Lawn Farm
Milton Lilbourne, Pewsey, Wilts.
Five years in and managing her flock at the picturesque Lawn Farm – Rachel Rivers admits she has learnt a lot: “It’s been a steep learning curve after finishing dairy farming a few years ago because of the cost,” she says. “But it’s been well worth it. Without doubt, one of the things that has helped me are the guidelines laid down by Freedom Food. The scheme is challenging and the paperwork is never ending but the result is protection of your flock and reassurance for customers.
Gerald Osborne – who owns the farm – signed up to the Freedom Food scheme from day one,” confirms Rachel. “Both Gerald and I have always been very conscious of animal welfare and the standards laid down by the scheme ensure a very visible and accountable way of producing higher-welfare eggs. Freedom Food has helped promote free-range eggs and, increasingly, consumers want the higher-welfare option – it just seems completely right to be a part of a scheme that promotes the best way to raise your flock and is monitored by the RSPCA.
And it’s not just the hens that benefit. Rachel is a firm believer in the crucial role that higher-welfare plays in the higher quality and number of eggs that are produced. “Up to 96% of our flock are laying fantastic quality eggs every day,” says Rachel. “The yolks here are very bright and glossy, which I think is down to the range of grasses and herbs that the hens can add to their diet by ranging naturally over such a large area. And customers agree.”
But with the hens ranging over such a wide area of the Wiltshire farm, how do they keep natural predators at bay? Sure, there are fences to protect the flock, but Gerald employs some more natural protectors too. Imagine a cross between a Llama and a sheep and you may go some way to creating an Alpaca in your mind. But then to think that these animals make ideal guardians for free-ranging hens is a stretch of the imagination again – but it’s true, they really do.
Inquisitive and protective, south American Alpacas make perfect companion for large flocks, scaring off potential hen predators with their sheer size and the incredible din they are quick to make when disturbed. The fact that they also like to graze on pasture and will happily endure all types of weather, of course helps too. Rachel looks after eight Alpacas which are sheared each spring to remove their thick winter coats and keep them cool during the summer.
The Alpacas are real characters and do a great job helping Rachel look after the hens - but eight is enough,” says proud owner Gerald. “We’ve had little bother from normal visitors like foxes; and the Alpacas - which all have family names - are good buddies for the hens and take very little looking after really.
For the future, Rachel sees more development of the hens ranging area with more new tree planting to add to the hedgerows and copses that provide good shelter and foraging for the naturally inquisitive hens: “The birds love to rush out first thing in the morning when the hen house opens up, scratching around and going after the worms, it’s great to see,” she says. “Behaviour is such an important thing for showing how happy and healthy the hens are.”
As Rachel wanders off to inspect the hens’ outside drinking points, which are scattered over several acres of the free-range site, several hundred very happy hens follow her as if she were the Pied Piper. This is one happy farm indeed.