It surprises me sometimes that it is not really clear that organic poultry must always be free range. As part of the organic certification we have to let the ducks out unless the weather would be so bad that their welfare would suffer. The Soil Association (our inspection body) are very strict on this rule and we have to provide food, water and shelter from predators on the range to make sure the birds really do go out. After reading a free range duck egg producer's marketing material that reassures it's customers that in the winter the ducks don't go out as they don't like wet weather, i was intrigued to find what if any rules actually made sure that these ducks were really free range. There are EU rules about range size and access but the area is quite small and there doesn't seem to much regulation of them. When i see how far our ducks range in the day and how they enjoy dabbling in the mud it seems a shame not to let them have loads of space. Mind you all that walking probably means that they are not efficient egg laying machines and with the price of organic feed being over £400 per tonne we could really do with an egg a day. I'm sure that like the slow grown meat birds, a completely stress free duck must lay a better tasting egg and they do taste fantastic, but it may be a while before Elsa makes her fortune!
www.elsaseggs.co.uk