These innovative spaces are home to our happy, healthy hens
Did you know that hens are highly curious creatures? Never happier than when they’re exploring their surroundings, it’s not unusual for one of our farm-hands to find an inquisitive bird sitting behind the wheel of a ute if the door’s been left open. Hens naturally love to adventure, play and forage for insects and grubs, and we believe it’s crucial they always have new and interesting spaces to roam.
When we were first thinking about the best way to house our hens at Yallamundi Farm, we knew we wanted to give them the happiest life possible, with plenty of land to explore. We also knew we wanted to give our hens regular access to fresh pasture, rather than keeping them on the same land for months and years at a time. And that’s where our revolutionary mobile sheds come in.
Serving as the safe and cosy nighttime home for our hens, they’re able to be regularly moved to fresh pasture. Powered entirely by solar, they’re a truly sustainable, temperature-controlled space to roost, shelter and access water. And the best bit? Every week we hitch them to a tractor and move them to a new patch of land amongst our shady olive groves.
As well as satisfying the hens’ instinct to explore new spaces, rotating our birds is a regenerative farming method that keeps our soil as healthy as it can possibly be. On top of all that chicken poo being a fantastic source of organic manure, moving the chickens around gives the land a chance to rest and recover – a traditional rotational farming practice that’s been used for generations.
Here at Yallamundi, we’re really proud of our groundbreaking rotating sheds. As the best possible option for both our land and our hens, they are a great reflection of our sustainable, ethical values, and it’s just one more way we walk the walk when it comes to regenerative farming.