Laying Hen Husbandry Towards a happy hen life, proud farmers and a satisfied society www.houdenvanhennen.nl Houden van hennen Contents Laying Hen Husbandry Three challenges The project team of ‘Laying Hen Husbandry’ did not do it alone Three wish lists as the basis for the design • What does the public want? • What do farmers want? • What do hens want? • Looking for common ground Two designs for socially responsible laying hen husbandry systems • The Roundel • The Plantation To whom can we pass the baton? Colofon This brochure is one of the results from the University of Amsterdam: John Grin project Laying Hen Husbandry (‘Houden van Project team support: Frans Leenders & Lotte Paans Hennen’) carried out by Wageningen University and Research Centre (WUR). All those interviewed and those taken part in the public Further information about this project and workshops, the designer and creative workshops. Thank subsequent activities can be obtained under you for your knowledgeable and enthusiastic www.houdenvanhennen.nl or from Peter Groot contributions! Koerkamp (tel. nr. +31 320-238 514, [email protected]). The project ‘Laying Hen Husbandry’ was financed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food quality (LNV - NL) and was part of the research programme ‘Socially The following people contributed to the project: Responsible Animal Husbandry (programme leader Sierk Project team WUR: Bram Bos, Karel de Greef, Spoelstra, Wageningen UR, [email protected]). See Peter Groot Koerkamp (project leader), Yvonne also www.verantwoordeveehouderij.nl. van Hierden, Maarten Kommers, Sandra van der Kroon, Jasper van Ruth and Elvi van Wijk. Editorial: Carolien de Lauwere & Joke Luttik Advisory commission: Elmar Theune (Ministry of Illustrations: Visueel Denken.com (Wouter Boog, Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality), Ferry Jan Selen en Dennis Luijer) Leenstra, (WUR), Jan Wolleswinkel (Dutch Organi- Photography: Simon van Heulen, Hans Dijkstra BvB, sation for Agriculture and Horticulture/ Dutch Wageningen Organisation for Poultry farmers), Marijke de Jong- Design: Miek Saaltink, Grafisch Atelier, Wageningen Timmerman (Animal Protection Society) Print: Modern b.v. Bennekom Colleagues at WUR: Dörte Dopfer, Karin Translation: Andrea Ellis (Independent) and Groenestein, Marinus van Krimpen, Jan ten Napel, Marike Boekhoff (WUR) Willem Schouten, Corrie Smit, Gemma Tacken en Izak Vermeij. Copying of text and details or citations from this Innovaction BV: Corrinne Goenee (public workshops) publication are permitted under the condition that full Specialist journal ‘De Pluimveehouderij’: references to the source publication are made: Wim Wisman (poultry husbandry) Wageningen UR project team Houden van Hennen, Poultry farmer: Peter van Agt (Fladderfarm.nl) Laying Hen Husbandry – towards a happy hen life, proud Consultancy: Bob Onckelinx (creative workshops) farmers and a satisfied society, 2004 Consultancy: Jan Oostdam (methodical approach) Wageningen – Lelystad, Wageningen UR, Communications: Jet Proost (workshop), Marry ISBN 90-6754-793-3 van den Top, Judith Huiting, Frank Lenssinck and Rolf Schreuder 3 | Laying Hen Husbandry In the Netherlands around 35 million hens produce nearly The Dutch Poultry Industry ten billion eggs a year. How can these hens be kept in The Dutch poultry industry consists of a way, which makes them, farmers and citizens a range of businesses: a few breeders organizations, which through selective happy? A research team from Wageningen breeding produce hens with the pre- University and Research Centre worked on this ferred qualities; a number of breeding stations which produce eggs for hatch- question for one year. The aim was to ing; poultry farms which hatch these design new socially desirable husbandry eggs and sell chicks and finally around systems to keep hens for the production three thousand farms which raise layer pullets to the age of 17 weeks old and of eggs. laying hens to the age of 72 weeks. Amongst the ancillary industry are egg packing stations and egg or hen pro- cessing factories, slaughter houses and feed manufacturers. In addition service providers and suppliers are active in areas such as livestock feed sales, transport and logistics (for ani- mals, feed, manure and products), vet- erinarian support, advisory or consul- tancy businesses and banking. In 2002 around 35 million laying hens were Towards two designs for new husbandry systems for hens. kept in The Netherlands, of which two No blue prints, but inspirational examples thirds were housed in traditional bat- tery cage systems and one third in wel- fare friendlier free-range systems. This Laying Hen Husbandry number has risen to 50 % in 2003. Farms with outdoor runs, indoor barn Towards a happy hen life, proud farmers and a satisfied society systems and battery cage systems have an average of 5000, 15 000 or 30 000 animals respectively. Farms with outdoor free-range systems have less chickens than farms without out- New husbandry systems are neces- are