that Americans name hurricanes is not such a good idea as since we have been on first name terms with these storms they seem determined to become hurricanes and are generating an ever increasing trail of destruction.
Avian Influenza, frightening times right now and for the next few weeks, as part of the increased levels of Bio-Securities it is recommended to eliminate any contact that ranging hens have with water areas such as lochs, burns, ponds ETC to try and eliminate contact with wetland birds species, right now that is nigh on impossible as most of Scotland and the North of England is water coast to coast.
AI again it has now been decided that in the event of an exotic disease outbreak, on top of the 5 k red zone (no movement) and the 15 k (only movement with licence) there is to be a 50 k zone (allowing ranging birds to be shut in their houses for 7 days to allow the authorities to assess the situation and the source) without losing your Free Range/Organic status, this sounds very sensible.
We now recommend you identify every poultry enterprise in a 50 k radius of your own, so that you can quickly assess that you are in a lock down area or not, if in doubt we are sure that our Scottish officials will be willing to help.
