Egg's

[Sonoran Silkies]

In some states it is illegal to reuse egg cartons for eggs that are sold. (Hygiene reasons, not labeling). For UK regulations or laws, I think you need to conyact local agriculture department. Here is would be the state Ag department or possibly even the county extension. Not sure what it would be there.

 

[ThePoultryMan]

Okay Thanks

But does anyone have any Business Card or Leaflet? Idea!
Thanks,
ThePoultryMan,

 

[PaulaSB12]

Quote:
Found this about selling eggs should help you
http://www.poultry.allotment.org.uk/Chicken_a/Chicken_Egg_Excess/selling-eggs.php
Quality of the Eggs

The eggs you offer should be clean, but not washed. Most buyers of farm eggs will not be too bothered by a spot of poo on the egg shell but technically you should reserve those for your own use.

The egg shells should not be damaged or cracked. A cracked egg has its protection against microbes damaged and should be reserved for your own use and used as quickly as possible, preferably within a day or two of laying.
Ungraded (Not Sized) Eggs.

The eggs cannot be split into sizes or quality grades, although you might choose to keep the largest and smallest for yourself and just offer the rest. Do remember that people buying eggs from the farm gate, may well like different sizes in one box. It can be very useful when cooking to be able to use a small egg or a large one, depending on the recipe.
Freshness & Best Before Dates of Eggs

You need to display a "Best Before Date" to comply with the law. Usually eggs are expected to last up to four weeks from the date of laying and you should (hopefully) be selling them within a day or two of lay. Assuming your eggs are fresh a Best Before of three weeks from the date of purchase will keep you legal.

All eggs sold on markets whether graded or ungraded have to be stamped with their appropriate producer code. This applies to all producers regardless of the number of hens they have. They need to apply to DEFRA Egg Marketing Inspectorate to obtain their flock identification number.
Additional rules for Selling Eggs are:

You must have a producer number. These available from the Egg Marketing Inspectorate for free. This number also indicates your production type -

* organic (0),
* free range (1),
* barn (2)
* cage (3)

Eggs must be individually marked with your producer code number. You can buy cheap hand stamps and you can even write the number on if your egg sales are low and it’s not worth the cost of the stamp. The ink you use must be food safe.

The eggs must be sold in new boxes. You cannot re-use old boxes, no matter how environmentally unsound this is. If you have your eggs on a large tray, the customer can bring their own old egg box along to pack them in but you must not keep a stock of old boxes and offer them to customers.

You are not allowed to sell to catering establishments. Even if your eggs are wonderful, it's against the law.

This article is aimed at the backyard chicken keeper with a small surplus from a few hens. In the season, 10 hens will be giving a family of 4 around four and a half dozen eggs surplus a week, assuming the family eat an average amount of eggs.

There's more information on the DEFRA web site

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
Oh hush your mouth. I'm not sure the OP lives in the UK so that probably doesn't matter. What's more unless someone blows us in I expect we'll be fine. I don't use dirty or spotted cartons. What's more I can just use the styrofoam cartons and wash them out.

Not to mention the ones sitting on the floor of the TSC or Country Max store. Just how clean do you think they are after the mice have run over them? Hygiene my foot. For heavens sake your eating eggs right out of a chickens butt. I wash my eggs and use the cleanest cartons I can get. Used is fine.

Another government law to protect the egg industry and fill up the landfills!

Must be another Silky conspiracy.

Rancher

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Oh hush your mouth. I'm not sure the OP lives in the UK so that probably doesn't matter. What's more unless someone blows us in I expect we'll be fine. I don't use dirty or spotted cartons. What's more I can just use the styrofoam cartons and wash them out.

Not to mention the ones sitting on the floor of the TSC or Country Max store. Just how clean do you think they are after the mice have run over them? Hygiene my foot. For heavens sake your eating eggs right out of a chickens butt. I wash my eggs and use the cleanest cartons I can get. Used is fine.

Another government law to protect the egg industry and fill up the landfills!

Must be another Silky conspiracy.

Rancher

Well, since you reference a silkie conspiracy, I expect you are funning, so I'll take your comments as being lighthearted teasing.

The OP did state that they are in the UK, which is why I stated that about UK regulations and laws. All too often people assume that everyone on here is from the US, and make replies that simply do not fit.

I do not disagree with you about the cleanliness of cartons bought from feed stores. Most of the ones I have seen are quite dusty. Nevertheless, there are states that have laws that disallow reusing egg cartons. I do not sell eggs, and I am pretty sure my state is not one that disallows reusing cartons, so it does not affect me. I do reuse egg cartons for myself, and toss when I think it is warranted, and reuse when I think they are clean enough. I do wash them between use with bleach in the water. Not sure I consider small egg sellers as part of the egg industry.

 

[rancher hicks]

Sorry I missed the part of the OP's post that they are in the UK. I buy the Practical Poultry magazine regularly and recommend it ($7.99) but worth it. I've never read anything about selling eggs and regulations. They do have their own site, which I hit occasionally. They also have their special regs on meds and all that stuff too.

Thanks for taking my post in the right grain. It's so hard to tease in an e-mail.

As for the egg cartons. If one really wants to use new the Egg Carton people occasionally have a sale on misprints and off color clear plastic types. I don't always get cartons back and friends save them even if they don't buy my eggs. This gives me a lot to choose from so I can get the cleanest. My older brother saves some for me and I just toss them in the trash when I get home cuz they smell.

So I do understand the points mentioned. I just don't agree with the reason for some of the laws and some states don't make it an issue of picking on us little guys, so we don't need to worry so much.

Chicken on Wayne, chicken on Garth,

Rancher