Free range farming is an excellent use of our natural resources
The Australian Government's involvement in natural resource management policy
has increased since the 1980s, as the scale and complexity of land and water degradation and loss of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes has been recognised.
A 2004 study backed by the Federal Government's Envirofund program found that free range farming practices are viable and have minimal impacts on the environment.
The study, carried out on five properties in the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority area showed that properly managed free range egg farms have many benefits - including long term sustainability.
The report demonstrated that stocking densities have a direct impact on feed costs. Supplementary feed inputs rose significantly as stocking rates increased.
Once the results were produced in table form it was easy to see that a free range egg farm with a stocking rate of 9 Dry Sheep Equivalent (DSE) per hectare, produced an overall annual egg laying rate of 70% with feed consumption of 26 kg per bird per year. A farm with a stocking rate of 75 DSE per hectare produced a lay rate of 65% with feed consumption almost double at 48 kg per bird.
Farm sustainability is vitally import and free range farming is clearly more sustainable than intensive operations which have similar problems to lot feeding operations.
Emissions of greenhouse gases are far lower on a well run free range farm when compared with the intensive, large scale industrial enterprises which are favoured by the big operators.
For more information about sustainable agriculture, have a look at these sites:
http://bassbush.htmlplanet.com https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/trans.html http://www.sustainabletable.org/intro/whatis/
http://sarep.ucdavis.edu/concept.htm http://www.csiro.au/org/Sustainable-Farming.html http://www.eric.com.au/docs/research/soil/eric_measuring_soil_carbon.pdf
A 2004 study backed by the Federal Government's Envirofund program found that free range farming practices are viable and have minimal impacts on the environment.
The study, carried out on five properties in the Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority area showed that properly managed free range egg farms have many benefits - including long term sustainability.
The report demonstrated that stocking densities have a direct impact on feed costs. Supplementary feed inputs rose significantly as stocking rates increased.
Once the results were produced in table form it was easy to see that a free range egg farm with a stocking rate of 9 Dry Sheep Equivalent (DSE) per hectare, produced an overall annual egg laying rate of 70% with feed consumption of 26 kg per bird per year. A farm with a stocking rate of 75 DSE per hectare produced a lay rate of 65% with feed consumption almost double at 48 kg per bird.
Farm sustainability is vitally import and free range farming is clearly more sustainable than intensive operations which have similar problems to lot feeding operations.
Emissions of greenhouse gases are far lower on a well run free range farm when compared with the intensive, large scale industrial enterprises which are favoured by the big operators.
For more information about sustainable agriculture, have a look at these sites:
http://bassbush.htmlplanet.com https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/trans.html http://www.sustainabletable.org/intro/whatis/
http://sarep.ucdavis.edu/concept.htm http://www.csiro.au/org/Sustainable-Farming.html http://www.eric.com.au/docs/research/soil/eric_measuring_soil_carbon.pdf
Chicken manure is one of the best fertilsers
Chicken Manure is a great natural source of potassium, phosphorous, and nitrogen.
An average chicken will produce around half a cubic metre of manure a year, much to the delight of those with vegetable gardens.
Commercially, for many years the supply of chicken manure was only available to intensive agriculture such as viticulture or market gardens. But as the poultry industry has expanded, chicken manure has become more available to broad acre farmers.
Chicken manure has been used for years to improve soils and increase yields. Some cropping farms and vegetable growers use it as a soil conditioner, applying it once every three or four years at two tonnes to the hectare. It can increase protein and yields in cereal crops and there have been reports of up to 3% oil increase in Canola.
It is a sustainable substitute for chemical fertiliser as chicken manure is a complete fertiliser containing many trace elements and a good percentage of organic carbon. It conditions poor soils and over ten years or so can transform them into rich loams, high in phosphorous, enabling them to hold more nutrients and moisture.
More information at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jun98/manu0698.htm
An average chicken will produce around half a cubic metre of manure a year, much to the delight of those with vegetable gardens.
Commercially, for many years the supply of chicken manure was only available to intensive agriculture such as viticulture or market gardens. But as the poultry industry has expanded, chicken manure has become more available to broad acre farmers.
Chicken manure has been used for years to improve soils and increase yields. Some cropping farms and vegetable growers use it as a soil conditioner, applying it once every three or four years at two tonnes to the hectare. It can increase protein and yields in cereal crops and there have been reports of up to 3% oil increase in Canola.
It is a sustainable substitute for chemical fertiliser as chicken manure is a complete fertiliser containing many trace elements and a good percentage of organic carbon. It conditions poor soils and over ten years or so can transform them into rich loams, high in phosphorous, enabling them to hold more nutrients and moisture.
More information at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/jun98/manu0698.htm
