Page 4 - National Poultry Newspaper

Fremantle Egg Company 800gm jumbos.
Little Creek 800gm pastured eggs.
Freedom of choice can be confusing
Cant Comment by BRENDON CANT
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Company where the Wil-
ARE Australian con- sumers spoilt for choice when it comes to eggs?
It’s been several years since I’ve bought eggs branded as caged or even barn laid.
average consumer, I don’t know what is.
While consumer choice is typically a good thing, having multiple choices for anything let alone food, can cause confusion, angst and maybe even re- gretted ultimate decision making.
Going back even further, whenasakidwehadour own backyard chooks.
According to Australian Eggs, national free range egg laws require hens to have ‘meaningful and regular access’ to an out- door range during daylight hours and be free to roam and forage outside.
The reason I pose the question is because I was recently drawn to pur- chase my inaugural dozen pastured eggs on the rec- ommendation of a chef I respect a lot.
I fondly recall those golden yummy eggs that came from free ranging garden diet eating mums – with household scraps, mash, wheat and maybe layer pellets thrown in.
Further, the maximum outdoor stocking density is one hen per square metre or 10,000 hens per hectare, and farmers must display stocking density on the egg carton.
She raved about them, so I thought why not.
I’ve personally always fancied the concept of animals and the edible products they produce be- ing able to do what comes naturally.
Fremantle Egg Compa- ny complies with this, of course.
My usual egg purchase is free range jumbos from nearby Fremantle Egg
son family’s free range chooks can chose to graze their days away in a big grassy paddock.
Hence, I fancy pasture- raised pork where pigs can root around in the soil and wallow in mud if they so choose rather than spend- ing their days on concrete floors and surrounded by iron bars, for example.
With free range egg farms all the go these days and caged egg laying hens a little on the nose with welfare bodies, govern- ment agencies and a grow- ing number of consumers, it’s no surprise that many commercial egg produc- ers have thrown open their sheds and let their hens out for a green pick.
Having said that, not all choose to leave the secu- rity and shelter of their sheds once the doors open for them each morning and after they’ve done their bit and laid their eggs.
In the case of chooks, I favour – at least in theory if not in practice when it comes to my shopping trolley – those that can scratch around, dust bathe and feed on insects and plants in a pasture envi- ronment.
I must say that aside from the fairly significant price difference – albeit I acknowledge I bought the more expensive Little Creek Pastured Eggs from a retail outlet and I buy the Fremantle Egg Com- pany free range eggs di- rect from the farm – I also didn’t see or taste much in the way of difference.
When it comes to con- sumer confusion, a quick look at the long line-up of egg labels listed on Aus- tralian Eggs website tells quite a revealing story.
They can then market their eggs as free range, subject to satisfying stock- ing density and other re- quirements.
I confess I was expect- ing the pastured eggs to be tastier, yellower and generally a better ‘brekky bet’.
There are 11 – with free range listed first, followed by cage, barn laid or cage free, organic, pasture raised, vegetarian, ome- ga-3 enriched, vitamin-D enriched, RSPCA ap- proved, hormone free and finally farm fresh.
They commenced in 1940 as free range, which continued until 1970, then set up cages for their hens until in 2008 when they reverted back to free range, which they are still today.
I further confess I’ve long been committed to free range and only re- cently curious about pas- tured.
Now, if that’s not too much choice to test the
Little Creek Pastured Eggs on the other hand is only 10 years old.
While the author has always loved his poached eggs, the source – and the sauce – can confuse him these days.
As founders Noelle and Steve state so aptly and proudly on their Facebook page, “Our ladies run wild and free just like nature intended, laying their deli- cious eggs in their mobile home which is continu- ously moved onto fresh pasture.”
Interestingly, fourth gen- eration egg producers the Wilson family of Freman- tle Egg Company have come the full circle.
The 40-hectare fam- ily farm in the Avon Val- ley, about an hour east of Perth, is home to 900 or so hens, which spend seem- ingly blissful days grazing on fresh pasture.
Page 4 – National Poultry Newspaper, March 2021
What more can I say? Are you still confused?
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