The
Australian Government is spending $3.5 million to develop a
National Food Security Strategy. It says the strategy will be
developed with farmers. industry and the community and the aim is to
boost the productivity, resilience and security of our food system. A
National Food Council has been established to advise on the
development of the strategy. Strong
consumer demand for free range eggs has generated interest all over
Australia in how to start a free range egg business.
A
good starting point is reading the eBook on starting a free range
farm available from 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. Find out the zoning of the land and talk to the local
Council planning department about their requirements. It’s also
worth contacting the State Department of Agriculture. You can access
on-line resources . Once that is sorted, talk to the Council
Environmental Health Department about any specific requirements they
have before getting underway. A mistake made by many people is
buying everything new to set up the farm. Start off by making use of
things you already have such as sheds and equipment. Buying expensive
chicken caravans with automatic nest boxes and feeders will give you
a crippling debt burden and endless pain – so make do with what you
have until you are ready to take another step. It’s essential to
choose the right type of hens. Docile birds with calm temperaments
and which are prolific layers are what’s needed. We have found ISA
Brown’s to be ideal. The
Freeranger Eggs 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. Growth is not a
part of our philosophy. We
need
to encourage people to set up more farms, not upscale existing egg
businesses. We believe that will support more people working the land
fairly and will ensure long-term food security. One key element for
success is to limit spending, If you have a big mortgage and lease
payments on vehicles and equipment, it will be hard to stay in
business. Regular financial payments will be a drain on resources
when there is a drop in revenue
for whatever reason. Pricing will always be important if you aim to
produce top quality eggs. Work out your costings and don’t try to
compete on price because bigger producers will always undercut you,
Academic researchers often produce theories and reports designed to
demonstrate what 'free range' means in the egg industry. Celebrity
chefs usually confine themselves to mistaken comments that bright
yolk colour defines whether or not an egg is free range. Yolk colour
varies, depending on the hen’s diet. If the yolk colour is always a
bright, golden almost orange colour, the hens have almost certainly
been fed colouring additives. Academic findings are usually based on
carefully arranged criteria set by an organisation which funded the
research and expects specific outcomes. Far better to rely on the
experience of those in the industry actually running free range egg
farms. Some people are fixated on the issue of animal welfare and
they lose sight of matters like food safety and land sustainability.
Outdoor stocking density is a key example. Academics found it easy to
come up with results from research on small scale or short term
projects to demonstrate that stocking densities had little or no
impact on hen welfare. But it has been impossible for them to
demonstrate that high densities have no detrimental impact on pasture
quality, pollution of waterways, groundwater and the long term
productivity of the land as a result of excessive nutrient loads.
Some years ago researchers established that the maximum sustainable
stocking density for poultry was 1500 hens per hectare to minimise
land degredation and ensure the long-term viability of the land.
Laying
hens, like most, if not all other animals, perform best when they are
able to follow their natural behaviour. They clearly need shelter,
food and water but they also need to wander around freely to forage,
scratch, dust bathe and interact socially with others in the flock.
There
is growing evidence that eggs from hens raised on pasture have
nutritional benefits over the factory farm versions. To minimise
transport costs and ensure fresh deliveries to customers, free range
farms should be established close to townships throughout the
country. freeranger@dcsi.net.au
Tel 0356788483
