How do you spot a good egg? We asked the Kubát family farm
"In the beginning, all we had was credits and enthusiasm. Plus, we were struggling with legislation. At the time we were one of the first farmers who decided to free range hens," recalls Ilona Kubátová, who farms with her husband Petr in Jezero near Sázava. They left Prague years ago as teachers to revive the restored property, where where they now keep four and a half thousand laying hens.
"We are proud of the term 'family farm'. The socialist regime forced my husband's family out of Jezero and left almost the entire property in ruins, so we had to completely renovate it. It cost us a lot of effort, but we wanted to continue our family tradition," says Ilona, leading us straight to the chickens.
The rules of the henhouse
It is shortly after noon when we enter the run, which is gradually filling up with curious beaks. "The hens quickly and happily get used to a certain routine. Ours lay in the morning or mid-morning, so we let them out of the shed after lunch so they can be out and about until the evening. As soon as it gets dark, they come back inside on their own, and then we just close the door," says Ilona, describing the schedule in the henhouse. There are certain conditions that free range hens must meet:
"The legislation does not specify how much time the hens have to spend outside, but it does require free access to outdoor areas and the minimum enclosure size, which is 4 m² per animal. Just for comparison, a hen in a cage lives on an area the size of an A4 sheet of paper and cannot practically turn around."
"The enclosure and the aisles in the sheds also reduce mortality in the flock. The weaker hens can escape from the dominant females who naturally attack the others," Peter joins the conversation and explains why we don't see drinking or feeding on the property. It's a precaution against bird flu, which could be carried in by wild birds such as ducks. In addition to hygiene, it is also necessary to keep an eye out for predators.
Chicken diet
The quality of eggs is determined not only by ethics but also by taste. This is mainly influenced by the feed, and the Kubáts partly provide this themselves. "We don't buy any commercial mixes for the laying hens. We grow corn and wheat on our own hectares and rented land. We have also tried sowing soya beans, but they don't do well in our region," says Petr. He put together the feed mix after consulting experts: corn, wheat and soya are supplemented with minerals and vitamins, a little rapeseed oil and calcium to strengthen the shell.
"Maize is more expensive, but in my opinion it is the main contributor to the taste of the eggs. If you only feed your hens leftovers, you can't expect them to lay as well as if you give them a good meal," says Ilona. "Hens hate fluctuations and a change in feeding will show up the very next day. Laying then fluctuates significantly, and we breeders can't afford that. We have a responsibility to our customers, unlike home breeding."
It is worth noting that it is the feed in this case determines the organic certification. If the hens were fed organic pecking, the Kubáts could mark their eggs as organic, too. "We considered an organic scheme, but we would have had to buy all organic wheat and organic corn. With our number of hens, the price per egg would increase so much that we couldn't compete in the market," explains Peter, emphasising the well-being of the hens who run around without fear.
It may surprise you, but according to the Kubáts, movement does not have a major impact on the quality and characteristics of the eggs. "Green grass is an important addition to the feed, but not the main ingredient that would significantly alter the taste and colour of the yolk. On the other hand, laying hens outdoors absorb vitamin D and this is transferred to the eggs," Ilona reflects, leading us to the sorting room.
From the nest to the box
Previously, the Kubáts had only one hutch and collected the eggs in a basket, weighed them on a kitchen scale and stamped them themselves. Later, they expanded the farm by adding two more sheds and built so-called laying nests. "Underneath the nests you will see a special belt that carries fresh eggs to the sorting plant. The eggs are clean and do not lie on the ground for long. The eggs are also automatically stamped with the breeding number and sorted according to size," Petr shows us as he puts the eggs into trays. The orders are packed by hand.
"The sorter has scales set according to EU standards and divides the eggs into the normal categories of S, M and L. When some weigh less than 50 g, they are put away as substandard eggs. As well as eggs with cracks, which we can detect by screening," continues Peter. He culls about thirty unsaleable pieces a day. On the day we were in Jezero, the hens there laid around two thousand eggs. The small or broken ones are usually sold to make egg melange. At home, their children and friends eat them.
Laid, counted!
Egg laying varies according to the breed, age and breed of the hen. The Kubáts have chosen bovans brown, a lightweight laying hen bred to be more hardy. "Our hens have a laying rate of around 85%, so they lay an average of 8.5 eggs in ten days. In cage breeding, it can be as high as 93%," notes Peter. "Sometimes the hens lay eggs in the afternoon in a run where we can't find them, so the percentage goes down. We simply have to take that into account."
Breeders also take into account the lifecycle of hens. "The production period of a laying hen lasts about a year, after which the laying rate decreases. However, we don't kill the hens, but offer them for a symbolic price to the breeders or give them away in the neighbourhood," says Ilona, admitting: "We are sorry, but we need the hens in the best possible condition to maintain stable production and to meet our supplier commitments."
During our visit, we also get to see the young chickens. "They are 17 weeks old, so we have to wait two or three weeks. The chickens don't tolerate it at all yet, or they leave the eggs outside the nest because they are still getting used to it," explains Peter, picking up a tray of small dirty eggs. The moment when the hens are ready to lay is indicated, among other things, by a fully grown comb.
From hens to restaurants
The Kubáts work with a number of businesses and personally tie them up. "So far, we have not received any complaints. Only once did the chefs get a call saying that our eggs are too fresh, so they don't peel well when cooked. We agreed to let them rest in the warehouse," says Petr, who also supplies Eska in Karlin every week. There, they process about 3,600 eggs a week. An egg costs around CZK 6 without VAT, a fair price which strengthens mutual trust.
"Most of our customers are mainly interested in the way we breed. Society is growing up and many people don't agree with large-scale production and caging," says Ilona. "For us, free range is the norm, we want to give our hens freedom. At the same time, we don't judge anyone. Everyone has the right to choose who and what they want to support."
The hens pecking at our shoelaces are obviously happy. Probably a sign that it's time to move on!
