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The long-term benefits of short-chain poultry farming
A SHORT-CHAIN poul- try unit in the Nether- lands is changing public opinion and proving that poultry production can be done sustainably, eth- ically and affordably for everyone.
The first step was to build a hatchery system that allowed the chicks to be hatched in the houses they would then stay and grow in.
their growing stages – in- cluding the smells, dust and ammonia – and pro- duces heated air for the hatching birds.
the system works means we have fresh meat every day as we keep numerous different ages on the farm — this is why we built such a big farm.”
Third-generation farmer Marcel Kuijpers runs an innovative poultry unit with his two brothers and two nephews in the town of Grubbenvorst Nether- lands.
The hatchery was set up so the birds are born in the sheds they will stay in until slaughter – removing the need for any transpor- tation.
This is another way for the farm to be sustainable. “We didn’t want to use fossil fuels and so design- ing this family warmth system has worked out
“We want to be able to slaughter about 4000 birds an hour, which will be 32,000 birds a day over an eight-hour day with the total 1 million birds split across 16 ages.”
One of the main focuses of the Kuijpers Kip brand is animal welfare, an issue that Kuijpers said is ex- tremely important to him, alongside driving for sus- tainability and affordable food for all.
Living on six vertical layers, the birds are on wood shaving and can ac- cess water and food as soon as they are hatched.
very well.”
To become sustainable
The farm was originally located on a different site, with poultry houses that were built in 1956 by Kui- jpers’s father and uncle.
“This means there is better meat quality and higher animal welfare,” Mr Kuijpers said.
Initially the family took out an intellectual-proper- ty patent on the hatchery design, but on reflection Kuijpers and his brothers decided this didn’t tie in with the business’s mis- sion statement of ‘lovely food for everyone’.
“Three times a day I get asked to organise excur- sions to the farm, which is why we made a film and so we can spread the news.”
The previous systems were dismantled about 20 years ago to make way for one large, all-inclusive short-chain.
The system also means no antibiotics are required at all.
As a result they made the patent available for others to use.
In addition, Kuijpers or- ganised a symposium in October 2019 to get the discussion on food pro- duction rolling again.
“In 2000, we decided to work towards remov- ing the transport element from the production chain as it struck us that the broilers had to be driven to slaughter, and we never heard anything back ex- cept their weight and the price,” Mr Kuijpers said.
“When the birds are hatched this way, they have a higher immune response which is scien- tifically proven to provide a higher vitality against diseases.
“We want everyone to be able to have decent, healthy and tasty food that is not damaging to animal welfare or the environ- ment.
“Discussions about meat often get hijacked by ani- mal welfare, so we want- ed to take the discussion back in hand.
“We thought, if we can skip all of the transport, it will be better for peo- ple, the animals and the earth.”
“The housing set up also means that because there are no draughts, there is no respiratory disease.”
“It’s not in conflict with my mission to let peo- ple copy me – it’s about sustainability in every way and not just thinking about myself.”
“We know about animal welfare, are responsible and take it very seriously.”
This became the start- ing point in developing a whole new strategy – adopting innovative prac- tices became a target for the business, with the overall aim to create a short-chain system where birds are hatched, grown and slaughtered on a sin- gle site.
A comprehensive care plan is in place for animal health and welfare, and a veterinarian is employed to work with the birds through their life cycles.
The Kuijpers family has proven the sceptics wrong. They currently have space to produce 250,000 broilers, and a farm with 85,000 parent-stock that can produce up to 4 mil-
The symposium aimed to demonstrate the farm model is sustainable and provides a nice environ- ment for the birds.
“We were very ambi- tious and everyone said we were crazy.”
“The air scrubbers have been transformed to be- come an energy source, which collects the heat from the birds during
these but the next stage of expansion on our site will see the farm grow to house 1 million broilers,” Mr Kuijpers said.
“More and more cus- tomers want to buy our meat and we are growing, but we don’t want our cus- tomer base to grow faster than we do.”
This was the first of its kind and the system had to be built from the ground up.
