PHOTO: CHRIS MCCULLOUGH
FARM VISIT ▶▶▶
Selling free-range eggs online
BY CHRIS MCCULLOUGH W
ith aspirations to be a farmer, Bruce Greig originally set out from his native South Africa to work on dairy farms overseas after gaining valuable experience on local farms. With
many miles travelled after leaving his home city Johannes- burg, Bruce ended up in New Zealand in 1999 working on dairy farms and teaching before finding a niche in the market selling free-range eggs from hens based on pasture. Now his business Thulani Free Range Pastured Eggs is excelling, partly due to rocketing consumer demand for fresh eggs in the coronavirus era, but also because of the high quality of Bruce’s eggs.
Peace and quiet
“I bought the farm in 2006 calling the business Thulani Free Range Pastured Eggs,” says Bruce. “Thulani is the Zulu word for peace and quiet. It’s a small farm alongside the Halswell river overlooking Canterbury’s Port Hills. Our eggs are genu- ine free-range eggs produced locally on pasture. The hens have continuous and permanent access to pasture, receive a nutritionally-balanced diet and are kept in small flocks so they can express their natural behaviour,” he explains. Bruce was encouraged to start in the poultry business by an- other egg producer and quickly saw an opportunity in the market for his own rather unique eggs. “I started small scale with limited capital and saw an opportunity in the market,” he comments. “At the moment we have 1,300 hens producing 660 eggs a day. Our average laying rate is around 85% and we produce over 340,000 eggs per year.” It can be a laborious task gathering the eggs, as they are collected by hand on a daily basis and also washed by hand, although Bruce is con- sidering some new technology to help him. “Of course we have to watch our costs, but I am looking at investing in artifi- cial lights on timers, upgrading the feeding and water equip- ment and installing an egg washing machine,” says Bruce. “A machine to wash the eggs would save us a lot of time”.
Desirable brown eggs Bruce uses the Brown Shaver and Hyline breeds of chicken on his farm that produce the more desirable brown eggs that customers want. “It’s a matter of choice and customers prefer brown eggs on the breakfast table,” he says. “Our eggs are
New Zealand free-range layer farmer Bruce Greig was faced with a drop in demand due to Covid-19 lockdowns. He immediately started selling his eggs online and saw consumers return and his business boosted to new heights.
high quality as the hens permanently have continuous access to green pasture. I also use a concentrated feed from the local Feedco mill in Lincoln. “The ration consists of 60% wheat plus minerals and costs NZ$ 766 (US$ 532) per tonne, including GST and transport to farm, which I consider a reasonable cost for this ration,” he continues. A past study conducted by researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences showed that eggs produced by chick- ens allowed to forage in pastures are higher in some benefi- cial nutrients. Researchers examined how moving pastured hens to forage legumes or mixed grasses influenced hen egg omega-3 fatty acids and the concentrations of vitamins A and E. The study also compared the eggs of pastured hens to those of hens fed a commercial diet. According to lead investigator Heather Karsten, associate pro- fessor of crop production ecology, the differences were strik- ing. “Compared to the eggs of the commercial hens, eggs from pastured hens had twice as much vitamin E and long- chain omega-3 fats, more than double the total omega-3
Bruce Greig started his free-range eggs business in New Zealand four years ago.
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