A new family-run pasture-raised chicken farm is set to open in Back Valley in the Fleurieu Peninsula in March this year.
Claire Fuller and her husband Simon Capp are using the 60-acre block in Back Valley to create their ethical egg company called Back Valley Farm Pasturised Eggs.
When the pair bought the land in the middle of 2023, they found the soil was quite depleted of nutrients and the land was in need of rejuvenation.
“The chickens are great at spreading manure, digging over the soil, getting rid of bugs, controlling weeds, and they’re a great addition to a farming system. So we thought, ‘why not!’,” Claire said to ARN’s Adam Connelly and Jennie Lenman.
She added that pasture-raised hens and eggs are quite different to ‘free range’.
“The pasture-raise system allows the hens a lot of space. They’re able to forage and display natural behaviours and they also have quite a variation in their diet. So, they will eat the pasture grass… also the bugs and grubs in the soil and then they are supplementary fed with additional grain and meats if they need that to top up.”
The operation will start with 130 hens, with a plan to ramp up to 300 by the end of the year, with plans to deliver eggs directly to people’s doors.
Hear Claire Fuller telling ARN’s Adam Connelly and Jennie Lenman about the venture via the audio play window below:
