Vencomatic Poultry UK has announced a partnership with Noble Foods, to offer a high-welfare barn production system as part of their cage-free 2025 commitment.
Vencomatic will supply and install its high-welfare Veranda Aviary 2 nest system into a multi-level barn at a Noble Foods’ site in Nottinghamshire. The result of 30 years’ research and development, the nest system comprises a series of innovative design features which will help reduce injury to the hens as they move freely around the barn.
The installation of the high-welfare ‘aviary’ barn system is viewed as a trial at this stage by Noble Foods and will allow the opportunity to showcase high-welfare barn production to trading partners and NGOs. The decision to create a high-welfare barn sends a strong message to the egg industry amid uncertainty as to the direction it will take following the declaration by the major supermarkets to end the sale of eggs produced by caged hens, by 2025.
Kevin Howse, sales director of Vencomatic Poultry UK said ‘’We commend Noble Foods for choosing the Veranda Aviary 2 for its barn production. Consumers are becoming increasingly welfare-conscious and by choosing Vencomatic, Noble Foods can produce an entry level product without compromising bird wellbeing.’’
Veli Moluluo, managing director of Noble Foods’ consumer foods division said: “Following a significant amount of consumer research, we have been working closely with our retail partners and NGOs in order to develop a barn standard that delivers on animal welfare whilst catering for the demand in entry level egg and egg products. The partnership with Vencomatic will allow us to gain a better understanding of this production method, whilst also giving critical insight into cost of production, ahead of what we hope will be the development of long-term customer partnerships to support a full-scale roll-out.”
Work on the barn begins in Spring 2019 and will be complete later in the year.