Northern Ireland-based egg producer Skea Eggs is working with charity Woodland Trust to plant native saplings at 13 of its farms. The trees will cover an area of 15 hectares.
The planting has been carefully designed to suit each site, with those trees and shrubs planted closest to the hen-houses playing an important role in encouraging the birds outside. The trees should not only provide shade for the birds and their houses, but also capture ammonia emissions.
The company’s tree-planting initiative allows it to provide premium free-range eggs to U.K. supermarkets. For example, one of the criteria for producers participating in the Woodland Egg scheme is to have a minimum of 20 percent of the range planted with trees.
The Woodland Trust is offering free expert advice and, in some cases, funding to help landowners who want to plant trees.
