Small steps to put right some of the horrors of the past

16 years on… South Africa’s first commercial egg farmer to convert to Free Range, looks back...

In February 1991, Allan Stuart became the first farmer in South Africa to convert a small portion of his battery farm into free range. CIWF (SA) - or Humanity for Hens as we were called then - had strenuously lobbied Pick ‘n Pay to supply free-range eggs and Pick ‘n Pay took up the challenge.  As egg supplier for Pick ‘n Pay stores in the Eastern and Western Cape, Mr Stuart agreed to put just 4 800 chickens on free range and Pick ‘n Pay proudly started its ‘new line’ of eggs.

Today 25% of Allan Stuart’s farm is now dedicated to free range and 70 000 chickens, producing an average of 50 000 eggs a day, are able to enjoy the ability to walk, run, dust-bathe, sun-bathe, lay their eggs in a nest and peck around to their hearts’ content.

Now Allan's son, James Stuart, who has a degree in Agricultural Business and Economics with a minor in Poultry Science, is taking over more and more of the farming business from his father. Animal Voice editor, Louise van der Merwe, asked him whether he thought of his chickens as ‘commodities’.

"No I don’t,” he answered. “I would absolutely acknowledge that chickens are sentient beings. Every one of them is an individual with a different character. I would love the entire farm to revert to free range,” he said, “but it depends on consumer demand.”