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With AL-B, Big Dutchman presents a new generation of alarm devices for poultry houses at this year's EuroTier which implements the highest security standards: The new device is equipped with a fingerprint sensor which recognises each user's identity and respective user rights with absolute certainty. This ensures that only authorised users are able to respond to alarms in the poultry house. Another advantage with regard to security: All AL-B-related events are saved in an integrated black box (similar to the black box used in an airplane) whose data cannot be deleted. 

The AL-B can save fingerprints of everyone authorised to use the device and to change settings. A touch screen allows for easy use; a special key to respond to the alarms is no longer necessary. 

Hall 9, Stand C24

German poultry housing systems for layers are forerunners for US agriculture. This became apparent upon the trip of 16 representatives of the layer breeder company Hy-Line to Big Dutchman in Calveslage. Hy-Line is a subsidiary company of the German company Lohmann Tierzucht in Cuxhaven which holds a market share of 80 percent in the US. 

New systems for layer management

“In the coming years our technology will even continue to spread widely in the US “, predicts Big Dutchman managing director Bernd Kuhlencord. The situation in the United States can be compared to that in Europe approx. five years ago. Layer management in cages is still widely allowed, but some states as for example California have already banned it. Others are already working on cage ban. Therefore, many egg producers today focus on enriched cages. Their examples are the enriched colony systems designed by Big Dutchman according to the EU directive.

This example of enriched colony systems combines numerous suggestions for improvement of egg production from scientists and animal welfare activists which have been put into practice at the world-wide market leader Big Dutchman: Larger bird groups, additional perches at a higher position, larger nest surface as well as brighter and larger litter surface are characteristic for this type of layer management. 

Besides enriched colony systems, the US visitors showed strong interest also in free range and floor management. Both are also experiencing an upswing in the US, says Bernd Kuhlencord. This way, the Hy-Line representatives found their way to the layer houses in the rural district of Vechta with its alternative systems for layer management.

The Hy-Line representatives from the USA convinced themselves of the know-how regarding poultry houses of the world-wide market leader Big Dutchman. The visitors were particularly interested in layer management in enriched colony systems as well as in free range and floor management systems.

The Agrargesellschaft Schwarz mbH has put into operation two new houses for rearing 39,900 broiler breeders – a first step in the direction of a closed system to be set up. After the inauguration celebrated with approx. 250 guests in Schwarz in North-West Germany, the breeder management project is quickly to be continued: the construction of eight further houses for the production of hatching eggs is in full swing, planned for a total 80,000 bird places. Regarding poultry systems and poultry feeding systems for all ten houses, the partners fully rely on Big Dutchman.

„This is a big sign of confidence put in us, we are very thankful,” said Big Dutchman sales manager Werner Meckelnborg on the occasion of the inauguration festivities on the farm of Christian Heine and Henner Schwecke. The partners in this ambitious project are planning to produce broiler hatching eggs and pullets in their own rearing houses. The last house for the production of hatching eggs is supposed to be put into operation in the middle of 2013.

The rearing houses each have a length of 25 x 100 meters and are entirely equipped with Big Dutchman poultry systems. To get a good impression of a nice project please check the photo gallery further down.

Otherwise: more detailed information on Big Dutchman poultry systems for breeder management can be downloaded here. 

The first step in the direction of a closed system has been done: the two new rearing houses for breeder management are ready

The pullets are supplied with feed via a CHAMPION chain feeding system: The feed is transported to the feed hopper via pipes and from there further on to the trough. By the way: the CHAMPION chain marks the start of the company Big Dutchman in 1938, when their founders invented the world‘s first automatic chain feeding system and started a new era of poultry production. Due to the simple and rugged operating principle, the widely copied Big Dutchman classic has proved itself a million times up to the present day – of course in breeder management, too.

On the floor, two lines of chain feeding distributing the feed rapidly, evenly and reliably within the entire house. The young roosters are reared inside the separate section on the right side of the house.

The males are fed via a REPROMATIC feeding system, a combination of chain and pan feeding especially designed for broiler breeders. The feeding system as well as the standing slat on the left help to prepare the birds for their time after moving into the production house. In there, the birds are living in similar surroundings and can adapt without major losses – thanks to their previous training with the proper poultry systems.

Central to the two houses is the Big Dutchman amacs control system. It allows to control and pilot without problems the production as well as the poultry house ventilation. amacs is based on the most modern internet technology. Virtually from any place in the world breeder management can be carried out in real time. Data regarding house temperature or ventilation can for example be accessed, but poultry producers can also check feed or water supply by means of a few clicks and modify them if necessary.

Nice presents up their sleeve: Big Dutchman sales manager Werner Meckelnborg (far right) and sales representative Mario-Peter Paeseler (far left) participated in the inauguration ceremony in Schwarz. The hosts from left to right: Henner Schwecke with his wife, Christian Heine with his wife, as well as farm manager Ingo Zaren.

In just five years Craig Grant has established a profitable poultry business on the 290 ha arable and pig farm run by his father and uncle near Fraserburg in Aberdeenshire, UK. He runs the family’s two 12,000-bird houses on a self-employed basis and also operates his own 16,000 Big Dutchman multi-tier unit NaturaNova Twin aviary.

With great success, according to Farmers Weekly: the magazine which is aimed at the British farming industry has awarded Craig with the 2012 Young Farmer of the Year Award. In a stiff competition, several winning ways made him stand out from the competition, not least the impressive growth Craig had achieved in business in a short period of time.

To read the full article on the young award winner Farmers Weekly has published on its website please follow this link! 

Example of a NATURANova Twin aviary, a member of the large NATURA family. The latter consists of several branches covering around twenty types of aviaries.