Poultry operations

We have a number of breeder farms around Australia, including in the Riverina and Tamworth regions of New South Wales, the Barossa region in South Australia, south east Queensland, and north east and south of Perth.

To ensure the overall welfare and enhance the performance of the breeders, feeding, temperature, body weight control, ventilation, lighting and health are monitored closely. The period generally takes place from one day old to 22 weeks.

Once the hens reach 22 weeks, the egg production phase begins, which is ongoing until around 64 weeks of age. During this period, the fertilised eggs are laid continually and collected either by hand or an automated collection system.

Broiler farms are where chickens are grown for the purpose of producing poultry meat. In order to meet the demand across Australia, we have company-owned and operated farms or independent contract farms, in every mainland state (except Victoria).

They are transported to farms in special climate-controlled vehicles as day old chicks. The welfare of our chickens is a priority and they are raised by passionate farmers until they reach the desired processing age. This is determined by weight specifications, but is generally around 5–8 weeks. Throughout the entire process, our farms are monitored by veterinarians and nutritionists to ensure the wellbeing of our chickens.

Waste minimisation is a core focus for us. Protein recovery is an important part of our process that plays a major role in providing essential products for a variety of uses.

Approximately 70% of our chickens’ weight is sold as meat products. The remaining 30%, such as the bones, feathers and intestines, are recycled into by-products, such as high protein pet food. This process is known as ‘rendering’. Our eco-friendly, technologically-advanced Oakburn Rendering Plants in Tamworth and Griffith are  some of the best in the country, combining energy efficiency and sustainability.