Bostock Brothers – Pioneering organic free-range poultry

The brothers had a determination to give their organic chickens the best life possible, housed in clean and spacious chalets, and able to roam freely amongst the apple trees once they are fully feathered. The birds are fed a natural diet of organic grass, home-grown corn, barley and apples, with no antibiotics, hormones, GMOs or chlorine.

In July 2024, Bostock Brothers was acquired by Inghams Enterprise who remain committed to animal welfare, transparency and sustainability. They control every step from farm to plate. Bostock Brothers sets the standard for ethical poultry farming in Aotearoa.

How long have you been an SPCA Certified member?

Since 2019

What makes farming meat chickens special to you, and what do you enjoy most about it?

At Bostock Brothers, we’re committed to giving our organic, free-range chickens the best life possible. They roam freely among apple and olive trees, while our team focuses on nurturing and raising them with care. Animal welfare is at the heart of everything we do.

Chicken is New Zealand’s favourite protein, and we’re proud to provide a product that brings people together, whether it’s a family dinner or a special occasion.

Since becoming a part of SPCA Certified, what welfare changes have you implemented on farm that you are most proud of?

As a business, we have always prioritised animal welfare in everything we do. Some changes we implemented inside our sheds were to make sure our chickens could behave naturally with perching (on hay bales and crates), being curious and wandering in and out of the sheds as they please with plenty of space to roam and optimal conditions to thrive.

We also made sure we had all our key animal welfare procedures in place, and formally recorded at all times. Everything else, we were already achieving through our organic and free-range practices, and align with the SPCA certification, meaning we already adhere to the same procedures, something we’re really proud of.

What message would you like to share with people about the importance of buying food products from farms with high welfare standards, like those who carry the SPCA Certified blue badge?

Being certified gives consumers the confidence that we are regularly audited and are following through on our commitments as an industry.

Buying ethically raised products doesn’t have to be expensive; consumers need to take a stand to support businesses doing better and set a standard for others to follow. It’s essential that the industry gets on board and supports initiatives like the SPCA Certified blue badge.

We take pride in growing and raising chickens with high welfare, and in producing high quality poultry products, this sets New Zealand apart from the rest of the world.