Egg producer Michael Arbuckle

An Eggcellent Choice

By Janice Hopper

Today Michael Arbuckle is a member of the NFU Scotland poultry working group and, in 2022, was a finalist for Producer of the Year at the National Egg & Poultry Awards, but this dedicated egg producer started his farming career at Lundie Castle Farm, Angus.

“My grandfather moved to Lundie Castle in 1945 from Fife, where the farm originally started. My father and uncle soon took on the farm and expanded it over the last few decades, specialising in fruit and veg, dairy and pigs. In 2004, I officially joined the farm, having completed my degree with honours from the Edinburgh Scottish Agricultural College. We own 600 acres here, with a further 350 acres contract farmed. Our farm is completely family-run.”

Michael and his family developed the land, with longevity being a key priority.

“I remember when I came back from university, dairy was the mainstay of the business,’ says Michael. ‘At the time the industry was struggling, and we needed to reinvest substantially to keep the enterprise going. The decision was taken to cease dairy production and we started a 200-strong beef breeding herd. I was continuously looking for Michael Arbuckle

another enterprise to replace the dairy gap in our business and free-range egg production seemed to fit perfectly. Working with hens and producing great quality eggs is far less labour intensive than our previous fruit business. Likewise, I wanted to avoid something that was overly reliant on good weather, fuel and fertiliser. I would like to think we run a more circular farming model, because we repurpose the manure from the poultry and cattle to help grow the crops we then use to feed the hens. Environmental stewardship is at the forefront of all decisions that I make now.”

Being a free-range producer adds another layer to Michael’s product, plus having a portfolio of income streams buffers the farm against the ebb and flow of seasons and markets.

“We proudly produce freerange eggs, which we supply to Noble Foods, alongside cereals such as oats, wheat, barley for malting and oil seed rape. We often house neighbouring farmers’ dairy calves in the winter too. There are five of us at Lundie Castle Farm. Three work with the hens, one looks after cereals and I help with everything I can.’

‘We’re pleased to be raising two breeds of hen. We have 32,000 Bovan Browns and 32,000 Lohmann LSL’s. The Bovans were selected for their egg size and excellent production. All egg producers might echo me when I say the Bovan is a fantastic bird to work with. Our flock of Lohmann LSL’s is also a stalwart breed. We were given the opportunity by Noble Foods to try the white hen, which produces white eggs, and have been extremely impressed with how they performed, even how they consume considerably less feed than a brown hen. Although the price per egg is less for the white eggs, their phenomenal performance more than makes up for it, and we can’t stress enough how lovely they are to work with.”

Michael finds farming on the east coast of Scotland brings inherent advantages, but it’s not without its challenges.

“The Scottish climate is well suited to cereal and fruit production, with longer daylight hours compared to other parts of the UK and a cooler temperate, which means drought or water issues aren’t usually concerns. That’s something that I see being of greater value as our climate changes. We have great soil here on the east coast and good access links where we are based.’

‘Labour has certainly been one of the biggest challenges. I’m no longer part of the fruit enterprise but we’ve found that labour for the fruit and veg industry has become extremely hard to come by. Likewise, it can be difficult to attract the right, skilled labour for poultry and cereal production. My focus is looking after my employees, it has never been more important. This present year is also going to be particularly challenging with ag inflation skyrocketing. All my eggs are on a feed tracker contract that has allowed the poultry business to remain profitable through these uncertain times, and the manure from the poultry is becoming ever more valuable as the price of artificial fertiliser has tripled, so that has helped keep the cereal production cost down.”

A key element of modern farming is embracing new technology where gains can be found and, in the current climate, reducing dependency on traditional power sources. Lindie Castle is investing in renewables as the next step.

“We already have 100KW of solar panels’, says Michael, ‘but I’m excited to start looking to potentially increase our reliance on green energy, with more panels or a small wind turbine for each 32,000-bird unit. These should further reduce our need to bring in electricity from the grid. I’m a member of LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming), which means we leave a number of wild flower margins and, where possible, we link up habitats. This has tied in perfectly with the poultry enterprise, as planting more trees on our hen ranges is helping improve biodiversity levels on the farm. In the future, I also plan to take part in their Open Farm Sunday to help educate the wider public in what we are trying to achieve. I have also been involved in early discussions with Kipster in the Netherlands, regarding their novel barn units. It’s a fascinating concept with huge welfare and environmental benefits to help produce a more sustainable egg.”

Ultimately, Michael and his team are proud of their work and their product.

“Although we’re going through challenging times at an industry level,’ concludes Michael, ‘I’m ever confident that the tide will turn. Eggs are a fantastic source of affordable protein and nutrition, with a myriad of other health benefits. It is an extremely enjoyable and exciting industry to be part of, and I’m honestly very lucky to have such a dedicated team working with me.”

Janice Hopper is a freelance writer based in Aberdeen who’s written features, copy and social media text for a range of publications and clients. Her Scottish family travel blog, Scots2Travel.com, covers child-friendly short breaks, attractions and activities.