FAQ

At Lilydale, our chickens are raised by farmers who really care about their welfare. They are fed a nutritious diet and – once adequately feathered at around 21 days – can leave their barns during daylight hours and access fenced outdoor range areas, shade huts, hay bales and ramps. Many chickens are content with the comforts of their barn but during an average day and dependent on conditions like the weather, some chickens will venture out and return at their leisure. Our commitment to free range farming has helped us to provide Australians with quality, great tasting chickens since 2002.

Lilydale chickens are grown on Lilydale farms which must meet the Free Range Egg and Poultry Australia (FREPA) standards, which means:

• Chickens when fully feathered have easy access to an area on which to range during daylight hours.
• Only wholesome foods are permitted, with the addition of vitamins, minerals and amino acids for optimal health and wellbeing.
• The range area must be capable of continued production of palatable vegetation.
• Only wholesome foods are permitted, with the addition of vitamins, minerals and amino acids for optimal health and wellbeing of the chickens.

You can view the full standards on the FREPA website.

Lilydale free range chickens are sold with the Free Range Egg and Poultry Association (FREPA) logo. Lilydale farms are accredited by FREPA and are regularly audited to ensure they meet the required standards in free range chicken production.

There are a number of free range certification marks in the market. Lilydale believes in FREPA’s benchmark for farming free range meat chickens in Australia and follows them to produce Lilydale free range chicken.

Once fully feathered (around 21 days of age), Lilydale free range chickens, during daylight hours have access to outdoor range areas which include a variety of plants, shade, ramps as well as hay bales.

At night time and during extreme weather (hot or cold), they are housed in barns to keep them warm, comfortable and safe from predators.

Absolutely not. Lilydale free range chickens have access to range areas adjacent to their barn or move around inside the barn.

The Lilydale free range chickens are kept in well-fenced range areas adjacent to their barns and our farmers are responsible for their safety and well-being when the chickens are outside. At night time, Lilydale free range chickens are housed inside the barns to keep them warm and safe from predators.

Lilydale chickens are raised without the use of antibiotics.

On Lilydale farms, there is no use of antibiotic growth promotants or other medications that may be classified as antibiotics, including the ‘animal-only use’ antibiotics that may be used for prevention of coccidiosis.

We care about the health and welfare of our chickens. If Lilydale chickens become sick and our veterinarians recommend treatment with antibiotics to maintain their welfare, these treated chickens will not be sold as Lilydale, in accordance with FREPA standards.

No. Chicken in Australia are not given any growth promoting hormones. This has been illegal since 1967.

Our Nutritionists ensure that Lilydale free range chickens enjoy a balanced, nutritious diet comprising quality cereal grains (such as wheat and sorghum), protein meals and are supplemented by vitamins, minerals and amino acids to achieve optimum health and well-being.

Lilydale free range chickens have access to outdoor range areas to forage amongst any natural vegetation which is available depending on the prevailing climatic conditions. Their feed is provided inside the barn and is available to them at all times during their life.

At Lilydale, we have a policy to feed our free range chickens a nutritious, vitamin enriched diet that includes seeds, grains, legumes and canola. In addition to the diet, the birds are free to forage for fresh grass during daylight hours. Currently we are unable to source all non-GM ingredients for Lilydale feed due to a range of factors including the source and seasonal nature of some crops used in components of the feed.

Yes, Lilydale chicken is Halal accredited by the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC). However, our value added products (Lilydale chicken which is crumbed, marinated or seasoned) may include ingredients which may or may not be Halal certified. For a full list of Halal accredited products please click here.

Lilydale farms originated in the Yarra Valley in Victoria. They are now found in SA, NSW and WA.

All Lilydale farms are certified by Free Range Egg & Poultry Australia Ltd (FREPA), who conduct audits on all farms annually.

Baiada internally audit Lilydale farms quarterly to ensure the Lilydale high farming standards are met and maintained.