Facebook Twitter Instagram
    • FREE Email Newsletters
    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • FREE Magazine Subscriptions
    Twitter LinkedIn
    Podcast
    Poultry News
    • Production
      • Broiler Production
      • Ducks
      • Egg Production
      • Game
      • Hatching
      • Housing
      • Turkeys
    • Processing
    • Business & Politics
      • Business
      • Economics
      • EU & Politics
      • Marketing
      • People
      • Training & Education
    • Welfare
      • Environment
      • Food Safety
      • Vet & Medication
      • Welfare
    • Feed
    • Genetics
    • New Products
    • Magazines
      1. July 2022
      2. June 2022
      3. May 2022
      4. April 2022
      5. February 2022
      6. January 2022
      Featured

      Protected: Poultry Business – July 2022

      By Michael BarkerJune 28, 2022
      Recent

      Protected: Poultry Business – July 2022

      June 28, 2022

      Protected: Finalists Supplement – National Egg & Poultry Awards 2022

      June 27, 2022

      Protected: Innovation Supplement 2022

      June 1, 2022
    • Jobs
      • Browse Jobs
      • Post a Job
      • Manage Jobs
    • Events
      • National Egg and Poultry Awards
      • Poultry Fair
    Poultry News
    Housing

    Investing in rearing

    Chloe RyanBy Chloe RyanJuly 30, 20194 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

    Bedfordshire egg producer Bird Bros decided to go the extra mile by rearing its own pullets for its free-range egg business, and recently invested in a new multi-tier rearing unit

    Free-range egg production has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years. In the recent past, flat-deck laying houses were at the cutting edge production whereas now multi-tier units have become commonplace.

    An often overlooked part of the egg production cycle is the rearing of the day old chicks to point-of-lay pullets, but quietly in the background, these units have also been having their own small revolution.

    “We now see a great deal of interest in new multi-tier rearing units,” says Richard Buchan, sales manager at Big Dutchman’s UK distributor Newquip. “Big Dutchman have long been advocates for rearing pullets in the correct way to ensure good laying performance from the very first egg and anyone now using these aviary rearing systems sees the benefits immediately.

    “There are big advantages for the birds to be reared in conditions and equipment that are similar to those used throughout their laying period and a lot of farmers are now looking for their birds to be reared in multi-tier systems,” he says.

    One such egg producer is Stuart Bird of Bird Bros in Bedfordshire. After investing in a new farm, he built three new 32,000 bird free range egg laying houses and also decided to rear his own pullets.

    “It made a lot of sense,” says Bird. “After investing in the laying houses why would you not go that step further and invest in the correct rearing unit as well? It gives the birds the best possible start and their transition into the multi-tier laying unit is made so easy as the birds know exactly what to do as soon as they are transferred.”

    Bird decided on the Big Dutchman Filia rearing system which was installed by Newquip. Compliance with various accreditation bodies was essential and the Filia system ticked all those boxes, he says.

    Built in three rows in a clear span 82m x 19m Harlow house, each row has two tiers, each tier incorporating feeders, drinkers, LED lighting and, just like the laying unit, each row includes manure removal belts which Bird runs once a week. Feed is supplied from a Collinson feed silo with weigh cells on the legs which are connected to the house computer which shows what feed is left in the silo, but also the running feed consumption per bird.

    The houses are initially heated with LPG heaters along with recirculation fans to ensure a good heat distribution and multi-step ventilation is automatically controlled by Big Dutchman’s Viper climate and production computer.

    “I really like the Filia,” says Bird. “We place all the day old chicks on the lowest level and they are held into the system for a few days with the front grills, however the top half of these grills fold down so access to the birds is really easy.”

    The chicks adapt to the system quickly and are introduced to the materials and conditions they will encounter once in the laying unit. The birds are then gradually released onto the floor where they start exploring and scratching before returning into the system at night. This movement training is facilitated by the use of the LED system lights.

