Nature Features

2008 was a tumultuous year for Castel Farm Eggs as the business changed hands following the international bird flu scare and a fire in one of the farm's packing sheds.

The chickens out in the field

A year after the business changed hands we took a look behind the scenes.

The farm houses 12,000 chickens and produces more than 7,500 eggs everyday all of which need to be collected and graded before being sent on to shops, restaurants and hotels around the island.

Kevin Sorrel from the farm said: "We are just about keeping up with demand" as the business' attempt to reassert itself is proving rather more successful in a shorter time than expected.

Kevin continued: "It's been hard work to bring it all back together." "With so many eggs to collect each morning it is not surprising.

While not free range the chickens do head outside

"Every morning we go to the barns and check all the chickens are ok," Kevin explained. "Then we throw the doors open to let them out. They are regularly fed, but that's on a machine basis set by timers... and we just go in and collect the eggs."

Though Kevin admitted the chicken were not technically free range due to the area of available land they are left to roam their enclosure freely during the day (though they do not like going outside in the rain).

He explained that you can tell when they are healthy as "you can hear them, and tell by their feathers and their scratching around. If they're not well they are fairly dormant and just stand there".

As the business continued to expand Kevin said their plans as of October 2009 were to increase the outside area and introduce more chickens so the company could keep up with local demand for fresh eggs.