Press Release
Clarence Court producers: Alan and Sue Birkett
Wednesday 20th February 2008
Alan and Sue Birkett moved from Gloucester in 1995 having bought The Barracks Farm in Herefordshire in 1990. Although Sue is a farmer’s daughter with a background in arable and beef, she had never produced eggs on a commercial basis before. The couple initially started producing free range eggs for Lloyds but were persuaded to consider Clarence Court following a routine spot-check by the RSPCA.With a passion for ethical egg production, suitable conditions and housing for rare breed hens already in place and a desire to be given a larger monetary return in recognition for their dedication to high animal welfare standards, Alan and Sue became Clarence Court egg producers in 2004.
Alan and Sue have had three Clarence Court flocks to date (and are currently ordering their fourth). Generally speaking, each flock has been made up of 2/3s Old Cotswold Legbars and 1/3 Mabel Pearman Burford Browns. Alan and Sue’s poultry shed houses 4,000 but the couple insist on having no more than 3,200 rare breed birds to ensure the flock has ample room to live out their natural instincts.
A usual day starts at around 7am when Alan checks on the flock. If the weather is warm enough, he will open the pop holes to ensure the hens have as much time outdoors as possible. The field attached to the poultry shed has an abundance of cobnut trees, which the hens love to shelter under and apple trees in which to roost.
Sue spends much of the day sorting eggs. Always conscious of Clarence Court’s dedicated following, she is meticulous in ensuring that only the best eggs are chosen. This attention to detail has led to Sue’s hens being as attached to her as she is to them. One bird, Beryl, escorted her son Richard to the school bus every morning (Sue often had to hold her to stop her from actually boarding the vehicle) and would always be waiting for him at the end of the drive at 3:30pm. Another, Ivy, insisted on laying her eggs in the floor egg collection bucket whilst Sue was working. Such was her determination that Sue eventually had to admit defeat and allow Ivy to rule the roost.
Says Sue, “Clarence Court is a respected egg brand, so I care greatly about our flock and do my utmost to ensure they produce the highest quality eggs possible. I am sure sometimes it means that Alan and I are doing this at our own expense, but to me it is vital that we always remember the consumer at the end of the line. If we ensure that every pack looks and tastes fantastic, we will have a very happy and very loyal customer base.”
With such characters, it is not hard to see why Alan and Sue are so enthusiastic about all things fowl, but Sue admits that being a producer also offers other benefits. “Working from home has meant that Alan and I have never had to think about child care for Richard as one or other of us is always about,” says Sue, “We are certainly a closer family as a result. Richard might not have any brothers or sisters but I think he – like us – enjoys having a rather large extended family.”