AIBU...Burford Brown Eggs...what else compares?

[TwinsandTrifle]

Please help. We get through so many eggs and the only ones we've found and loved are the Burford Browns which are £4.50 for ten. We use at least a box a day (5 of us.) We've tried all local recommendations of "oh the most wonderful eggs from the farm shop/at the side of the road" and honestly, they've all been crap in comparison.

On the basis that (unless you live next door to us and don't want to give location away in case outing) local recommendations aren't really of any help, has anyone found nationally available eggs that are as good or surpass Burfords? Must be some way to get our eggs for less than £35 a week!

[clickychicky]

Try just having them every other day? Or an egg free day? Or have something other than an omelette for lunch, you've already had an egg for breakfast.

Though to be honest if you're eating that many then you probably don't need much other food.

[Heyha]

Sorry but I think you've been sucked into their marketing. I don't know if they're still doing it but they used to say their breeds were rare or heritage or somesuch and they absolutely aren't recognised as such by any breed or conservation society.

The Burford eggs are dark brown due to the breed(s), if you can find someone locally that keeps Marans or Welsummers free range you will get something extremely close without paying through the nose for them.

[Newfluff]

..pressed too soon but basically having hens will make you wish you just bought the Burfords

[Dixiechickonhols]

Not original poster but we eat a lot of eggs. 2 a day per person sounds normal to me. Scrambled egg, fried or sweet omelette breakfast. Hardboiled in a salad. Omelette lunch. Homemade quiche. Scotch eggs. Yorkshire pudding or in baking. I do eat eggs most days.
I’ve only had burfords when reduced and found them ok but not as nice as free range ones off milkman. I also buy from two local farms. They do vary. Keep trying until you find some you love.

[Lou573]

Wow, I keep chickens (was told to never work out what each egg costs me!) and I feel like I need to try these Burford Browns! What’s so good about them? My Maran lays lovely chocolate brown eggs and all of the flock have lovely orangey yolks.

[Newfluff]

@Heyha

Sorry but I think you've been sucked into their marketing. I don't know if they're still doing it but they used to say their breeds were rare or heritage or somesuch and they absolutely aren't recognised as such by any breed or conservation society.

The Burford eggs are dark brown due to the breed(s), if you can find someone locally that keeps Marans or Welsummers free range you will get something extremely close without paying through the nose for them.

I'm quite sure the op isn't eating the shell so it's not the colour. I have never had a Burford but the range of quality in eggs is massive, and many of the worst have been from farm shops/back yard chooks

[DepressedDD]

Yes, if your local farm eggs are rubbish they’re probably feeding them nothing but pellets. My chickens get all sorts of fruit and veg. They’ve had broccoli today and a vegi pad Thai. a good variety of fresh food plus corn every day and eggs will be great.

[Heyha]

That's true, mine vary depending on how much ranging they've had, time of year etc, and that's how it should be. I would be wondering how these are absolutely consistent all year round.

I take the point about not eating the shell 😂 but having seen the way these and the Tesco ones are sold their is a certain amount of cachet attached to the egg shell colour as somehow showing superior quality of the egg in general. It doesn't, it's all down to which hen's backside it's come out of within the same management system.

[TwinsandTrifle]

Interestingly, tried the Cotswold Legbar (and whatever the other ones are by the same company) and didn't rate them much.

And have said, we've tried several other Maran eggs, all very non descript. Burfords just seem to be soooo much better.

And yes, we do use cheap eggs for general cooking. We just always have an egg or two for breakfast. And then one or two of the five of us will have an omelette for lunch, or a bacon and egg sarnie for tea. We just plough through them

[Newfluff]

@DepressedDD

Yes, if your local farm eggs are rubbish they’re probably feeding them nothing but pellets. My chickens get all sorts of fruit and veg. They’ve had broccoli today and a vegi pad Thai. a good variety of fresh food plus corn every day and eggs will be great.

Agree, Although none of it can come from your kitchen (unless you are vegan) as it is illegal in the UK to feed food from anywhere that uses meat. You can buy veg from a shop and give it straight to chickens

[NotMyCat]

@clickychicky

Try just having them every other day? Or an egg free day? Or have something other than an omelette for lunch, you've already had an egg for breakfast.

Though to be honest if you're eating that many then you probably don't need much other food.

How can you not need much other food?
2 eggs a day is breakfast or lunch. You still are likely to have two other meals! That's like saying if you have two weetabix or two pieces of toast you don't need much more food

[DepressedDD]

I’m vegi but not vegan so not sure if I’m breaking the law with scraps…..can’t see me getting busted. I don’t feed them cheese or eggs!

[DepressedDD]

Actually the pad Thai had an egg in it…doh! Maybe they will get mad chicken disease.

