Don't be fooled by yolk colour

At some times of year yolk colour will not be as vibrant as usual.  It is usual  for  green feed to disappear from  paddocks with the heat of summer or the cold of winter. The carotenes in green grass help to produce vibrant, bright yolks. To fool their customers, most egg producers put manufactured colouring additives in their poultry feed to maintain an illusion, some people have allergic reactions to the colourings and conclude that eggs are bad for them. It's not eggs causing the problems.  We refuse to adulterate the food we give our hens. So always expect variations in yolk colour. Be suspicious if the yolk colour is always the same (even within a one dozen egg pack).

Many of those additives are synthetic - adding to the chemical cocktail mix in food. But even those which are claimed to be 'natural'  can present health problems. They may be derived from natural products but they are manufactured in factories – often in China.

Three of the most widely used egg yolk pigmenters are:

Canthaxanin or Canthaxanthin which appears to be an unsafe additive. It can cause violent diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps, dry and itchy skin, hives, and other side effects such as breathing problems; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, tongue or throat; a skin rash or hives and is particularly dangerous for pregnant or breast-feeding women or people allergic to vitamin A or carotenoids.

Capsicum

Allergic reactions to capsicum may occur. People should stop eating eggs with capsicum-based colouring and seek emergency medical attention if they experience symptoms of a serious allergic reaction including difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives.

Other less serious side effects have also been reported such as upset stomach; migraine; heartburn; diarrhea; or burning sensation in the mouth or throat.

Use of Capsicum is not recommended for pregnant women.

Marigold

Some people experience breathing problems, tightness in the chest, swelling of the mouth, tongue or throat. A skin rash or hives may occur.

Be more self-sufficient

 Current food and fuel shortages caused by war in the Middle East has brought home to many people the benefits of self-sufficiency, Grow your own food.

Australia’s food is mainly produced in rural areas and consumed in our cities, where most of the population lives. To chase sales, many food producers create high production by following intensive growing systems. However, top quality food is usually provided by low-volume producers following traditional farming methods with limited or no chemical inputs.The Freeranger Eggs farm at Grantville in Australia is an example of sustainable farming. The farm management plan takes a three pillars approach to how the farm operates. Animal welfare is one pillar, but equally important are land sustainability and food safety. Anne and Phil Westwood have encouraged similar free range farms to be set up around Australia.

The concept is to minimise the environmental footprint of egg production whilst maximising quality for consumers. Small scale production results in better animal health by effective disease control compared with intensive animal husbandry . It also allows the eggs to reach consumers far more quickly than industrial systems where eggs spend weeks or even months in warehouses.

Eggs to order

 Eggs laid on our family farm are supplied to customers within a day or two. You'll never find fresher eggs. As the hens are raised on pasture with a natural diet and total free-range access 24/7, there are no tastier eggs. You will never find our eggs in a supermarket. the eggs are laid to order, and we only supply local regular customers.Order by phone or email. At times we also have hens available for people who want their own fresh eggs .  As a result of our farming methods, the farm has a very low carbon footprint  making our eggs better than carbon neutral,they are carbon negative. our farm received international recognition in 2012 when we won the Energy Globe award for Australia. The International Energy Globe Awards (the World  Awards for Sustainability) have been presented annually in Austria since 1999 to recognise projects that 'make careful and economical use of resources and employ alternative energy sources.' ​ Demand for our eggs is always greater than the supply available so  new customers need to order in advance.Each week we are beset by IT firms offering SEO services which they claim will boost our sales. Clearly that is impossible as we already sell everything we produce and have no spare eggs looking for  intermittent customers.

More farms needed close to townships

 

Free range farms need to be set up close to townships so customers aren't forced  to travel far to buy fresh produce.if you’ve ever thought about setting up your own free range farm, wait no longer. Our eBook on establishing a free range egg farm is available at any time. At a cost of just $245. It is a low-cost way of providing all the ideas and tools needed to establish your egg business and will help you prepare your own application to your local Shire to set up a free range farm. There's no need to engage a costly consultant to write the application for you. Free range egg production is a niche market which is why genuine free range eggs are never found in supermarkets Once payment is made, the eBook will be emailed as a Portable Document File (PDF). send payment to our  Bendigo Bank account.P &A Westwood BSB 633 000 Account 153356233

Set up your own free range farm

 Strong consumer demand for genuine free range eggs has generated a big increase in the number of people thinking about starting their own free range egg business. A good starting point is reading an eBook on starting a free range farm available from us at Freeranger Eggs. Detailed information is available about things like shed requirements, food safety, egg packaging and labelling. When deciding to set up a free range egg farm, take the time to plan it properly. With the right zoning of your land, keeping chickens may be an as-of-right use. Find out the zoning of the land and talk to your local Council planning department about their requirements. Planning authorities have guidelines which allow applicants and planners to meet requirements for establishing a low density mobile outdoor poultry farm with a capacity of no more than 5000 birds.

A development plan needs to contain the information that planners expect from a planning application. It outlines the way in which the facility will be sited, built and managed to meet the objectives and standards of the guidelines. Prepare your own planning application, rather than employ a consultant : Contact us freeranger@dcsi.net.au

Small is Best

 Demand for free range eggs is not just booming in Australia. Americans are also turning their backs on factory-farmed eggs. A report by Watt Poultry says the number of small egg farms registering with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has surged according to the FDA’s consumer safety officer,Gerardo Ramirez. On January 26 he told the United Egg Producers food safety committee that small egg farms now outnumber large operations (farms with 50,000 or more hens) by more than three to one. He said that small producers accounted for 634 of the 749 new farm registrations in 2025, representing 85% of growth in the sector.

Point of lay Isa Brown pullets available

 Until more free range farms are established, the best idea for lovers of good food is to have their own chickens. Point of lay Isa Brown chickens. 20 weeks old and fully vaccinated against all common illnesses, will be available in late April at our Grantville farm for $35 each. Email or call Freeranger Eggs to place orders. Freeranger@dcsi.net.au 0356788483