switching to alternative systems, ing damage to the health of the animals are laying hens, which are door access. Many farms with battery sary as today’s existing systems such as free range husbandry. poultry farmer. Furthermore, the kept for the commercial production cages keep more than 50 000 ani- lack in important aspects. The cur- However, it is questionable, whether outbreak of the fowl pest (Avian of eggs. However, in this brochure mals. All together, these hens lay rent most frequently used hus- these alternatives are the most ideal Influenza) has stimulated further dis- we refer to them both as ‘hens’ or around 10 billion eggs per year. bandry system – the battery cage replacements for the battery cage cussion on how poultry are kept as ‘chickens’. Around two thirds of the Dutch produc- system – will even be outlawed in system. Barn systems do provide there were some indications that the At the end of this brochure Laying tion is exported, primarily to neighbour- 2012. Further, beak trimming will hens with greater freedom of move- disease was spread by the drop- Hen Husbandry presents two ing countries. One third of the eggs be forbidden from 2006 – this is a ment than battery cages, allowing pings of wild birds flying over free- designs of new husbandry systems remaining in The Netherlands, is sold process whereby the sharp beaks of foraging behaviour. However, the range poultry areas. for hens. In these designs the wish- as table eggs. The rest is processed hens are trimmed. This practice has high population density still poses a To be clear, we define husbandry es of men and animals have been for ingredients in products, ranging always been accepted as necessary problem for the well-being of the systems as the combination of the integrated as much as possible. from pasta to shampoos. because hens in cramped conditions hens– for instance due to the high housing unit (indoors and outdoors), These are not blue-prints but inspira- and restricted space can cause incidence of feather pecking– and technical equipment, animal man- tional examples. That’s why we considerable injury to each other occasionally also of humans: in agement and the animal itself. Thus, begin by detailing the process which through aggressive pecking. More some alternative systems a lot of a husbandry system is much more has led to these designs. and more traditional poultry farmers dust is thrown up into the air caus- than just the housing system. The 4 | Laying Hen Husbandry 5 | Laying Hen Husbandry Methodical design, the way to a solution A task as complicated as the design of a husbandry system which complies with many needs and wishes – and with all It is quite something to develop a system that covers both the their associated complications – requires wishes of humans and animals. The project team first collected the a well considered plan. The project team experiences and opinions of a wide range of people inside and ‘Laying Hen Husbandry’ chose a method, known as ‘Methodical Design’. This is a outside the poultry industry. The latest literature on the needs of very systematic approach. The first step hens was reviewed as well. From this, the project team distilled is an inventory and exact definition of all demands, wishes and requirements. What three main challenges for the project. exactly does a hen require? What is scien- tifically proven, or is just believe or gut- feeling? What are the demands and wishes of the public, the farmer and the govern- ment? Such an inventory does not only help greatly in the thinking process, but it also proves useful in conversations with those involved. It is a great tool for explaining what the system designers are trying to do and why. And that’s not the only benefit. The method helps to bridge initial opposition by finding common grounds. This first step results in a ‘Programme of Demands’ (PoD), a com- plete list of requirements for the new designs. The second step is the actual design of a husbandry system, in which point to values which many people try to control nature by using ingen- these demands have to be met. This identify with and want to be realized ious technology. Nothing is left to starts with the search for partial solutions, in this context. But what do they the animals themselves. Laying Hen which will be combined into complete sys- The three challenges actually mean? Husbandry left this approach tems afterwards. Special attention is given behind. The project team chose to the most pressing problems, where the NATURALNESS: The project team instead to look for cooperation systematic use of creativity is of great 1. Developing a socially desirable knowledge, applied agricultural farmer can make enough money, gave the term naturalness three dif- between nature and technology. importance. Especially those solutions system with a truthful and research and education. Intensive and around which society feels ferent, but related meanings. First Then, the natural behaviour of hens which fulfil the wishes of all are welcome.