The life & times of the yummy free range eggs 
laid by the happy little girls at Windy Ridge

All the eggs from Windy Ridge are laid by our very own 100% free range cheeky little chickens & rest assured that every penny of the money produced from the sale of the eggs goes towards the feed bill & upkeep of the chucks and they all thank you from the bottom of their tiny little chicken hearts.  
At certain times of the year, we also have fresh free range Duck,  Guinea fowl available.
please feel free to ring/text Barbara to reserve your eggs on 07989 819478 . she'll be only too pleased to put some aside for you.

When our girls reach the age where they no longer lay many eggs or don't lay as reliably (usually between 18 months - 2 years in age), we do not kill them, they live out their days with us as happy lazy freeloading hens. 

Hopefully this info helps to explain the way the eggs are produced and answers any questions you may have so you can rest assured safe in the knowledge that Barbs babies are unashamedly spoilt and treated to a very high standard of welfare and a lot of love, care and attention goes into producing every box of 6 eggs to you!

Did you know?
The eggs you buy off the shelf in the supermarket can legally sit in a packing center for up to 10 days from the date they were laid before they reach the shelves. If you add on the time given for the shelf life, imagine how old the eggs could be if you buy them a couple of days before the best before date! All eggs that reach the customer within 10 days of being laid can legally be marketed as fresh or extra fresh!

We pride ourselves on freshness here at Windy Ridge and you are more than welcome to come and collect your eggs for your self on the day they are laid if you so wish (mention it to Barb).

Every box of 6 eggs from Windy Ridge will be totally  different, there will be some small ones, big ones, some different coloured ones (blue, green, white, grey, pink, brown). Here at Windy Ridge we promote real food and as such your eggs are mixed size, they are not graded or stamped, but rather packed as they come with a mixture in each box. All of the chickens are different, unique and individual, just like people and as such they all lay different eggs, depending upon their age, their breed, their pigmentation and a variety of other factors.
(bored yet?,  no,  are you sure?,  ok carry on reading)

There is a certain degree of science goes into ensuring the girls continue to lay, most importantly of which is the right food. They require a high level of protein in their diet, without which they will not lay eggs! Lots of water is also important, as is clean bedding and 15 hours of daylight per day, which in winter means artificial lighting in the coop encourages them to continue laying despite the shorter days. The freedom to roam across the 7 acres keeps them healthy and active, allowing them to dust bathe naturally and keep all of the nasties at bay. A free range method of production keeps the girls happy - happy chickens lay lovely eggs! We also have to regularly introduce new chickens at Windy Ridge to make sure we can keep up with the demand for eggs - once the girls reach about 18 months - 2 years old, their laying becomes less reliable so it is important to have younger chickens as well as older ones. However, younger ones will lay smaller eggs and this is why at some periods throughout the year your eggs might be a bit smaller, if new girls have just been introduced to the flock and only just started to lay, it will take a little while for their eggs to grow in size.
Once you have the lovely eggs at home, please keep them chilled and don't forget to return your egg boxes to Barb if at all possible the next time you see her as we like to recycle them! Thanks!

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Ian getting mugged by the girls out side his caravan on the camp site