Greendale Farm Shop near Exeter has decided to give away eggs for free, after being included in a 'high-risk area' meaning they still have to house their birds.

Although Defra has deemed that the major threat caused by Avian Influenza has passed, some poultry keepers still have to keep their birds inside.

This means that some shops, including Greendale Farm Shop, have to keep their birds indoors, and this has meant a surplus of eggs has developed.

Instead of selling their eggs at below cost price the shop decided to give their eggs away for free to customers, as a thank you gift.

Rowan Carter, director at Greendale Farm Shop, said: "Not being allowed to let our chickens out has resulted in a massive decline in our egg sales.

"People come to Greendale to see, feed, play and buy eggs from our free range chickens and now that we are being forced to keep them indoors they aren't buying our eggs.

"So much so that in order to balance our egg numbers and to keep only the freshest eggs in stock we have been faced with either selling our surplus eggs on the wholesale markets where they are snapped up by the discounting supermarkets at below cost price or giving them away to our customers free of charge as a thank you gift.

"I would rather give them away to our great customers who will appreciate them then to sell them below cost price to a discounter.

"By giving them away free of charge we are proving to our customers that we still have chickens, that they haven't gone anywhere and that our eggs are still the best."

What do you think about Greendale Farm Shop giving away their eggs for free? Let us know on our Facebook page, don't forget to give us a like!

For more information on the farm shop please visit greendalefarmshop.co.uk