National Agriculture Day - November 20

 There are almost 88,000 farm businesses in Australia today and things are looking bright. 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  time to plan  properly, think about low cost options and check your options, Find out the zoning of the land and talk to your local Council planning department about their requirements. It’s also worth contacting the State Department of Agriculture. Prepare your own planning application, rather than employ a consultant.

Contact us at freeranger@dcsi.net.au

For more details, follow us on Facebook or read posts on this Blog.

Our eBook costs $245 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

Poultry welfare claims

 Big, corporate egg producers often try to justify intensive production systems by suggesting that cage-free or free range flocks have lower welfare standards than their cage or barn systems. At a recent industry gathering, a US professor claimed that hens outdoors face increased exposure to multiple ectoparasites including red mites and lice. She said that the complex environments and greater contact with wild birds in these systems create ideal conditions for parasites to establish and spread, causing significant economic losses and welfare problems for producers. She says the outdoor hens are being exposed to a wider range of ectoparasites. with greater contact with wild birds, give parasites a chance to establish themselves. What she and the big producers ignore is that crowded conditions for hens, or any animals is far more likely to create parasite or infection problems. Sunlight is a great sanitiser and an open air lifestyle has its own health benefits.

Freeranger Farm at the heart of massive wildlife and bushland linkages

 Friends of the Earth Melbourne has announced that 2,155 hectares of land has been added to the Brataualung Forest Park in the Strzelecki Ranges. The land was promised by the State Government back in 2008 as part of a deal to link existing reserves at Gunyah Gunyah to Tarra Bulga National Park. The Governor of Victoria signed the gazettal of land into law on the 8th of October 2026. This a major part of the wildlife corridor stretching down to Westernport. The wildlife corridor mapped in the Regional Sand Extraction Strategy , Lang Lang to Grantville. Which was gazetted in 1995 is an essential part of this biolink. Key movers in the success were identified as Susi Zent from Friends of Gippsland Bush and Anne Westwood from Trust for Nature, Friends of Bass Valley Bush and Freeranger Eggs, Grantville.

The Freeranger property provides the only link between the Grantville Narure Conservation Reserve and the Bass River – a vital part of the regional corridor. Bass Coast Shire Council has been a major hurdle in the protection of native vegetation and wildlife because Councillors have a complete lack of understanding of these issues. They did not bother to read the sand Extraction Strategy so they don't realise that it is a powerful tool to protect native vegetation in the vital wildlife corridor. It was the result of huge community input as well as consultations with industry and Government Departments. Research produced full flora and fauna species lists for the interest area. Correspondence with the Shire revealed that councillors deluded themselves into believing the sand strategy enables sand extraction when it actually enables the protection of the woodland wildlife corridor. Bass Coast Councillors have ignored the sand extraction strategy even though it was required to be incorporated into the Shire Planning Scheme.

daylight saving farce tomorrow - dumb politicians

 Clocks return to daylight saving at 3am tomorrow when we say hello to daylight saving time. There's no hope of politicians putting an end to the farce of fiddling with our clocks. The changes impact on farmers and their animals for no good reason.

Egg Values driven by the Sun

 In the same way we humans need sunshine to thrive, chickens need it too. UltraViolet rays from the sun provide essential Vitamin D to people animals and plants.Sunshine plays an important roles in the life and health of a chicken.They are programmed to head into their coop to sleep when the sun is going down. Diminishing hours of daylight in autumn and winter signals to a chicken that it's time to start the annual moult and they have a rest period for a few weeks or months without laying eggs.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. 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)

Top 15 egg blogs in the world

 We received this today " your blog Free Range Eggs has been selected by our panelist as one of the Top 15 Egg Blogs on the web (2026 Edition).

https://bloggers.feedspot.com/egg_blogs/ Feedspot is an RSS Reader that lets you subscribe to blogs, news sites, and any website you want to keep up with.

Stocking density affects bird health and egg quality

 Australian studies revealed the absurdity of intensive free range standards approved by politicians. It showed that free-range chickens spend more time outside when there are fewer hens per hectare and greater outside space available, according to research by the University of New England and CSIRO in conjunction with the Poultry Cooperative Research Centre.

Dr Dana Campbell from the School of Environmental and Rural Science says greater consumer interest in animal welfare is driving change in the laying hen industry in Australia with an increase in free-range farms.