“It means the fatten- ing birds heat their own brothers and sisters.”
The next step for the business is to build a slaughterhouse on the site, but the aim is to keep it as small as possible.
At the end of the life cycle the birds are caught automatically and stunned on their way to the slaugh- terhouse, so there is no stress and no transport is- sues.
in other ways, the roofs of the barns are fitted with solar panels that have a total capacity of 1 mega- watt, which means the site is self-sustaining.
There is demand to visit the farm and Kuijpers has several videos on YouTube to answer the questions he is regularly asked.
The hatchery is also set up with Inno+ air scrub- bers, which results in minimal emissions from the poultry houses.
lion hatching eggs.
“We export many of
Despite the criticism from animal welfare groups, Kuijpers believes the sustainability ap- proach will win in time.
“Our consumers want fresh birds and the way
Melanie Jenkins
Executive order keeping meat plants open despite coronavirus fears
US President Donald Trump has ordered meat-processing plants to stay open to protect the food supply in the US, despite concerns about coronavirus out- breaks, drawing a back- lash from unions that said at-risk workers re- quired more protection.
America as workers fall ill, stoking global fears of a meat shortage.
10 million fewer indi- vidual servings of beef in a day.
mercial Workers Inter- national Union said, “While we share the concern over the food supply, the executive or- der to force meatpack- ing plants to stay open must put the safety of our country’s meatpack- ing workers first.”
Critics of Trump’s order made clear that plants were being shut down for a reason.
and ensure the supply chain continued to churn. UFCW said more than 6,500 meat- and food- processing workers have been infected with or ex- posed to the new corona-
and poultry producers operating, the Presi- dent’s executive order will help avert hardship for agricultural produc- ers and keep safe, afford- able food on the tables of American families.
With concerns about food shortages and sup- ply chain disruptions due to COVID-19, Trump is- sued an executive order using the Defense Pro- duction Act to mandate that the plants continue to function.
Tyson Foods chair- man John H. Tyson said that the US food supply chain was breaking and warned of the potential for meat shortages.
A senior administra- tion official said the US government would also provide guidance to minimise risk to work- ers who are especially vulnerable to the virus, such as encouraging older workers and those with other chronic health issues to stay home.
UFCW demanded the administration compel meat companies to pro- vide the highest level of protective equipment to slaughterhouse workers and ensure daily corona- virus testing.
“If the administration had developed meaning- ful safety requirements early on, as they should have and still must do, this would not have be- come an issue.”
executive order.
NAMI president and
“And as it is assured, facilities should be al- lowed to re-open.”
The order is designed in part to give companies legal cover with more li- ability protection in case employees catch the vi- rus as a result of having to go to work.
“Such closures threaten the continued function- ing of the national meat and poultry supply chain, undermining critical in- frastructure during the national emergency.”
Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union president Stuart Appel- baum said, “When poul- try plants shut down, it’s for deep cleaning and to save workers’ lives.
virus, and 20 have died. The North Ameri- can Meat Institute has backed the signing of the
“The safety of the men and women working in the meat and poultry in- dustry is the first priority.
CEO Julie Anna Potts said, “By keeping meat
The world’s biggest meat companies, includ- ing Smithfield Foods Inc, Cargill Inc, JBS USA and Tyson, have halted operations at about 20 slaughterhouses and pro- cessing plants in North
Before issuing the ex- ecutive order, Trump told reporters that signing the order “... will solve any liability problems” add- ing “And we always work with the farmers. There’s plenty of supply.”
Unions were not im- pressed.
The senior administra- tion official – speaking on condition of anonym- ity – said if action were not taken the vast major- ity of processing plants could have shut down for a period of time, reduc- ing capacity by as much as 80 percent.
The administration official said the White House worked directly with executives from the meat-processing compa- nies to determine what they needed to stay open safely, adding there were enough workers who could safely go to work
The executive order said the closure of just one large beef-process- ing plant could result in
Farmers said it was too late because pigs had been euthanised instead of the pork going to market.
United Food and Com-
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National Poultry Newspaper, May 2020 – Page 13