Are Ecoeggs RSPCA approved?

We have been in discussions with RSPCA from time-to-time, although we cannot claim to be RSPCA approved just yet. However we are certified with AECL and an independent auditor. And you can see full disclosure of the data on our certification page. 

If we pursue RSPCA approval it will be to supplement our current certification, and would certainly not involve replacement or downgrading of our current achievements. Some customers may value it, and those that don't should feel reassured that it would not adversely effect our quality.

If you have any welfare concerns we encourage you to check out the farm photos, videos or the ChookCam. 

How are the hens protected from predators?

The high fences keep out predators during the day, and at night they are safe in the sheds. The hens are checked throughout day. We see the odd bird of prey but they have not been a problem. If the birds were left out at night foxes would probably be a concern, we don't generally see them but they would probably be around. We have been considering introducing Maremma dogs, which make highly skilled guardians for flocks.

Are Omega 3 and 6 destroyed by cooking?

No, the Omega 3 and 6 essential fats survive the gentler cooking process typically used for eggs, such as scrambling, poaching and soft boiling. However, gentle frying would see a small loss. Prolonged very high heat can cause fats and oils to oxidise, but you are unlikley to be able to achieve this with eggs with any of the usual cooking methods. Eggs are delicate and should be cooked gently for best results.

Is the hen's feed chemical free?

Yes, in a consumer sense the hen's feed is chemical free. The best way we can explain this is to state what is in the feed, we would not class any of these as chemicals in that sense. The ingredients include grains, protein concentrates including extra protein building blocks (amino acids), limestone, salt, sodium bicarbonate, enzymes, vitamins and trace minerals. In the technical sense, a chemist will probably argue that all matter is composed of chemical substances, compounds and mixtures - water, sugar, grass, everything ;-) See Wikipedia.

Is the hen's feed preservative free?

Yes. Preservatives are not added to the hens feed. Vitamin E is added to the diet which is a natural anti-oxidant but we would not class this as a preservative. 

Why do some eggs have no air sac?

Being a natural product, eggs are subject to natural variations. Generally speaking the air sac starts small and grows larger as the egg ages and looses moisture. Sometimes an egg may appear not to have an air sac at all. This may be because it's a particularly fresh egg, or simply had not developed an air sac yet. Either way, just enjoy your eggs, there's absolutely nothing to be concerned about.

Does yolk colour affect egg quality, flavour or nutrition?

No. The colour of the yolk is influenced by the hen's diet and is not an indicator of freshness and has no significant influence on nutrition or flavour.

Specifically it is from plants rich in Xanthophylls, which are yellow pigments from the carotenoid group. Xanthophylls is literally Greek for yellow. Free range egg farmers cannot depend on pasture alone to deliver a consistent yolk colour and so most will add supplements to the feed. We include very low levels of natural plants extracts derived from Marigold petals and Paprika in their diet. This is not intended to create a false colour, but simply to achieve a more even result. These extracts contain the same natural Xanthophylls (lutein) that would normally colour the egg yolk.

But our hens are not machines, so there will always be variations in yolk colour that are beyond our control. What's important is that their diet is regularly monitored to achieve the best nutrition for the hens. And in turn you can enjoy nutritious healthy free range eggs.

Even the RSPCA ackknowledges that yolk colour does not affect the nutritional value of the egg, and is not influenced by the type of production system in which an egg is produced.

Do bigger eggs have bigger yolks?

Within the same species of hen, yes. And the ratio of yolk to white stays about the same.

Do you wash or oil ecoeggs?

No. We don't wash our eggs as it can increase the risk of contamination and reduces the egg's shelf life. If you want to wash them, it is best not to do so until you are ready to use them. 

Does ChookCam work on iPad or iPhone?

Adobe has now discontinued devleopment of Flash for mobile devices. Apple's iPad and iPhone don't officially support Adobe Flash, and while some other mobile devices may offer Flash playback it is not always reliable. We have been looking into providing a player suitable for Apple iOS devices, unfortunately there is nothing available at this time that suits our unique requirements. Because we don't just have a simple fixed stream, an alternative implementation is a bit more complicated than it might seem. We hope to be able introduce the option sometime in the future.

In the meantime you can watch some video of the hens here...

Update on Monday, November 28, 2011 by ecoeggs

We now have an version of the ChookCam for non-Flash devices. You won't be able to control the camera but you can see a live stream of static images every few seconds. We will continue to work on providing better support.