April 2023 Coast & Country News
COAST & COUNTRY NEWS
Page 5
free-range poultry farming continued...
The family enjoys the challenge of owning the whole supply chain, from rearing one-day old chicks right through to grading and packing of around 42,000 eggs a day on site, and delivering to supermarkets, restaurants, cafes and wholesalers all directly from farm.
Cambridge Farmer’s Markets allows them to connect and talk with their consumers, openly discussing the processes that lead up to the eggs being in a box.
Covid and new legislation
Jim is grateful that their business structure allowed them to come through Covid in good shape. Jim readily explains why free-range eggs cost more. While their wholesale and restaurant sectors “The hens are out foraging all day in the bush declined, their supermarket sales substantially and expend more energy than a caged hen, so they increased as people in lockdown baked and cooked. eat more food. Contrary to belief they don’t get Ten years ago, the government announced filled up by foraging for bugs and grass and they changes in legislation to phase out the caged hens need a quality, balanced diet to stay healthy and by the end of 2022. produce top quality eggs. “New and existing poultry farmers invested in “They use more of the available land and new sheds and set ups that met the proposed infrastructure, and production is lower on a colony shed standards, but the old sheds were still free-range farm.” running. This caused an oversupply of cheap eggs, Add in the fact that the hens are more at risk which for a few years meant poultry farming wasn’t from disease when their diet is less controlled, and particularly profitable.” their mortality rate is higher from predators such Many farmers couldn’t get finance to change as hawks, Jim estimates that free-range poultry their sheds over as the banks were reluctant to farming costs around 20 per cent more, and that is lend to a low performing business. reflected in higher prices. When the end of 2022 came, there were A hen’s laying life is 80 weeks and Jim says not enough colony, barn and free-range they also take responsibility for the culling. poultry up and running to cover the 25 “The hens have provided us with a per cent drop in production caused by business, and we don’t want to pack them closing the caged hen farms. off live to a stressful unknown “This has resulted in a temporary end. We swiftly cull them ourselves, egg shortage and has taken a source of during darkness when they are asleep. cheap protein out of the market, which “For us it is fitting that we complete the hits some families hard.” process ourselves.” Despite everything, Jim The family are passionate describes their demanding job about local food and “want as “bloody rewarding and we to be right in the middle of love running around with it”. Their weekly presence chickens all day providing at the Hamilton and families in the Bay of Plenty, and Waikato a Karlene McGirr with healthy food”. fresh, free-range eggs.
Free-range hens
Otto McGirr has a passion for free-range poultry farming.
Photo: Catherine Fry.
Otto McGirr started his free-range poultry farm in 2011.
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