The British Lion mark used on eggs is the UK’s leading food safety mark, a senior representative from the British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) has said.

Addressing the recent egg conference organised by Parklands Veterinary Group, BEIC Technical Adviser, Mike Tyers said more than 80% of consumers recognise the Lion mark.

It is a level of recognition that is more than double that of other egg assurance schemes and also above that of the Red Tractor scheme used in other sectors. The origins of the Lion mark go back to 1988 when Junior UK Health Minister Edwina Currie issued a warning about salmonella in eggs.

Sales of eggs collapsed, prompting the industry to work with scientists and vets to restore consumer confidence.

The first version of the Lion scheme was introduced in 1998 and included a code of practice for salmonella vaccination of hens.

“We have solved the salmonella issue in the UK, but it is still a problem in parts of Europe,” said Tyers, who added that given the disease prevalence elsewhere, it is important for the UK egg industry not to get complacent.

The latest version of the Lion code of practice (Version 8) was published in 2023 and now incorporates world-leading standards around food safety and animal welfare.

“There is no point having an assurance scheme that just runs at the legal minimum.

“You must be above the legal minimum to be effective and secure a route to market and defend against any criticism,” said Tyers.

Over 90% of UK eggs are now produced under the Lion scheme.

Avoiding losses due to poultry red mite

There are many products on the market for the treatment of poultry red mite, but there is a range in effectiveness and some of these products are not easily applied, maintained Katie Pitman from MSD Animal Health.

In 2017, MSD launched a new product called Exzolt, which is administered via drinking water on two occasions, seven days apart, thereby disrupting the normal life cycle of the mite. “It destroys the nervous system of the mites – it works on the blood feeding stage. When mites feed, they die,” said Pitman.

To ensure birds receive their full allocation of the medicated water, they should be kept in for the day and have access to no other sources of water.

Poultry Red Mites are nocturnal feeders, which hide during the day in cracks, crevices, perches and general clutter within the house. When treating birds, it is good practice to tidy inside the non-bird areas of the house, thereby encouraging the mites to come out to feed.

“You need every mite in the house to feed,” said Pitman.

She also highlighted the importance of good biosecurity, with overalls and footwear regularly changed to prevent the house becoming re-infected post treatment.

Monitor water consumption daily in flocks

Water intake in laying hens stimulates feed intake and ultimately drives performance of the flock, maintained Caroline Hall from Parklands Veterinary Group.

“Birds consume 1.6 times more water than feed [on a weight basis]. Read your water meter every day at the same time.

“You will see any increase or decrease in consumption – it is an early warning that something is wrong,” she advised.

During her presentation, Hall highlighted the importance of regularly checking the pressure in water lines and that the flow rate to drinkers delivers 60 to 70ml of water per minute.

Drinkers should be set at a height to ensure the bird’s neck is slightly stretched upwards when consuming water.

She also maintained that water quality is very variable across NI, especially for those using borewells.

The water should be tested every three months and a continuous water sanitisation system installed.