Rescued Roosters

 

People can be very strange, but the more strange thing is that authorities listen to them. A rooster crowing at first light for example is a natural event, but if neighbours complain, Council’s often move in to kill the offending animal – even though those people may host loud late night parties and disturb weekends with noisy trailbikes. We received two pleas from residents of Bass Coast Shire asking if we would rehome roosters which Council said would have to go. One is a Cochin with feathery feet and the other is a Cream Legbar. We will certainly find places for these proud creatures.

Agriculture aims to be most trusted industry by 2030

 

The National Farmers Federation says it wants agriculture to be Australia’s most trusted industry by 2030. It is developing a national framework for building community trust although it acknowledges that the industry faces issues that may erode community trust and support. Some sectors, such as the egg industry already have a credibility problem with many examples of deceptive labelling in recent years which led to hefty fines following prosecutions by the ACCC. Many big producers make millions in extra profits each year by simply adding the words free range to labels . For them, fines are just a cost of doing business.https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-25/egg-producer-snowdale-holdings-fined-over-free-range-claims/8741706

The NFF said Australian agriculture requires $159.5 billion in new capital to fund its growth ambitions. Traditionally, farm businesses have relied almost exclusively on debt financing for capital.

Freeranger Facebook posts reach over 4000 people in January

 

Freeranger Eggs Facebook page had 4,068 visitors in January, the highest monthly figure for some time. One of the most popular posts was about the importance of rodent control and the threats posed by mice and rats.

Rodents are a major concern on many poultry farms due to spreading diseases, damage and feed loss. This is a major reason for keeping hens in mobile houses which are usually easier to keep rodent-free. Unless steps are taken to prevent their presence, the house mouse (Mus musculus), and black rat (Rattus rattus) may become unwanted (and frequently unnoticed) guests. Sheds are attractive to these freeloaders because they provide a home, food, and water. Both rats and mice only need a hole large enough to pass their head through, as small as a quarter-inch for mice or a half-inch for rats. Once inside the house, they can easily burrow into poultry litter, under nests, into dirt floors, and into insulation in the walls and ceilings. This may go unnoticed, because rodents are active mainly at night when farmers often are not present. Rodents are seldom seen during the day until their numbers reach epidemic proportions. However, even a small population of rodents can cause significant problems that cost money. Possibly, the most obvious problem with rodents is the feed they consume and contaminate. All rodents will eat poultry feed, and they contaminate and ruin much more than they eat. An adult rat eats up to 10% of its bodyweight in feed each day, so a large rodent population may eat several tonnes of feed each year.

Rodent control is also needed in grading rooms and carton storage areas to limit contamination.

We no longer have a Facebook page.

Chickens on collectable cigarette cards

 

In days gone by, cigarette cards were all the rage. There are still avid collectors for cards on all sorts of subjects. One popular selection in the 1930’s and ‘40’s was poultry cards,from John Player and Sons, depicting a wide variety of chickens.

Intensive food production systems meet fluctuating consumer demand

Quantity over quality is the rationale behind intensive production techniques in the food industry, whether it's eggs. meat, grains or vegetables.

Balancing supply with demand has always been as issue for small egg producers like us – particularly in an area which is a holiday destination. A boom in demand as holidaymakers descend on the region, followed by a slump when they return home has been a natural cycle of business since we started producing eggs. But now, we have the added problem of fluctuating Government travel restrictions in response to the Covid19 pandemic. Big producers with coolrooms full of stockpiled eggs, are able to cope without missing a beat – just load up the trucks and send eggs off to the stupidmarkets.

However, selling quality, fresh eggs, is rather more challenging as we have no stockpiles to plunder when customers need extra supplies. Theres is no question that intensive egg producers are better able to supply fluctuating market demands compared with boutique egg farms meeting niche market requirements.