NNNorthern Valley News
Norcia • Regans Ford • Wannamal
Page 12-13
Tamieka Preston
and biosecurity concerns.
Poultry grower Rob Kestel welcomes anyone concerned about animal welfare to visit his Gingin farm, where he raises well over 800 000 meat birds per year under contract for Ingams. He believes Australian reared poultry experience some of the best standards in the world, a topic he researched as part of a Nuffield scholarship 4 years ago. After 30 years in the industry, Rob started out as a critic of free-range, mainly because of increased production costs
gingin
$420,000
However he’s glad he made the change, “It’s given us a whole new lease of life on the farm, we love seeing the birds outside.. if you’re passionate about birds, free range is very rewarding”. A consumer-driven decision by Woolworths to stock more free-range meat on their shelves meant Ingams approached Rob about changing to supplying free range. Satisfied that increased production costs would even out with a slightly higher price per bird, Rob converted the farm in 2008.
In Search of Salvado Page 14-15
35
2014
New Norcia celebrates
Bountiful Banksias
March
Bindoon • Bullsbrook • Calingiri • Chittering • Gingin • Muchea • Mooliabeenie • New
Free to range Fortunately Rob built his barns 20 meters apart, and they were fairly easy to convert to free range standards, accommodating outdoor range areas inbetween them that are twice the area inside. Openings were made at 2 meter intervals so that chickens over 21 days old are free to range outside during daylight hours, trees and grass planted, and extra shade huts were built. As a member and deputy chair of FREPA, (Free Range Egg and Poutry Australia) which regulates the standard of free range bird welfare across the industry, Rob is
satisfied that the birds he rears enjoy the highest standard of living possible in an intensive farming environment. He’s not happy about the recent decision by Woolworths to join Coles in a commitment to sell only RSPCA approved chicken meat. This means even free range growers will have to make changes despite already providing better standards for their birds, so that any over-supply can be sold as RSPCA approved. He says it will unnecessarily increase costs for free range growers like himself, who, like most primary producers, teeter on the profit line. More about free range practises on page 10
bindoon
$420,000
BINDOON
$545,000
GUILDERTON
$725,000
15 Strathalbyn Way
254 Forrest Hills Parade
330 Forrest Hills Parade
23 Turner Drive
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