Six small flocks of 150 ISA brown hens were tracked by researchers using radio-frequency identification tracking technology that identified individual hens by their microchipped leg bands.

Each flock had access to one of three different outdoor stocking densities, the first was 2000 hens per hectare, the second 10 000 hens/ha and the third 20 000 hens/ha.

“Hens with the lowest outdoor stocking density of 2000 hens per hectare spent more time outdoors, while  hens housed at the highest stocking density of 20 000 hens/ha spent the least time outside,” Dr Campbell said.

The study found that on average about half the hens were outside simultaneously, using all available areas of the range. This study was probably the first which dealt with genuine free range poultry. Most other researchers confined their work to large industrial-scale flocks, because big business es generally fund the research. the most recent version of the Poultry Model Code was approved by the Primary Industries Ministerial Council and printed in 2002, it was a development of an earlier version. There has been no science or research behind high density free range proposals (other than the certainty of increased profits. No scientific review of production processes has been undertaken to demonstrate that the standards contained within the current voluntary Model Code are 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. Those currently involved in free range egg production agree that the fundamental elements of the Model Code, or other regulations introduced by Governments should be: a maximum stocking density of 1500 hens per hectare; stocking density must be reduced in conditions where pasture or other vegetative cover cannot be maintained at the maximum stocking density.. Access to quality feed and fresh pasture has been shown to improve nutrient values. 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 authority 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​

Ways to start an egg farm

 Farming of any description requires a variety of skills.Learning on the job is often the best way to get into egg production and we have an eBook available to guide everyone through the process of setiing up a poultry farm for egg production. University studies offer an opportunity for people to gain skills for a career in the poultry industry. Several universities in Australia offer tertiary education involved in poultry research and education, including:

Deakin University

Deakin’s School of Life and Environmental Sciences encompasses a range of disciplines. Poultry – related research can be undertaken in the area of Biomolecular Sciences and in particular, molecular and immunological characterisation of egg white and egg yolk allergens for the diagnosis and treatment of egg allergies. The School of Medicine also offers opportunities for those wishing to study in the area of vaccinations, or disease immune responses.

University of Adelaide

Adelaide’s Roseworthy Campus is home to the Pig and Poultry Production Institute, part of the Southern Star Poultry Alliance, who focus on poultry nutrition, welfare and husbandry. Poultry-related studies and research are also conducted in the University of Adelaide’s School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences within the Departments of Production Animal Health, and Animal and Veterinary Bioscience.

University of New England

UNE teaches two poultry specific units, through the School of Environmental and Rural Science.

Chicken sexing system now available for poultry hatcheries

 

Specialised Breeders Australia _{has introduced the first system in this country for hatcheries to identify female chickens before hatching. The system, developed in Germany is known as Cheggy. It detects} differences between brown female and yellow-white male chicks non-invasively through the eggshell with high accuracy on day 13 of incubation. The development allows hatcheries to screen out male embryos and eliminates the need to cull day old chicks.

Check out Freeranger Eggs Facebook Page

 For the latest info about our farm and the egg industry, check our Facebook page

Overkill on Bird Flu orders

 Politicians and bureaucrats in Victoria have  panicked themselves into an absurd ‘Lock up your chickens’ order in a knee-jerk response to a handful of bird flu cases. They never learn. Previous outbreaks have been spread by staff working on multiple intensive production facilities rather than contact with wild birds in open paddocks. Chickens kept in overcrowded conditions are far more susceptible to infections than birds with plenty of space around them.

set up your own free range farm

 There is still a massive shortage of genuine free range egg farms across Australia.

Following strong demand for information about setting up freerange farms an eBook on how to set up a sustainable free range farm is available from us.

Small, ethical and sustainable farm businesses can be established to service local communities.

A good starting point is reading our eBook. Detailed information is provided 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 Council planning department about their requirements. It’s also worth contacting the State Department of Agriculture. You can find on-line resources in most states. Once that is sorted, talk to your Council Environmental Health Department about any specific requirements they have before you get underway.

