A good diet of mulberries, grain and loving care Girls lay golden eggs

By CHRIS EARL

THERE’S more than 200 chickens laying eggs every day for Campbell Harcourt.

The East Loddon P12 College Year 6 student has built his poultry empire in less than 12 months at the family’s Pompapiel farm,

“Mum (Sharon) asked if I wanted to be the farm poultry manager. We started with five, a few months later another five and now we have more than 200,” said Campbell who loves the personality of the ISA brown chickens and the eggs they lay.

“The first 10 I still know well ... the first I named Tinker. All the chickens in the world even have their own personality.

“Some are crazy running around, some are nice and calm and gentle and there are a few who are the noisy bunch.

“One chicken thinks she is a rooster and tries to crow.”

Campbell said some of the cheeky chickens had flown into the orchard to munch on mulberries, fancying a dessert after their usual nourishment of grains and lucerne.

He says the nutritious diet is now producing eggs with a rich golden orange yoke favoured by a growing clientele of family, school teachers and even being added to the menu at Inglewood’s Cafe 3517.

The rapid expansion of Campbell’s egg production at Pompapiel has been given the tick of approval by Agriculture Victoria and Loddon Shire.

With help from his parents and older brother Tom, a family kitchen table meeting refined Campbell’s company logo and then set about ordering egg cartons for order deliveries.

Campbell said he wanted a carton design and logo that was ”very eye-catching but with not too much detail”.

With the colours and key words, he signed off on the Golden Girls logo that now emblazons dozens of full cartons sold around the district every week.

“I check the eggs to make sure there are no cracks and stamp them with the date they are layed,” Campbell said.

“You have to fit in with the regulations and you have to make sure an egg can be traced.

“We love our chooks and the eggs and that’s how we came up with the slogan for Golden Girls Egg Co - loved chooks, loved eggs.”

Among the enthusiastic early customers has been Cafe 3517 co-owner and teacher Brooke Smyth who was introduced to Campbell’s eggs last year.

“In the end I couldn’t keep up with demand from teachers and started to increase the number of chickens,” the young entrepreneur said.

Campbell does keep some eggs back for his own use - a double-period of home economics at school every Wednesday has him whipping up culinary delights while in the family kitchen chocolate brownies - using two eggs - is a favourite but perhaps beaten by a mud cake straight out of the oven topped with whipped, thick cream.

His enthusiasm for eggs and growing the poultry business beyond the current 200 birds is matched by the fun of learning at school where he did Year 7 mathematics last year, has just auditioned for a role in the school’s 2023 production of Matilda and again is taking mathematics as a specialist subject.

Mum Sharon says that between feeding, collecting, stamping and packaging eggs for customers, Campbell researches the bird and cooking on the internet.

“I’d like to do a course in poultry,” Campbell quickly adds.

“The birds can be smart and funny some times and then at other times they can be dumb as well.”

Campbell and elder brother Tom, into the second year of a farm traineeship, have their areas of responsibility. Sharon says Tom is the sheep manager. Campbell agrees with his mother that the original chickens that set up the burgeoning empire will be sold in another nine months, still good for laying eggs but off the boil for full-scale production after 18 months on the roost.

“When I started in term two last year, the goal was to have enough eggs for my family and grandparents. The demand has just taken off and we keep getting more chooks,” he said.

Employment

Declaration Of Boating Activity Exemption

Loddon Shire Council as the declared waterway manager for Loddon River (at Bridgewater between Flour Mill Weir and Sweeneys Lane), makes the following declaration under section 203(3) of the Marine Safety Act 2010 (Vic). For the purposes of boating activity conducted by the Bridgewater Water Ski Club Inc, persons and vessels involved in the 2023 Victorian Water Ski State Titles are exempt from the following requirements:

State Rules made under the Marine Act 1988

1. Clause 2(a) – must not exceed 5 knots within 50 metres of a person in the water.

2. Clause 2(c) – must not exceed 5 knots within 50 metres of another vessel.

Waterway Rules made under the Marine Safety Act 2010 / Marine Act 1988

3. Clause 62.2 of Schedule 62 – 5 knot speed restriction within waters not speci ed as Exclusive Use and Special Purpose Areas between Flour Mill Weir and Sweeneys Lane.

