A family share a passion for

Ex-dairy farmer, Otto McGirr, sensing a change in consumer habits, saw an opportunity to move into free-range poultry farming in 2011.

Fast forward to 2023 and Otto is running a 48,000-hen cagefree operation with his daughter Karlene McGirr and her partner Jim Brown.

In early 2020, as Covid crept into Europe, Karlene and Jim were doing their big OE and living in a van on the beach in Croatia.

“A Croatian medical friend warned us to get back to New Zealand as soon as possible,” says Jim.

ey managed to get back into the country 24 hours before the rst New Zealand lockdown in March 2020 and completed isolation in a shack on the farm.

“During the peak of Covid we worked on the farm to help Otto, fully intending to return to Europe.

“But Covid didn’t blow over, so we sold the van and joined Otto in expanding the poultry farm.”

Expanding the business

Otto’s Egg Company supplies locals with healthy, free-range eggs. His rst few sheds housed 8000 hens which roamed over several hectares for up to 16 hours a day.

After a few years under their belt, the family decided to increase the infrastructure on the 50-hectare farm. Otto’s has grown to 48,000 free-range hens, and some open barn hens and 13 full-time sta oversee the operation. ey came up with Kaimai the hens. Otto felt it wasn’t right

More recently, Otto saw the demand in locally produced food and wanted to highlight that eggs are being produced right here and available in the Bay of Plenty and the Waikato.

Kaimai Eggs, with their brand and retail packaging re ecting who and where they are.

“We sell to the retail sector under Kaimai Eggs and are passionate about the welfare of to put animals in cages and we feel good about giving our birds this freedom.”