Eastern Ontario egg producer goes free range

John Beking is happy with the changeover to free-range-style barns and he believes his birds are, too

by DIANNE FETTERLY

An Eastern Ontario egg producer has responded to consumers' demands for a more "naturally produced" agricultural product by converting his 16,500-bird farm to a totally free-range operation.

John Beking of Beking's Poultry Farm, located just outside of Oxford Station, has been producing eggs in a conventional barn (with caged birds) for more than 30 years. This past spring, Beking moved his layers into two new 200-by 40-foot, free-range-style barns and, from what he's seen so far, he couldn't be happier with his decision.

"For the past 35 years, we have used cages," says Beking from the egg grading room of his operation, "and so far, I like this (free-range) system better. We're seeing good production and I like to think the birds are happier."

Beking cites "more space for the birds" as his main reason for preferring free-range over the cage system. This is despite the fact that the new system had a slightly higher initial investment of about $32 to $35 per bird for the nests, compared to $22 per bird for the cage system. As well, the free-range barns are not quite as space-efficient as the old system. With the cages, Beking's old barns had capacity for 18,000 birds as opposed to the 16,500 birds (11,000 white layers in one barn and 5,500 brown birds in the other) housed in the new free-range barns.

However, the manure removal system was one area where Beking found a definite cost saving. There was no need to install an expensive manure cleaning system in the new free-range barns since the feeders and watering systems can be raised, so the manure can be simply cleared away with a skid steer loader.

According to Beking, free-range production and bird mortality rates are believed to be comparable with cage systems. However, each method does have its benefits and disadvantages. Birds housed in cages often have more problems with weak bone structure, while free-range chickens can be more susceptible to intestinal infections because the birds have access to their own feces, he explains. With only 26 dead birds to date, Beking says that so far he is very pleased with the "very low mortality rate" in his new barns.

Last fall, Beking demolished the old barns, which housed the 18,000 caged birds, and completed construction of the sleek, new free-range barns in March of this year. The birds were moved into the new barns on April 1 and Beking says the only initial problem encountered in the changeover was getting the chickens to lay their eggs in the nests.

The temperature of the barns is monitored by computerized controls with optimum temperature around 22 degrees Celsius. Automated systems also track the number of birds in the barns and monitor feed and water intake daily.

The nests are sloped so the eggs roll away onto a conveyor belt, which carries them to the egg grading room, housed in another building. There, the 15,000-16,000 eggs produced daily are washed, candled and weighed using an in-line grading system. They are then sorted into sizes and placed in cold storage to be delivered to area stores, restaurants, nursing homes and hospitals across Eastern Ontario.