Over the past few weeks, we’ve been taking you on a journey to help you Know the Story about the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme, from certification to developing Standards, through to assessments and welfare on farm. Today, we take a deeper look at one of our longstanding producers and the only free-range egg producer in South Australia with RSPCA Approved certification, Rohde’s Free-Range Eggs.
Owners John and Ange Rohde have put hen welfare at the core of their business and have been certified by RSPCA Approved for over 17 years. Rohde’s’ hens are farmed with consideration for their physical and behavioural needs with plenty of space to move, stretch and flap their wings, secluded nesting places to lay their eggs, perches to rest and keep their bones and muscles strong, and litter in which to scratch and dustbathe. Hens can roam outside during the day, with shade and plenty of vegetation to keep them interested. In the evenings they return to their barn for a safe place to rest.
As interest in better layer hen welfare has grown, so too has the Rohde’s family farm, with some 100,000 hens roaming their free-range farm in South Australia’s Clare Valley. Established by Ian and Jill Rohde in the 1950s, the Rohde’s business has been kept in the family ever since. With John and wife Ange now running the farm, and son, Martin more recently taking the reins as General Manager, animal welfare is a priority that transcends across three generations.
Animal welfare has always been paramount for our family business. We believe healthy hens will lay delicious eggs for our customers to enjoy.
Martin Rohde, General Manager – Rohde’s Free-Range Eggs
Layer hens are curious, intelligent, and social creatures, and need to have their physical and behavioural needs met to live a happy life. Sadly, over 5 million layer hens in Australia are still confined to barren battery cages where these needs are not met, so we commend forward-thinking producers like Rohde’s Free-Range Eggs for providing Australians with eggs while placing welfare at the forefront of their business.
3 Comments
All those happy chickens, congratulations to the Rohdes family.
Thank you for your kind words and support, Penny.
Well done for looking after these feathered ladies – their welfare is paramount. It’s much better to see your farming model than the spiel on other egg cartons that think they are doing it right with 10,000 hens per hectare (not even a metre for each feathered lady). Hopefully in the future your model is all we see. 🙂