Bird flu Free-range eggs

Britain has been hit by an outbreak of bird flu with health chiefs urging farmers to keep hens housed indoors.

Mr Williams added: “We undertook research that showed consumers want to support free range hens and free range farmers. Mark Williams, chief executive, said: “Free-range farmers love to see their hens enjoying the outdoors and exploring the range. With further outbreaks, this order to keep birds indoors has been extended, which means eggs usually sold as free-range must now be classed as “barn eggs” as hens remain unable to go outside.

Egg-laying hens have been kept indoors for more than 16 weeks over fears of avian flu outbreaks.

Start your Independent Premium subscription today. “Once the risk levels have reduced and the housing measures have been lifted by Defra, birds will be able to go outside again.” Meanwhile, the risk in wild birds increased from high to very high in England and high for Wales and Scotland.

Biggest UK outbreak of bird flu late last year forced farmers to move all their chickens indoors.

Barn eggs have typically been cheaper than free-range eggs, but it is not thought that supermarkets will change prices following the switch. Eggs will need to be stamped with different codes showing that they are now deemed barn eggs. Booker Group, the UK's largest wholesaler, meanwhile, emailed its customers to tell them that any eggs laid from Monday would have to be labelled as barn eggs instead of free-range, and that the Lion code on the eggs will be changed to show the eggs are now being classed as barn eggs.

The outbreak has forced farmers to keep their chickens locked inside for the duration of winter. It has been described as one of the worst Avian Flu pandemics ...

“Once the risk levels have reduced and the housing measures have been lifted by Defra, birds will be able to go outside again. No date has been set for the lifting of these restrictions. The outbreak has forced farmers to keep their chickens locked inside for the duration of winter.

Supermarket shoppers will no longer be able to buy free-range eggs from Monday. Birds have not been allowed outdoors following an outbreak of avian flu in ...

The National Farmers’ Union’s chief poultry adviser, Aimee Mahony, said: “Shoppers may notice different labels on egg packs explaining that the eggs have been laid by hens temporarily housed to protect their health and welfare. And now the length of time they have been kept indoors means their eggs can no longer be labelled as free-range. The Telegraph reports stores such as Sainsbury's and Morrisons will be affected by the label change- as they have policies in place to only sell free-range eggs.

Chickens have been in bird flu lockdown since November, meaning eggs previously classed as free-range must now be labelled 'barn'.

The National Farmers’ Union’s chief poultry adviser, Aimee Mahony, said: “Shoppers may notice different labels on egg packs explaining that the eggs have been laid by hens temporarily housed to protect their health and welfare. Like this story? Shoppers will no longer be able to buy free-range eggs from supermarkets from Monday because of restrictions to stop the spread of bird flu.

Outbreaks of avian flu across the UK recently mean birds have been kept indoors for months.

The National Farmers’ Union’s chief poultry adviser, Aimee Mahony, said: “Shoppers may notice different labels on egg packs explaining that the eggs have been laid by hens temporarily housed to protect their health and welfare. It's not just the UK being affected by avian flu outbreaks this year, with continental Europe suffering one its worst winters for the disease too. Instead shops will now have to label their eggs as 'barn eggs' rather than free-range, produced by hens kept permanently indoors.