I agree absolutely with Jane Green above - nothing changes Tesco's behaviour except a dent in its profits. I am also boycotting Tesco & go out of my way to shop at other supermarkets.
A Greenwood, Cambridge

A greenwood, Cambridge,

I shop on a tight budget but have found that free range eggs are no more expensive. Asda do a free range eggs that are very reasonably priced . And on my local market on Tuesdays you can get a whole tray of free range small eggs from local farmer for £3.00. As for chicken, i dont eat it at all, if i can afford a free range chicken fine but i will not eat one of those cheap chickens never. And i have to admit the chicken is flying of the shelves as Tesco would like you to beleive.
I think Hugh and Jamie did well in this subject and we should all go bak to basics by using a loacl reputable butcher who him self buys local. I also refuse to buy any thing other than British.

joanne bowen, SHROPSHIRE, England

I've decided to boycott Tesco until they stop selling battery chicken and eggs from battery chickens. I hope that others do the same. The only thing that will make Tesco do anything is a threat to their profits.

Jane Green, cambridge, uk

Open message to Jamie oliver & Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall.
I have been watching the recent programmes regarding the state of chicken farming and egg production and whilst i was not totally oblivious to the general practice i was disgusted by some of the things i viewed. Neither my parnter or i will stop buying and eating chicken or eggs, but we have made a promice to one another to carefully consider how the chicken and eggs appeared on the shelf and how the were cared for in the short life. It will be nothing less than freedom food labels fromnow on and possibly a boycott of supermarket poultry and we'll be buying from local farm shops for free range only. there seems to be a lack of freedom foods at our local supermarkets so supermarkets BUCK UP YOUR IDEAS before you lose all your customers!!! PS brilliant programmes jamie & hugh!

Andy Piana, Crawley, West sussex

I am sure Roland Oliver's food bill is so much more important than the suffering of millions of sentient birds!!!

I've bought free range eggs for years. If you enjoy a drive round the countryside, there are plenty of opportunities, but be sure they are the geniune article, and the farmer doesn't have a battery out of sight at the back with a few hens roaming free near the gateway to impress the visitors.

I've being paying 1.20 a dozen, which is not a lot.even for someone on a limited income. What concerns me is the use of battery eggs in processed food and the state of broiler chickens, as revealed on Ch 4 this week. Roll on the neccessary improvements!

Rosemary, The Welsh Marches,

About time! So many animals are tortured every day for our food just to save the public a few pence! I just don't understand, no matter how much money I have, I could never buy battery hen eggs knowing how the hens have lived. What is an extra 40p anyway?

kerry, Glasgow,

It's not just eggs, battery chickens - I can't believe the revelations from Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall's programm last night. It's criminal that the supermarkets supply us mutated meat. What about our pork, sausages and bacon - most of it is from holland where the pigs are kept in the dark and have no room to move or turn over ! The supermarkets should be prosecuted.

Sarah Hughes, Winchester, England

Does this mean wherever eggs are used - ie: in other products like cakes, pastry products, etc.?

Stuart Young, Luton , UK

Best news of 2008 so far. I mean there are many awful things on every level but this was an abuse so vile and so uneccessary - one of those things that should be banned tomorrow, not phased out.

David, Lagrasse, France

Stupid, just an increase in price of eggs

Roland Oliver, Oxford,

The people who work on farms useing the caged hen system,as far as I am concerned are barberians.
I would like to see them caged 24 hours a day for a few months.
Good news,better late than never.

David Nigel Braham, Milan, Italy

Does this mean that they will also ban all products containing eggs from battery hens? I think not.

Adrian, London,

Why doesn't it surprise me that Asda and Tesco aren't doing it straight away and haven't set a date. IMO it's very cunning and means they are very unlikely to actually do anything about it. I suspect it's just about the price at the end of the day and many people want something for nothing.

Liz, Yeovil, Somerset

Does anyone know how to tell the difference between an egg from a battery hen and one from a free range bird without cracking it open?
Like organic vegetables, they are indistinguishable.
Or are the supermarkets expecting us all to take their word for it??????

GJB, Slough, Berkshire

Nice idea, but the Co-op already charges ridiculously high prices for most products - I daren't think how much they'll want for 'cruelty-free' eggs.

Gael, Bolton, England

Hooray! A good move. And well done to Jamie Oliver.

D Beatty, London,

All those bemoaning the increased price in grain(bread etc) because the grain is now being used to make fuel will soon be regretting the increased price of eggs unless they all have Jamie Oliver size incomes......

Jones, UK,

Good news. Next step is to ban meat from battery pigs.

David, Cheshire,

Will the supermarkets also ensure that all of the products they sell containing eggs - sandwiches, cakes, ready meals etc - also only contain free range eggs?

Sarah Baker, Essex, UK

I would like to know how many MP's support this cruel practice.
It could be banned this year!

ron, glasgow,

This will do nothing to enhance the price paid to the farmer.
90% of eggs used in the catering trade are from battery eggs, the catering trade buys on price. Eggs are no different to any other agricultural product, they are traded as a commodity, there is only one price for any commodity.
If society and campainers really wish for the demise of the caged egg, they will need to change the buying habits of the catering trade who buy on price and source from anywhere in the world.
Supermarkets know this and well understand that the catering trade will through fierce competition reduce the price paid to the farmer for any commodity produced. Therefore this will move will cost the supermarkets nothing.
The British nation will still be consuming eggs from battery cages on the majority of times they eat out.

David Turton, Rushlake Green, UK