What is the difference between Soil Association eggs and other organic eggs?
The main differences occur in the sizes of the flocks and the rotation of the land over which the hens can roam. Hens like to dust-bathe, peck and scratch at the earth. If hens are kept in large numbers, the ground can become bare and can sometimes, after a while, harbour potentially harmful diseases. To prevent the birds becoming ill, the ground needs to be rested. The Soil Association states that the land must be rested for nine months, whereas the basic UK standards state that it only needs two months. In order to maintain the best possible animal welfare, the Soil Association recommends flock sizes of no more than 500 birds. Where farms can demonstrate high levels of welfare, up to 1,000 meat birds are allowed in a house, or 2,000 for egg laying birds. In contrast, non-Soil Association chickens reared to the current EU rules often live in huge flocks – with as many as 9,000 in a single shed – and then sold as organic. In smaller flocks the chickens are truly free range. In larger f
