For more animal welfare

“Genuine Carinthian organic egg!” soon on Billa shelves

"Genuine Carinthian organic egg": this is the new egg on Carinthia's Billa shelves.

(Bild: Elisa Aschbacher)

More regionality, more animal welfare, more income: A new Carinthian farming project (almost) closes the regional egg cycle. 

The Chamber of Agriculture (LK), Billa, Lagerhaus and Eierring Herzogstuhl want to ensure even more regionality in egg sales. "Laying hens are no longer purchased from other provinces, but reared directly in Carinthia," says LK poultry consultant Gerda Weber. "In other words, a genuine Carinthian egg!" say the initiators. Only the incubation process for this "genuine Carinthian egg" does not take place here. Because we don't have a hatchery.

Gerhard Haubmann and Edelbert Schmelzer (Rewe), Jakob Oberzaucher (Lagerhaus), Sabine Imp-Ratz (Billa), Stefan Wakonig (Eierring Herzogstuhl), Dieter Obereder (Geflügelwirtschaft Kärnten), Chamber of Agriculture President Siegfried Huber (from left to right).

(Bild: Wilfried Pesentheiner)

Available on Billa shelves from mid-April
"But the organic chicks are delivered to us immediately after hatching, reared until they are 18 weeks old and then taken to organic laying hen farms," says Weber. Before they hit the Billa shelves next week, the eggs are packed at Eierring Herzogstuhl. Not to forget: the feed. "They are fed with raw materials from the compound feed factory," says Jakob Oberzaucher from Lagerhaus, guaranteeing organic quality. For LK President Siegfried Huber, "the project makes an important contribution to regional supply security".

Advantages of the project

• The laying hen farm knows the breeder, the barn and the requirements in terms of husbandry.
• Re-housing and starting on the production farm is less stressful and more animal-friendly.
• Healthy animals can start laying optimally and also reach the laying peak better.
• More saleable eggs mean more income.
• Direct contact with the feed supplier and faster feed orders.
• In the event of problems, you are immediately on site.
• The packing station hopes that better shelf placement will lead to follow-up orders and increased sales.

For Dieter Obereder, chairman of the poultry industry, "these eggs are from a genuine Carinthian circular economy". Five companies are on board. More are being sought. In addition to the organic eggs, there will soon be genuine Carinthian barn and free-range eggs.