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The hens are enjoying the cooler, autumnal weather, and it’s lovely to see the fields filled with hens again. Last week, we spent several days moving them onto fresh grass, giving the areas they’ve been using a chance to recover. With very little grass growth over the summer, some areas had become rather bare, so we’ve also been busy harrowing, reseeding and rolling the ground. Now we’re just waiting for a little rain to help the new grass get established.
I’m relieved to share that our solar installation finally appears to be working smoothly! We’ve now gone a whole month without any unexpected power cuts, and I’m gradually learning how to make the most of the system — storing surplus solar energy in the batteries during the day so that the farm can run on its own electricity overnight. It’s quite exciting to see the potential of the solar panels, significantly reducing our reliance on mains electricity, particularly as we gradually move towards electric delivery vans.
Jay’s new electric van has been slightly delayed. Last week, I travelled to London to collect it, only to discover when I plugged it in back at the farm that it would charge at just 7kW rather than the 11kW we’d been promised. So, after a rather wasted journey, the van was promptly returned to the garage!
Meanwhile, I’ve managed to run very low on red diesel on the farm, which is slightly concerning when I use the tractor every day to move eggs! Several weeks ago, I contacted a couple of suppliers but was surprised by how expensive diesel had become, so I decided to hold off in the hope that prices would fall. Unfortunately, each time I’ve called back, the price has increased further. I’m now hoping the recent G7 announcement to release emergency oil and diesel reserves will bring prices down, preferably before I desperately need to use the tractor again!
Bird flu
Sadly, the first confirmed case of bird flu in the UK this autumn was reported late last week in Scotland. Although it’s a significant distance from us, it’s a firm reminder that we need to increase our biosecurity precautions as we head towards winter.
Several months ago, I explored taking out insurance specifically to protect the business against bird flu, but unfortunately couldn’t obtain cover. We therefore need to do everything we can to protect our hens, and I remain hopeful that a decision will eventually be made to allow vaccination of commercial poultry.
Our new home delivery website
It’s with a little nervousness that I share some exciting news — from Monday 12th October, we’ll be launching our new home delivery website!
The new website works in a similar way to Amazon’s subscription service and should make managing your regular egg deliveries much easier. You’ll be able to see your upcoming deliveries and add or remove items for individual deliveries, giving you more flexibility and control over your orders.
We’re nearly finished testing everything, but I’ve learnt over the years that you never really know whether a new system will work perfectly until it goes live!
We’re very excited about the improvements this should bring, but please bear with us if there are any teething problems during the first few days. We’ll be working hard to make the transition as smooth as possible.
As always, thank you for supporting Mayfield Eggs.
Gemma & James