How happy hens equal ethical eggs

Yallamundi Farm produces eggs sustainably by letting the chooks roam free in a transformed olive grove.

With sustainability practices in sharp focus, the ethical production of the eggs we scramble, poach and fry is proving to be of increasing importance to Australian consumers.

As a result, pasture-raised egg farming is emerging as the preferred way to produce quality eggs and create a template for farming into the future.

At the family-owned Yallamundi Farm, located in Queensland’s stunning Darling Downs, co-founder Adam Birch is transforming an olive grove into a best-practice egg farm populated by happy hens.

“We purchased the farm with the view of transforming it,” says Birch, a thirdgeneration farmer. “We always knew that we wanted to produce eggs ethically and sustainably on the farm, and the existing olive grove provided the perfect shade and environment for our hens.

‘‘We also set about transforming the farm in a way that leaves it better than how we found it by adopting regenerative farming practices. We want our kids to see how the farm regenerates over time.”

The process of pasture-raised farming revolves around rotational grazing, which provides birds with a continuous supply of fresh ground cover with grazeable plant species to eat. In addition to ensuring the animals have more space to roam, it also offers the opportunity for foraging, dust bathing and socialising – natural behaviours that benefit the welfare of the birds and the quality of the eggs they produce.

“Yallamundi Farm is really one of a kind in terms of the amount of space we provide our pasture-raised hens when they’re outdoors,” Birch explains.

Solar-powered, state-of-the-art mobile sheds are regularly moved to provide fresh pastures where hens can roam under the branches of over 300,000 olive trees which provide shade and cooling. The animals’ nutrient-rich manure then acts as a natural fertiliser to rebuild and regenerate the soil.

The progressive farming practices used to produce its pasture-raised eggs have resulted in Yallamundi Farm’s eggs being certified carbon neutral by Climate Active, meaning that a balance has been achieved on the farm between reducing carbon emissions and absorbing carbon from the atmosphere.

For consumers, the benefit of Yallamundi Farm’s focus is not just in the taste and quality of the eggs they are buying but in supporting ethical practices that promote animal welfare, as well as playing a part in contributing to an environmentally sustainable future.

“We’re constantly receiving messages from people on social media wanting to know where they can buy our eggs, and many of our customers tell us that they’ll never buy any others,” says Birch, who confesses to being a fan of poaching his Yallamundi Farm eggs (his children are firmly in the egg-andsoldiers camp).

“They love what we’re doing, and they want to support us, which is really moving. We’re also seeing wildlife that hasn’t been seen in the area for a long time returning, which is very rewarding too. We’ve even spotted koalas recently.”