Gransnet forums

Food

Are all the chickens on strike?

(28 Posts)
Evie64 Sat 02-May-20 20:55:33

I haven't been able to buy eggs down here in Exeter for the past 10 days. I work so I can't get to the supermarket until around 5pm or later and there isn't an egg to be had anywhere? Aldi, Co-op, Sainsburys, Tescos? Weird....... I'm salivating at the thought of 2 soft boiled eggs and toast.

Grannybags Sat 02-May-20 21:08:40

It's the same here - I assume they're being added to all the flour that's disappearing from the shops as soon as it appears!

MawB Sat 02-May-20 21:11:57

From my village shop a couple of days ago..... ? ? ? smile
All local, free range too.

sodapop Sat 02-May-20 21:41:42

Ours are laying well, we are supplying friends and neighbours.

Septimia Sat 02-May-20 21:42:44

The hens have been laying so well around here that people are giving the eggs away! One of the advantages of living in the country. I've managed to get some in my supermarket delivery, too. No flour though. Good job I bought some before lockdown!

grandMattie Sat 02-May-20 21:46:39

So many people are baking, that the usual crop of eggs isn’t sufficient. I get my eggs from a regular trade in the weekly market.

JuliaM Sat 02-May-20 23:42:51

It may have something to do with making potential Corona virus vacines. I know that Flu vacines are prepared using hens eggs as part of their manufacture and testing.

Hetty58 Sun 03-May-20 00:00:39

I've seen plenty in small local shops. They've had flour and loo roll all the time too - only supermarkets seem to have run out. Our pet shop sells local free range eggs. Word got around, though, and for a while, there were none left for regular locals - until they were removed from view!

Gummie Sun 03-May-20 07:05:39

Supermarkets all seem to run out here but the local high street shops have plenty. Butchers, bakers, grocers are all selling eggs with no shortages.

Whitewavemark2 Sun 03-May-20 07:15:58

It is weird ours are being delivered by the milkman now but there was a gap.

In my view we should be awash with eggs as all the restaurants, hotels, cafes etc are closed. Where are those eggs going?

MamaCaz Sun 03-May-20 07:49:34

The only supermarket eggs that I have been able to get are in boxes of 15 in 'mixed sizes'.
That's what it says on the box, anyway, but the last lot weren't 'mixed' sizes, but very definitely all small - they looked so small that I decided, out of curiosity, to weigh each one to check, and they were all around 50g. Yes, I was bored at the time! grin

In reality, I'm just glad that I have been able to get eggs at all (couldn't for a few weeks), and want to make it clear that this is an observation, not a moan smile

Bathsheba Sun 03-May-20 07:53:13

How strange - we don't seem to have any trouble getting eggs with our online deliveries. In fact I had a dozen eggs delivered yesterday, and wished I hadn't because I already had a dozen and a half! I thought I'd removed them from my online basket.....

vegansrock Sun 03-May-20 08:13:23

A lot of the ones around are labelled “from caged hens” rather than “free range”. - what’s going on?

Charleygirl5 Sun 03-May-20 08:20:32

Eggs are slowly returning here. A friend who is shielded had a kind neighbour bring her eggs last week but she also received 15- an odd number.

ninathenana Sun 03-May-20 11:08:38

There was the best stock of eggs in our local (Kent) Tesco yesterday than there has been for weeks. With all sizes available. Our farm shop has had eggs all along but were rationing I don't know if they still are.

Scotpiper Sun 03-May-20 11:10:52

I get a dozen weekly from my milkman, they are delicious. I’ve never seen such dense golden yolks.

Evie64 Tue 05-May-20 22:51:58

Update - 5th May - Still no eggs in Exeter supermarkets. confused Does anyone think that driving to farm shop about 20mins away would count as essential travel?

TrendyNannie6 Tue 05-May-20 22:54:19

We are able to buy eggs no problem

Callistemon Tue 05-May-20 23:32:14

Tesco had eggs -hooray! so I ordered some.

However, I just checked my order and they are unavailable (again) but they offered me a substitution which I believe are eggs from battery chickens so I said no.

Davidhs Wed 06-May-20 08:21:50

The problem is caterers and manufacturers use lower grade eggs that supermarkets would not want to stock, even liquid eggs, where there is no traceability. Better to disappoint customers than stock substandard product.

MawB Wed 06-May-20 08:25:26

Evie I could always post you one - but I can’t get out to our nearest post office which is 3 miles away grin

PamelaJ1 Wed 06-May-20 08:58:23

I’m inundated.
A friend works in a place that produces eggs for consumption and for medical research. They have too many at the moment so every week 2 doz are on my doorstep.
My neighbour has lots of chickens so she does an egg run every week to her neighbours!
I do pass some on but am trying to use as many as possible.
Creme caramel anyone?
Too messy to post so you have to come and pick it up. I’ll leave it at the end of the drive.?

Rosalyn69 Wed 06-May-20 09:57:23

I can get eggs but not always a choice which ones. Still I’m grateful to get eggs.
The current shortage here is boxes of tissues but there’s always loo roll.

Calendargirl Wed 06-May-20 09:57:52

Golden yolks don’t always mean much Scotpiper. The hens have probably been fed supplements to colour the yolk.

EllanVannin Wed 06-May-20 10:25:27

Plenty of eggs here, local and free range too. Lovely and fresh.
There hasn't really been a noticeable shortage of anything locally .
The bakery which is closed has been missed for their fresh crusty bread and cream cakes. I've had to learn to do without all these weeks sad