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

Hmm, if I had an egg for breakfast or definitely wouldn’t fancy an omelette for lunch.

Agree re feed. It also depends how much actual free ranging on greenery they do. I don’t find them hard to keep but then I have a big garden, so they have a corner of it fenced off so they get to properly free range and the rest of the garden doesn’t get destroyed. Hens in a small garden are a lot more trouble ime.

[PlasticEgg]

People still have their own chickens?

I thought that particular middle class fad had gone the way of allotments a good ten years ago.

Anyway I can't comment because I am made of plastic and also have never heard of Buford's (these two facts may be related) but if you can afford it £4.50 for ten portions of protein is a reasonable price.

Although this may be a marketing thread.

I prefer duck eggs anyway.

[Heyha]

It is vegan households only that are exempt @depressedDD and even vegans with pet cats can't be exempt because of having to have meaty cat food in the house. You can have a little stove in the shed and cook veg for them, for example, but it can't be out of your domestic kitchen.

[Clymene]

@Heyha

Sorry but I think you've been sucked into their marketing. I don't know if they're still doing it but they used to say their breeds were rare or heritage or somesuch and they absolutely aren't recognised as such by any breed or conservation society.

The Burford eggs are dark brown due to the breed(s), if you can find someone locally that keeps Marans or Welsummers free range you will get something extremely close without paying through the nose for them.

If you've never bought them, you wouldn't know. Their yolks are the yellowest I've ever seen and they're so rich, they're verging on duck egg territory.

My friend's eggs are a poor second frankly. Even though I've collected the eggs myself.

[Newfluff]

@Heyha

That's true, mine vary depending on how much ranging they've had, time of year etc, and that's how it should be. I would be wondering how these are absolutely consistent all year round.

I take the point about not eating the shell 😂 but having seen the way these and the Tesco ones are sold their is a certain amount of cachet attached to the egg shell colour as somehow showing superior quality of the egg in general. It doesn't, it's all down to which hen's backside it's come out of within the same management system.

Agree, the trend for brown eggs in the UK coincided with the understanding that brown bread was healthier than white so that meant brown eggs were healthier.....
I'm pretentious keen on different colour eggs and am very proud of the colours mine lay but once out the shell I couldn't tell the difference.

[TheCountessofFitzdotterel]

Deep yellow yolks just means they eat a lot of greenery, probably kept on grass. It’s easily achieved.

[Mossstitch]

I had hens for about 10 years, after they died, of old age I couldn't bring myself to replace them but I've never had decent eggs since. The nearest are definitely the Burford browns, and I've tried quite a few varieties in vain. Funnily enough one of them was a chestnut maran but each variety of hen produced a slightly different egg. One of the other ladies produced the best for baking, my scones have never risen as high or been as light since. I miss them! So amusing to watch too. If you want to keep your own I recommend the eglu, easy to clean and no danger of red mites as plastic.

[Newfluff]

@DepressedDD

Actually the pad Thai had an egg in it…doh! Maybe they will get mad chicken disease.

Well it is definitely illegal to feed other animal products, and the attitude that 'well I won't get caught' is much of the reason why I no longer eat other peoples eggs. At least commercially you know that they are keeping to rules which were created to keep us safe.

[QueeniesCroft]

We keep chickens are our eggs are good enough to sell and are very popular.
Keeping the hens in good health is fairly easy, but we are farmers, so it's all relative I suppose- we have them in a covered run which is 4metres wide and 8 metres long. This (and the coop) is moved around the field every couple of weeks so they have plenty of green food. They also get watermelon, cabbage leaves and chard. Good quality layers pellets are cheap enough from the farmers co-op, but they are only the starting point.
Then there's the moulting season, when egg production stops. This year they have moulted in shifts, which is handy, but not guaranteed. They laid right through the winter last year, but again this is not guaranteed.
Keep chickens if you love chickens and have enough space (far more than the minimum recommended if you want to do it well). If you just want eggs, it is a fair amount of work to add onto your day. And to be honest, I don't eat our hens eggs, I much prefer the Runner ducks' eggs, with their lovely blue/green shells and extra-creamy yolks.
I'm amazed that people pay that price for eggs, perhaps it's time for my prices to go up!

[Nospringchickendipper]

I buy Burford Browns for myself and DH and cheap ones for my DS
They are worth the expense.

[Heyha]

Yolk colour is mainly down to diet- lots of corn and grass/greens achieves that. Mine get green stuff when it's green stuff season but only a bit of corn as a treat as it makes them fat if you aren't careful. They get a bit more when they go to bed in winter though!

[PlasticEgg]

Plastic is good, it's true 👌