Careful What You Shell Out For Eggs

MARK Killen owner of Papanui Open Range Eggs at Merriwa is incensed by the new industry definition of free-range eggs and encourages shoppers to buy caged eggs because he says at least it is truthful.

Mark Killen at his Merriwa property Papanui.

The new definition being developed by the industry for free range is 10,000 hens per hectare.

The former definition was if the barn door was open it was free-range, even if the outside was a small yard with no grass.

Mark and his wife Di run an inspirational chook farm that produces 2,500 eggs a day from chooks roaming paddocks, roosting in moveable old buses and guarded by maremma dogs.

They define their operation as open-range because the chooks can roam as far as they like over the property, but generally like to stay within 500 metres of their roost.

“The bigger producers only opened the barn door so they could charge free-range prices and the term has been stolen by the big end of town,” said Mr Killen.

“The ACCC has said we reckon if you’ve got a picture of green grass on your egg carton that’s what they should be able to access and so a lot of the big guys have been taken to court and fined $300,000,” he said.

“At least if you pay for caged eggs they are being honest,” he said.

The chooks roaming in the paddock with bus in the background

“Choice is having a bit of a go at them, they’re encouraging all their members to boycott the producers of these free-range eggs,” he said.

“Save yourself the money and buy the caged eggs, if you want true free-range they are going to cost about ten bucks, but otherwise don’t support the big end of town stealing the term free-range when most people would be shocked by what they do,” said Mark Killen.

The Killens also run cattle on their property and said as farmers of livestock they have always had good animal welfare, but said the poultry industry has very different standards to other livestock industries.

“The egg board are paid per chick, so of course they are going to do what is in the best interests of the big players, not all the smaller truly free-range people like us,” Mr Killan said.

“They are also bringing in label regulation where you need to say your stocking rate,” he said.

Two maremmas guarding the flock from the shade of the bus – mobile chook shed.

“But I don’t have any chook fences, so mine could walk to Perth if they want,” he laughed.

“The reality is chooks don’t go out any further than about 500 metres, it’s a totally meaningless definition,” he said.

“There is really only about two percent of us doing what normal people would expect was free-range, the term has been stolen by the big players and politicians and I can’t stand by and watch it,” said Mark Killan.