NEWS RELEASE – January 07

Top of the flocks for productivity

Organic egg producer Andrew Barton probably has amongst the most productive free-range hens in the country. His flock at Springles Farm, near Brighton, East Sussex, has won Deans Foods National Organic Free Range Flock of the Year 2006 - and it is an achievement of which both Andrew and his feed supplier, Humphrey Feeds, are extremely proud.

The award is judged on the income per bird over 12 months, and so it is more than just an accolade - it represents real commercial success and top class business efficiency.

“We are thrilled to have won. It’s great. We do think we do a good job, but winning this award proves that all the hard work, investment and commitment really does pay off,” says Andrew.

The 15,000-bird, Springles flock, is part of Grassington Rangers Ltd, a family business that has been producing free range eggs for more than 20 years, it is managed by Andrew, his brother Richard their sister Susie with some guiding input from their father Peter. The entire operation has around 60,000 hens on a number of sites. It moved over to free-range organic production nine years ago and is now one of the UK’s leading organic egg producers.

Springles farm supply Woodland Organic Eggs, a brand sold through Sainsburys. The hens are housed in five, five-star accommodation buildings and have free-access to open fields and woodland.

“We have planted more than 4800 trees on site and the birds do thrive in this environment,” says Andrew.

Having a good environment is vitally important, but Andrew says that this has to be matched by thorough management and quality nutrition. “Our business does not buy feed on price and we do buy the best,” says Andrew, with a smile. He believes that the diets he uses are premium products and the high quality and value of the feeds is reflected in flock performance.

All the hens are fed with Humphrey Feeds’ organic diets and follow a specified nutritional programme.

“Unlike many producers we rear all of our own birds and have a carefully planned rearing strategy that begins with our day old chicks and takes them up to the point of lay at 21 weeks of age,” Andrew explains.

The young pullets are reared on dedicated rearing sites and are fed a series of high-spec diets. A strategic vaccination programme is also in place to ensure the birds stay healthy. The system works well, and yields strong robust hens that are ready for a productive organic, free-range life.

Managing his own rearing programme requires massive investment in time and resources, but the formula consistently achieves performance targets and Andrew says it is a key reason for his flock’s award winning productivity, egg quality and above average efficiency.

Laying hens are fed ad lib and the diet is adjusted to match productivity, egg weight and bird welfare. The buildings are modern with computerised feeding and a facility to monitor bird weight and feed consumption on a daily basis and so it is easy to keep a close eye on performance.

Assisting Andrew with the management of his birds is Mick Dennet, the veferan Free Range Spcialists who works closely with Humphrey Feeds. Mick is delighted that Andrew has won this award. “This flock is a fine example of what can be achieved by consistently good management and first-rate organic feeds. Feed costs are the biggest input cost on any unit and any change can have significant impact on margins and business profitability,” says Mr Dennet

Prospects

The Springles flock is currently achieved a production peak of over 94%, producing over 14,000 eggs per day. Margins are good and with consumer demand for organic eggs at an all time high, Andrew’s business prospects look good, providing feed supplies can be sustained.

“We have a massive problem looming as I’m told that compounders are having difficulty meeting the fast-growing demand for organic poultry diets. Organic feed ingredients are running out and there may not be enough compound feed available to feed existing organic flocks by early spring. This will be disastrous for UK producers and could damage the industry long-term,” said Andrew.

The shortage of organic grade raw materials available to manufacturers is creating major problems for the feed trade. Compounders like Humphrey Feeds, which have a strong organic base, are working desperately hard to convince UK cereal producers that there is a lucrative market waiting for their products.

Martin Humphrey, the Feed Sales Director of Humphrey Feeds believes that the organic market offers huge opportunity for all sectors of the supply chain. However this supply problem must be addressed quickly if UK producers are to secure a stake in the market and build consumer confidence.

“The UK organic sector is being held back on all sides. There is huge potential for organic livestock producers, but this potential should be balanced by increased supply from the organic sector. The organic livestock sector needs to pay a fair and competitive price for UK sourced organic cereals for the foreseeable future if we are to instil confidence and encourage farmers to commit arable land to organic production,” he explained. “Consumer demand for UK produced organic food is high and growing, but we must confident that we can secure more organic resources if we are to feed our livestock and enable producers to expand their businesses.” he added.