Details from us at Freeranger Eggs via our facebook page or by email freeranger@dcsi.net.au

cyber attacks on the food industry don't usually hit small producers

 

Cyber attacks on many businesses including those in primary production are being taken seriously because of the threat to food supplies. Major abattoirs, egg producers, grain and vegetable growers have been hit. Small producers have been left alone because our production, distribution and financial systems are not linked or  computerised.

Farm sustainability and regeneration

 Long term farm sustainability and economic production can only  be maintained if farms reflect natural ecosystems. The concept of regenerative agriculture is alien to many, but in Australia, farm management has frequently adapted to changes in commodity prices,  markets, climatic and natural resource conditions. Natural ecosystems are extremely resilient and utilise only renewable inputs. Over thousands of years they  have shown high productivity, an ability to maintain environmental quality and  adaptivness to any natural disturbance. By weaving together the elements of  microclimate, annual and perennial plants, water and soil  management with human  needs, environmental and hollistic farming systems have been shown to be energy efficient and high yielding. An accepted definition of sustainable farming, is an integrated system of plant and animal production having a site-specific application that will, over the long  term: 

• satisfy human food and fibre  needs;
• enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon  which agricultural economies depend; 
• make the most efficient use of non-renewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls;
• sustain the economic viability of farm operations; and
• enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole

It seems like a bit of a mouthful, but it really isn't too hard and it's exactly what we do at  the Freeranger Egg Farm. The Australian Government's  involvement in natural resource management policy has increased since the 1980's,  as the scale and complexity of land and water degradation and loss of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes has been recognised. Landcare has been a useful tool  in promoting incremental changes to natural resource management which boost the  farm system. However, Landcare has limitations as a tool to achieve significant  outcomes in biodiversity conservation and controlling off site impacts. Landcare  has raised awareness of resource management issues in the rural community but  the widespread adoption of more ecologically sustainable farming practices is  constrained by a diversion of financial resources into job creation rather than  on-ground work, a lack of skills and appropriate management technologies.
Our  property is ecologically important because it is a vegetated link between the  Grantville Flora & Fauna Reserve and the Bass River and forms part of the  only riparian forest left on the river.
Farm  activities were designed to minimise off-site and on-site impacts. All creek  lines are vegetated to maintain water quality run off into the Bass. A study  backed by the Federal Government's Envirofund program found that free range  farming practices are viable and have minimal impacts on the environment.
The  study, carried out on five properties in the Port Phillip and Westernport  Catchment Authority area showed  that properly managed free range egg farms have many benefits - including long term sustainability.
The Freeranger Farm was  one of the participants and we believe that low density production is the key to  sustainability. "It doesn't make any real difference whether you are running  cattle, sheep or chickens, if the stocking rate is too high you will run into  trouble" is our philosophy.
It's hard to justify European farming practices  in many parts of Australia - they simply don't work with our soil types and  climate. The current drought is a clear example of the stupidity in trying to  maintain exotic pastures and growing crops which require huge and unsustainable inputs.
Apart from the massive problems of erosion and salinity, the inputs needed to maintain unrealistically high production levels create unhealthy nutrient loads and reduce farm viability over the years.
The report demonstrates that stocking densities have a direct impact on feed costs.  Supplementary feed inputs rose significantly as stocking rates increased.
Once the results were produced in table form it was easy to see that a free range egg farm with a stocking rate of 9 Dry Sheep Equivalent (DSE) per hectare, produced an egg laying rate of 70% with feed consumption of 26 kg per bird per year. A farm with a stocking rate of 75 DSE per hectare produced a lay rate of 65% with feed consumption almost double at 48 kg per bird.
At current prices that's an added cost of nearly $10 a year for each bird - which doesn't sound much until you multiply it over the whole flock. The Freeranger Farm is at the most productive end of the scale.
Pasture management here has been aimed at increasing the amount of native grasses in the vegetated cover. The report shows that soils on the farm are acidic and have relatively low nutrient levels.
We regarded it as counter productive to try to change the soil balance to favour exotic grasses and a management style was chosen with a preference for adapting farm practices to fit the natural soil types on this farm.
Microlaena stipoides is one of  Australia's most important native grasses with a widespread distribution in the  eastern States. Its bright green colour, drought and frost resistance as well as  shade tolerance make it superior to any non-native species as it has evolved for  thousands of years in the dry and unpredictable Australian climate.
It is  easily out-competed by exotic grasses in neutral or alkaline soil conditions,  preferring acidic soils like those at Grantville. During the trial, lime was  only applied to small test sites. The majority of the pasture had no inputs  other than chicken manure from the free-ranging hens and native grass coverage  increased by about 25%. There was also a high level of activity by earthworms and dung beetles.
We appear to have at least two types of dung beetles on the property because there is evidence of activity all year round and some species are known to be dormant over winter.
The farm is a member of the Western Port Biosphere Reserve.

