General News
18 August, 2021
‘Egg-citing’ news for business
LOCAL business Purrumbete Paddock Eggs has been nominated for a Regional Development Victoria Business Achievement Award.
LOCAL business Purrumbete Paddock Eggs has been nominated for a Regional Development Victoria Business Achievement Award.
Owner Cath Jenkins, along with husband Adam, said the pair were “really excited” to be nominated for the award.
“We’re really honoured and quite surprised because the egg business is quite new to us,” she said.
“It was quite good going through (the award process) thinking about what we’ve done.”
Mrs Jenkins said the family owned a farm in South Purrumbete, which had been run as a dairy farm for 16 years, when they decided to diversify.
“Eighteen months ago we bought three second hand mobile poultry sheds that can accommodate up to 2200 laying chickens,” she said.
“We purchased 1500 chickens and started our business Purrumbete Paddock Eggs, which produces pastured eggs.
“This is a type of free range egg production system, where the eggs that are laid by chickens that are moved around the farm with mobile housing.”
Mrs Jenkins said the production system allows the chickens to roam freely in the paddocks at a stocking rate of 750 birdsper hectare.
“The mobile sheds provide the hens with a place to lay their eggs, perches and protection from the elements,” she said.
“We also have four Maremma dogs who protect the chooks from predators.”
The past 18 months has been a learning curve for the family of the fledgling business, particularly due to COVID-19.
“In the past 18 months we have increased our knowledge of the egg production system, introduced some modern technology to support efficient egg production and we are continually learning how to best manage our flocks, egg stocks, marketing and sales,” MrsJenkins said.
“We currently have two brands that we sell our eggs under: Purrumbete Paddock Eggs and Great Ocean Road Free Range Eggs.
“We sell both of these brands in the local region. We have retail outlets in Anglesea, Aireys Inlet, Lorne, Wye River, Apollo Bay, Timboon, Cobden and Camperdown.
“We pride ourselves on offering a product that is not only premium in quality, butsuper fresh.”
The businesses Facebook Page – Purrumbete Paddock Eggs – has proved a positive way to interact with customers.
“That’s one thing we’ve really loved compared to dairy farming, you’ve got that connection with the customers,” MrsJenkins said.
“It’s an opportunity for people to connect with the animals that produce the food.”
Mrs Jenkins said the couple were looking forward to seeing what the future brings for the family operated business.
“We hope to potentially have school groups and other community groups that do tours; it’s quite a unique experience for people,”she said.
“They (the chickens) are quite small and they don’t hurt you; there’s potential there from a wellbeing perspective.”
