jazzyfizzle Posted October 9, 2010 Share Posted October 9, 2010 Would you consider my eggs organic? My chickens are mainly free range in our yard and forest, and given non-medicated supplemental grains. They have only been given antibiotic once when young (last year) -for a respiratory infection. They have never been given any other medication. The grain is bagged from a local grain mill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted October 9, 2010 Share Posted October 9, 2010 I'd sure eat them:) We raise organic grassfed beef as our main business. Under organic rules, you can only use certified organic feeds, your pasture and woods must be certified (that there has not been unapproved substances used like pesticides or fertilizers), no antibiotics ever, vaccinations are OK. If you are a small producer, there are special rules for record-keeping, inspections and payment into the certifying program (all of which take a significant amount of time and $$ for us), but the your production system must follow all organic stipulations. There are penalties for using the word "organic" when not certified, although rarely enforced. If you hope to sell them, perhaps you could use some other words to describe them that still conveys how much better your chickens are than the stuff in the grocery store. I'll bet they taste awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted October 9, 2010 Share Posted October 9, 2010 Yes, I'd market them as free range with supplemental grains and minimal antibiotics..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzyfizzle Posted October 10, 2010 Author Share Posted October 10, 2010 Thank you for the replies, much appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted October 10, 2010 Share Posted October 10, 2010 (edited) Would you consider my eggs organic?My chickens are mainly free range in our yard and forest, and given non-medicated supplemental grains. They have only been given antibiotic once when young (last year) -for a respiratory infection. They have never been given any other medication. The grain is bagged from a local grain mill. No. Regs for organic vary and you have to be certified in order to sell anything with the label "organic." Aside from that, there are still several considerations that may disqualify you (depending on your regs). For example, here your feed has to be organic. Being bagged at the local grain mill doesn't say anything about the grain itself. It could have come from anywhere and could have been treated with anything. Next, whatever field you are running them on must also be organic certified because they cannot ingest plants that are not organic. Then, the medication you gave them would have to be on a pre-approved list of medications that are allowed under the organic guidelines and you would need to have a vet sign off on the script even if you opt to administer it yourself. And that's just for starters. So, when people wonder why organic stuff costs so much more... well... for one thing, it's a time-consuming method of production and time is money, too. You couldn't honestly or legally sell your eggs as organic, but you could say they were free-range which indicates humane production practices. Many people will pay a premium for humane products even if they are not organic. Edited October 10, 2010 by Audrey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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