We are frequently asked what the term 'freerange eggs' actually means. Well the answer was simple before politicians colluded with big producers to con consumers. Politicians were asked to change the regulations to protect big producers from legal action by the ACCC which had won a series of prosecutions for mislabelling eggs in breach of consumer laws. Each of the companies increased annual profits by millions of dollars just by adding the words free range to their cartons, so many regarded the fines as simply a cost of doing business. However, the industry had a wake-up call when one shonky operator was hit with $1 million in fines and costs.
Development of the Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals – Domestic Poultry 4th Edition
The Code was approved by the Primary Industries Ministerial Council and printed in 2002, It was a development of an earlier version of the Model Code. Egg farmers realised it was essential for the free range sector of the egg industry to ensure that intensive production standards were not adopted in place of the extensive requirements of the previous code. There has been no science behind high density free range proposals (other than the certainty of increased profits. No scientific review of production processes was undertaken to demonstrate that the standards contained within the voluntary Model Code were no longer applicable to the industry. The stocking density of 1500 hens per hectare for free range hens was developed by applying well established principles of agronomy. The issue of the upper limit on the long term stocking rate was debated strongly at the time, following pressure from local Councils and the EPA about how some farms were operating. Experience was taken into account of people who had farmed free range layers in the 1950’s and 60's, when all egg production was based on free range principles. Hens were often run under citrus trees It was recognised that for an operation to be sustainable, the stocking rate had to be low - less than 300 birds/acre (750/hectare). It was agreed that such a system should be regarded as Free Range egg production and the hens were to have access to the range during daylight hours. There was some dispute by new entrants to the industry who believed that they could design pasture rotation systems around their sheds that would allow higher rates. So it was decided to take an empirical approach and work out what the maximum stocking rate could be to avoid the measurable negative impacts of nutrient run off and soil degradation and still be theoretically possible to maintain pasture cover and avoid the issue of dust. Some argued that as most hens were in sheds at night and may be locked in for part of the day so that only a portion of the hens actually entered the range area at any one time, the impact was lessened. The dairy industry was very big at that time and local agronomists had data on the effects of applying very high rates of poultry manure on irrigated pasture. The agronomists studied the data on the maximum nutrient uptake a well maintained irrigated pasture could support and also avoid the problems of salinity build up observed in the dairy pastures. The stocking rate was calculated and a stocking density of up to 600 birds/acre (1500/hectare) was regarded as the maximum possible for long term sustainability. At the time the Code was approved, it was accepted that to maintain consumer credibility, visitors or passers-by had to see the birds out and about on the range. It was also accepted that there is no valid animal management need to lock in the layers in the morning or during inclement weather. But corporate egg producers, the Australian Egg Corporation and major supermarkets demanded political changes to allow eggs produced in intensive systems to be labelled as free range. The words were simply regarded as a marketing term to increase profits without involving extra work or costs. Supermarkets demanded high volumes of eggs which could not be supplied by traditional free range methods and big producers saw the opportunity to cash in on consumer demand Politicians complied and approved a freerange definition permitting hens to be kept at a density of 10,000 birds per hectare.A laying hen produces half a cubic metre of manure a year. So with a stocking density of 10,000 hens per hectare, Animal health and land sustainability are at risk as farmers who follow the advice will see their land covered with 5000 cubic metres of manure per hectare every year.
As chicken manure has the highest amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium of all manures, it can render the land useless for farming within a few years. Contamination of groundwater and water courses will also result. Set up your own genuine freerange farm with help of our eBook.
