BEST BRITISH NEWQUIP SEES INTEREST IN BARN SYSTEMS INCREASE BEST OF BRITISH - newquip ltd / big dutchman BRITISH FARMING – BRITISH BUSINESSES Big Dutchman distributor Newquip says there has been increased interest in the company's barn systems since announcements by most big UK retailers that they would stop selling cage eggs by 2025. 2 WWW.newquip.co.uk newquip sees interest in barn systems increase The egg industry has been waiting to see although the company said that only two what the major supermarkets will replace customers had so far gone through with their existing value range with come 2025, installations of significant sale. although Tesco, the country's biggest supermarket has committed to sourcing barn "There has been an interest, mostly the big eggs. Yorkshire-based Newquip, Big producers who have existing cage units, or Dutchman's UK distributor, says it has colony units, who need to start considering received more expressions of interest in barn what they are going to do with those colony since the retailers' cage-free commitment, units once the supermarkets move over to no BEST OF BRITISH - newquip ltd / big dutchman 3 www.bigdutchman.de p FLEXIBLE MODULAR SYSTEM Big volumes of eggsperience: NATURA NATURA multi-level systems for layers – flexible, efficient and profitable: | for floor or free range management | 5 million bird places in the UK, 52 million in Europe and 66 million hens worldwide in NATURA systems Free range egg production! NATURA Step NATURA 260 NATURA 264 NATURA 2 6 Newquip Limited, NQ House, Conygarth Way Leeming Bar Business Park, Leeming Bar Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL7 9EE Tel. 01677 428600, [email protected] https://youtu.be/kg8PCJR6YE8 cage shell eggs on their shelves," said Richard cages came into force at the beginning of Buchan, Newquip technical sales adviser. "So 2012. there has been an interest, certainly. Yes," said Richard. Glenrath Farms is one company that took an early decision to replace some of its colony It was, perhaps, inevitable that it would be units with barn. As long ago as September colony cage producers who would show an 2014 Glenrath chairman Sir John Campbell interest in converting to barn because they told the Ranger that he intended to start are the ones for who space will often be an replacing some of his enriched colony issue. Many do not have the room for the production. He said at the time that the range necessary for free range production. market was moving away from any form of "Some will be people who put in colony early cage production to alternative methods. He in the run-up to the cage ban in 2012. Some was making the switch because he expected of their equipment will be getting tired and it that barn production - currently a very small will be a natural choice for them to change to part of the UK egg sector - would grow in the barn," said Newquip's Adam Dye. He said that, future. He already has orders for his barn for early adopters of enriched units, the eggs. financial impact of investing again, this time in barn, would not be as significant as it Figures produced by the Department for would be for someone who had installed Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) enriched colony units more recently - show that barn eggs accounted for just over possibly just before the European two per cent of packing station throughput Union ban on battery last year. However, all major UK retailers 6 WWW.newquip.co.uk RICHARD BUCHAN , Newquip technical sales adviser have now committed to going cage-free by units, although Sir John deals directly with Big 2025 and those who want to retain a value Dutchman. Newquip, which represents Big egg could opt for barn. Dutchman in the United Kingdom, points to Glenrath has had three barn units installed so its Natura Step system as one that is deal for far on its own farms in the Scottish Borders. both barn conversion and new build units in Sir John said the two-tier units had replaced the UK. older enriched colony units that had, themselves, been adapted from cage units. "It can go into older houses - it is perfect for He said that the company had spent as much refurbishment, where the step can be spaced as £2 million recently on barn installation. out accordingly to the building width. So Simply removing old colony units had cost as that's quite a good one to work out well," said much as £40,000. Richard Buchan. "The biggest advantage, really, is it's similar to a free range house, Two of the new Glenrath units are now except the birds don't range. So the supplying customers, although Sir John equipment is exactly the same as you would would not disclose where the eggs were have in a free range laying house. If you going. He said he was awaiting more orders imagine a free range laying house with the before populating the latest unit, but he said pop hole doors closed, no access outside but he was committed to investing in barn everything else inside is exactly the same, so production if there was a demand for it from they have their nest areas, their scratching the country's retailers. areas on the floor, full access to the floor at all times, a lot of perching, all the food and water Glenrath's new installations are Big Dutchman that they require, so exactly as you would see BEST OF BRITISH - newquip ltd / big dutchman 7 There has been more expressions of interest in barn since the retailers' cage-free commitment in a free range house but not free range." Everything is identical apart from the fact there is no range," said Adam. Newquip's Adam Dye said it was possible to obtain a system at the more intensive end of He said that new entrants into the egg sector the scale for barn. This was, effectively, a cage were still opting predominantly for free range system with the doors removed. Stocking units, although the investment cost for barn density might be 18 to 20 birds a square was lower. Investment in a new barn unit metre compared to the 15 birds per square would cost about £25 a bird, he said. A barn metre Freedom Food standard . "The Natura conversion in an existing shed would cost £10 Step's selling point is that it is very much like to £15 per bird. Investment in a free range a free range unit but without the pop holes. unit would cost £30 to £35. 8 WWW.newquip.co.uk Richard Buchan said, "Obviously you don't Returns are lower for barn eggs, of course. have the land involvement, so without the The difference in producer price between free land you are certainly making a saving from range and barn eggs amounts to about 20 that point of view, plus the producers who are pence per dozen. looking at this have existing buildings. So they are able to utilise the infrastructure that However, the decision by supermarkets to go they have - the building costs are already cage-free, and the realisation that at least covered. It's really a case of removing some of the big retailers will still want a whatever is inside the building and replacing supply of value eggs, seems to have it with Natura Step." heightened interest in available barn systems. BEST OF BRITISH - newquip ltd / big dutchman 9 www.bigdutchman.de FLEXIBLE MODULAR SYSTEM Big volumes of eggsperience: NATURA NATURA multi-level systems for layers – flexible, efficient and profitable: | for conversion of existing colony sheds | high stocking density on a small footprint/good utilization of the building | all advantages of the market proven NATURA Step system | intermediate ceiling is supported by the multi-tier-structure | freedom food approved for barn egg production For barn egg production! NQ House, Conygarth Way, Leeming Bar Business Park, Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL7 9EE T: 01677 428600 F: 01677 428601 E: [email protected] W: www.newquip.co.uk.