    Inside the Filia, there is also a raised training platform where the birds learn to jump on and off. “In time, using ramps and perches, they soon find their way to the top level and very quickly you start to see the natural up and down movement of the birds which we see every day in the multi-tier laying units,” he adds.

    Buchan points out the Filia system incorporates automatically folding perches which assist the birds in accessing the aviary at any time but fold in towards the sides to encourage any perching birds to jump back into the system when lights start to dim for their bedtime.

    The litter area underneath each row is fully accessible but can be closed off by of a solid curtain. This curtain prevents the young chicks being distracted by birds on the other side while learning to return into the aviary at night.

    Bird says: “I would recommend anyone thinking about rearing their own birds to seriously consider investing in a proper aviary system. The advantages to the birds in rear are many, and you will continue to reap the benefits throughout the laying period.”

     

     

     

    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
    Previous ArticleDesign for life
    Next Article Cobb European technical seminar explores future of poultry industry
    Chloe Ryan

    Editor of Poultry Business, Chloe has spent the past decade writing about the food industry from farming, through manufacturing, retail and foodservice. When not working, dog walking and reading biographies are her favourite hobbies.

    Read Similar Stories

    Production

    Comment: Why strategic male management is vital

    July 6, 2022
    Egg Production

    How sex selection technology is transforming the egg industry

    July 6, 2022
    Production

    Comment: The funding for research on avian influenza is much needed

    July 5, 2022
    Most Read

    New research: Strong demand for poultry but big operational challenges remain

    July 6, 2022

    Comment: Why strategic male management is vital

    July 6, 2022

    How sex selection technology is transforming the egg industry

    July 6, 2022
    © 2022 Lewis Business Media. All Rights Reserved.
    Lewis Business Media, Suite A, Arun House, Office Village, River Way, Uckfield, TN22 1SL

    Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions

    • AA Farmer
    • Farm Contractor
    • Pig World
    • OvertheCounter

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “ACCEPT ALL”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsREJECT ALLAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    AWSALBCORS7 daysThis cookie is managed by Amazon Web Services and is used for load balancing.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Necessary" category .
    PHPSESSIDsessionThis cookie is native to PHP applications. The cookie is used to store and identify a users' unique session ID for the purpose of managing user session on the website. The cookie is a session cookies and is deleted when all the browser windows are closed.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    CookieDurationDescription
    AWSALB7 daysAWSALB is a cookie generated by the Application load balancer in the Amazon Web Services. It works slightly different from AWSELB.
    explat_test_aa_weekly_lohp_2021_week_4517 days 8 hoursNo description
    ppwp_wp_session30 minutesNo description
    tk_ai14 daysGathers information for WordPress by themselves, first party analytics tool about how WP services are used. A collection of internal metrics for user activity, used to improve user experience.
    tk_qssessionGathers information for WordPress by themselves, first party analytics tool about how WP services are used. A collection of internal metrics for user activity, used to improve user experience.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    CookieDurationDescription
    OAGEOsessionOpenX sets this cookie to avoid the repeated display of the same ad.
    OAID1 yearThis cookie is set when an AdsWizz website visitor have opted out the collection of information by AdsWizz service or opted to disable the targeted ads by AdsWizz.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    CookieDurationDescription
    _ga2 yearsThe _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
    _gat_gtag_UA_31822138_71 minuteSet by Google to distinguish users.
    _gid1 dayInstalled by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.
    tk_lr1 yearThe tk_lr is a referral cookie set by the JetPack plugin on sites using WooCommerce, which analyzes referrer behaviour for Jetpack.
    tk_or5 yearsThe tk_or is a referral cookie set by the JetPack plugin on sites using WooCommerce, which analyzes referrer behaviour for Jetpack.
    tk_r3d3 daysJetPack installs this cookie to collect internal metrics for user activity and in turn improve user experience.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    Powered by CookieYes Logo