Deep Ecology
 management practices reflect our view that our activities must have minimal negative impacts. We are a part of the environment, not apart from it.

Rural difficulties caused by incompetent bureaucrats, Councillors and Greenies

 It’s hard enough making a living on the land, but its made even more difficult when dealing with incompetent Shire Councillors and staff together with a handful of vocal greenies who are unable to articulate their specific problems.

Bass Coast Shire Council is trying to bully State Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny to expedite approval of draft amendment C181 as a planning overlay which it claims will protect large areas of native vegetation around Western Port.

The areas in question are already protected from the threat of sand extraction by the Regional Sand Extraction strategy Lang Lang to Grantville. Gazetted in 1996. Please contact your local Councillor and demand that the Shire meets its legal obligations. Any of you who support the fringe individuals calling themselves Save Westernport Woodlands, call them and suggest they read the sand extraction strategy before they create a wasteland. The Freeranger Eggs farm is part of the wildlife corridor identified in the Sand Strategy and is a vital link between the Grantville Nature Conservation Reserve and Bass River.

Egg farmers' lament

 The start of winter always reminds us of the major difficulty faced by free range egg farmers. The only way to keep up constant egg production is to have hens locked in climate controlled sheds with full lighting. Genuine free range farming of hens makes it difficult to maintain egg supplies for regular customers and impossible to have spare eggs for occasional buyers who suddenly decide they want to try real free range eggs laid on farms where hens are always free to roam on pasture and only go into sheds to lay their eggs in nest boxes and for protection from predators at night when it's dark..

Egg cartons delivered

 A local friend delivered 1200 egg cartons yesterday after picking them up in Dandenong, They should last us a while before we need to restock. The days have gone when we trucked  cartons on pallets and kept a year’s supply in the shed.  Now, age and health issues have slowed us down so we have cut flock numbers and it’s not economic to buy large quantities. We still print our labels on the farm.

Red tape, taxes and charges kill many enterprises

 Government charges and red tape are killing many operations, large and small. The combination of local Government rates. Land tax and endless compulsory levies  cause many to give up and shut their doors.

Egg production in Australia - More free range farms needed

 A published overview of the Australian egg industry by Food Standards Australia New Zealand says that Egg production initially started here when producers began going beyond just providing for the immediate family and commenced supplying local areas. Over time, increasing flock sizes were needed to meet demand from growing urbanisation in Australia . This has now grown into an industry producing 6.98 billion eggs with a gross production value of approximately $1.37 billion in the 2023-24 financial year (Australian Eggs 2024). Sadly there are only one or two producers such as us at Freeranger Eggs, satisfying local demand for genuine low density free range eggs. There needs to be at least one close to every township.

June 7 - Phil Westwood's birthday and World Food Safety Day

 

Phil Westwood has made it to 80 today despite a few health challenges ( a severe stroke, atrial fibrillation, oedema and a bout ofCellulitis.) That limited his activities around the farm over the past 10 years or so leaving Anne to do all the work. Recently there have been disappointments with local Bass Coast Shire Councillors and a few rabid individuals masquerading as environmentalists trying to overturn a landmark achievement in the Regional Sand Extraction Strategy Lang Lang to Grantville which protected vital native vegetation and identified key biolinks for the wildlife corridor.

The Grantville community, led by Anne and Phil lobbied the Victorian Government to restrict the destruction of native vegetation, wildlife habitat and groundwater resources. The actions from Grantville Action Group Inc. resulted in The Regional Sand Extraction Strategy, Lang Lang to Grantville which protected the natural environmental values by ensuring that cumulative impacts were considered as part of landscape-scale planning rather than allowing ad hoc decisions. The State Government approved the Strategy in 1996. However Shire Councillors and Save Westernport Woodlands individuals don’t like the strategy and are determined to destroy it.