He currently has 90,000 free-range shaver hens on his farm near Bulls, and they lay more than 80,000 eggs a day.
He is expanding his colony and said that, by Christmas, he would have more than 100,000 hens.
“When a chicken first comes into lay, around 16 to 20 weeks, they lay smaller eggs, popping out what we call piwis, which is a size 5, and then as they grow, their eggs get bigger, the eggs will be 6s and 7s. And then sizes 8 and 9 are our jumbo sizes.”
When the birds went outside and ate bugs and grass, he had more jumbo-sized eggs, which often had two yolks.
That meant shoppers might start noticing more Jumbo eggs, and Williams said about 15% of his eggs were potentially double-yolkers.
Chickens had their own personalities and knew where they liked to eat, lay their eggs and sleep, he said.
He had been pecked and chased by several of his inquisitive birds from time to time.
The Egg Producers Federation said the welfare of hens was paramount. The happier the hen, the better the egg.
Its chairman, John McKay, said eggs were as popular as they had ever been.
Over the past year, New Zealanders ate on average 229 eggs each, up from 216 last year.
“We are really pleased with that trajectory and, as we all know, eggs are a highly versatile and nutritious product.”
McKay said bird flu was something the poultry industry took very seriously, and the one outbreak late last year of a highly pathogenic avian influenza was well managed.
About 160,000 chickens were culled on a free-range farm in North Otago after they were infected with the H7N6 strain, contracted from wild waterfowl.
“That farm is now back in production, and eggs are being produced off it.
“The most important thing is making sure there is strong biosecurity on farms across the country and keeping the egg and poultry supply as resilient as we can.”
McKay said there were no safety concerns about eating eggs.
He intended to have a couple of poached eggs on toast for breakfast this morning to celebrate World Egg Day.
- RNZ