4. Clause 62.6(a) of Schedule 62 – Exclusive Use and Special Purpose Area for Slalom and Ski Jumping - modi ed to allow for trick skiing.

5. Clause 62.7(d) of Schedule 62 – Operating times for the Exclusive Use and Special Purpose Area for ‘Water Skiing’.

Marine Safety Regulations 2012

6. Regulation 100(3) – Persons on vessels must wear a PFD of type speci ed at all times when underway on inland waters

7. Regulation 103 – A person being towed must wear a PFD.

8. Regulation 104(1) – Master must ensure all occupants of vessel wear a PFD.

9. Regulation 104(2) – Master of a vessel must not operate the vessel unless persons onboard when underway or being towed wear a PFD.

Subject to the conditions detailed below:

 Masters of participating vessels are only exempt from items 1 & 2 when undertaking rescue responsibilities to retrieve persons in distress, provide for their initial medical or other needs and deliver them to a place of safety on shore.

 Masters of participating vessels are only exempt from items 3 to 5 for the duration of the events.

 ‘Trick’ skiers being towed are only exempt from items 6 & 7 provided they wear a bright coloured top.

 Masters of participating vessels are only exempt from items 8 & 9 when towing water skiers who are participating in trick events, and when retrieving waters skiers who are participating in trick events and exempt from wearing a PFD.

 All persons on vessels and skiers associated with the event must wear a PFD (unless exempt from item 7 in accordance with these conditions), and vessels must have all prescribed safety equipment, including rescue vessels.

 Should vessels or persons not involved in the event enter the exclusion zone, the event must be stopped until the unauthorised vessel or person has moved outside of the zone.

 The exemptions apply from 7:00am to 7:00pm on 25 – 26 March 2023 within the exclusion zone waters of the Loddon Riverbetween the Calder Highway Bridge and the boat ramp at Sweeneys Lane.

 The exemptions apply provided the stated safety controls and undertakings detailed in the application form and associated documentation are adhered to.

BY ORDER OF LODDON SHIRE COUNCIL

2 March 2023

Notice Of Boating Activity Exclusion Zone

Marine Safety Act 2010

Loddon Shire Council as the declared waterway manager for the Loddon River at Bridgewater between Flour Mill Weir and Sweeneys Lane, hereby gives notice under section 208(2) of the Marine Safety Act 2010 (Vic) that the waters of the Loddon River between the Calder Highway bridge and the boat ramp at Sweeneys Lane are prohibited to all persons and vessels not registered to take part in the 2023 Victorian Water Ski State Titles. The exclusion zone takes e ect between 7:00am and 7:00pm from Saturday 25 to Sunday 26 March 2023.

BY ORDER OF LODDON SHIRE COUNCIL 2 March 2023

SALES POSITION - FULL TIME

Miller Ag Supplies - Pyramid Hill

Miller Ag Supplies is seeking an enthusiastic and energetic person to work in our Pyramid Hill shop.

Miller Ag Supplies is an independent locally owned business, committed to providing great products and service to our customers. This position would suit someone looking to commence or continue their career in Agricultural retail. This position is full time, and you will be required to work some Saturday mornings on a roster.

For a full job description please check our website millerag.com.au/job-opportunities/ Applications close on Monday March 20, 2023.

WANTED WANTED

Agistment Wanted

Agistment for 100 sheep in exchange for fencing, plumbing or maintenance

Salisbury West area

Phone Neil 0417353929

The role will suit a candidate with true passion for community sport. You will create unique sporting coverage of events ranging from Auskickers playing their first game to the our local clubs battling for grand final glory. You will engage with our audience via traditional print as well as online and social media.

Apart from exceptional verbal and written skills, the right candidate will possess excellent time management and the ability to work towards tight and competing deadlines.

Send us your resume by March 31 2023

Inquiries to Chris Earl

Managing Editor Loddon Herald

Phone 0419549743 email loddonherald@gmail.com