Free-range poultry breeding
László Bárány owner of Master Good Group consisting of five companies and founder of the Free-Range Poultry Breeders’ Association started the free-range chicken breeding five years ago. The Group which in addition to the free-range breeders integrates traditional poultry breeders as well successfully broke into the market with the Red Master organic poultry.
We sold 250-300 free-range chickens a week during the first five-eight months, only in national relation. Sometimes the freight cost was higher than the value of the goods. The sales slowly grew; a breakthrough occurred 2-2.5 years ago when we surpassed the magic five thousand pieces a week – declared László Bárány founder of the Free-Range Poultry Breeders’ Association. Of course, we needed a national distribution network for this; the free-range chicken had to be taken to as many places as possible; however, also the store chains recognised the specialty of this product.
Undiminished demand
Under the influence of the consumer panic connecting to the poultry calamity in February 2006, the demand for all poultry products fell back; however, the demand for the free-range poultry did not diminish. Oppositely, the demand increased and after the stabilization of the market condition, in April and May 2006 the sales already cut the record: exceeded 15 thousand pieces a week, which means 0.5-0.6 percentage of domestic chicken consumption. This ratio is almost 30 percent in France, 8-12 percent in the German-language area, while 5-7 percent in the English area. Approximately 600 thousand such chickens were bred at the Group in 2006, but they would like to increase their number by 50% in 2007. László Bárány believes that the free-range chicken will amount to 2-3 percent of the Hungarian meat consumption in progress of time. “However, for this we need serious marketing work, logistics system. One thing is sure: we have the commodity base for it.”
The French example
The free-range poultry program started under the name Red Master is the Hungarian equivalent of a similar system in France. The European Union defined in directives what free-range breeding is, what variety groups can be used, how many square meter will be necessary for one animal, and what fodders they can eat.
There are a series of banning rules what fodders shall not be fed with this chicken.
The point of the free-range breeding or eco-breeding is that one hectare outlet for each pen for the chickens bred under special conditions shall be provided and 30% of this shall be an area filled with trees, bushes. The total area of the barn shall not be greater than 400 square meter and shall be of round window type: 40% of the side surface shall be made of window.
Almost organic
The eco-breeding differs from organic breeding only in that the fodder of the free-range chicken is not mixed from organic wheat and organic maize. At the same time, its fodder may consist of corns only, which can be completed with soya and mineral components. It shall not contain any growth-promoting substance, artificial material, antibiotics and animal protein.
The professional technological specifications relating to the organic breeding, the selection of the variety and the mode of breeding are completely the same as for the free-range program. ,,As a result of the above, this product is more expensive than the broiler, what’s more, oppositely to the industrial poultry it will grow to 1.8 kg instead of 2 kg in 80 days instead of 40 days, so its price is also double of that. However, the taste materials accumulated between the muscles will give the experience to the consumers that it has real taste of chicken.”