EIP Project Database

Find EIP-AGRI projects in Germany

You can find projects by searching for:

  • "Suchbegriff" = Search item, like "pig", "animal welfare" or "climate" ...
  • "Bundesland" = Federal states in Germany, you can also have a look on the map on the bottom of this page
  • "Projektstatus" - "laufend" oder "abgeschlossen" = ongoing or completed status
  • "Schlüsselwörter" = key words
  • "Starttermin" = project start

Optimization of animal welfare and significant extension of the residence period for vital senior laying hens in organic farming

Authority

Ministerium für Energiewende, Landwirtschaft, Umwelt, Natur und Digitalisierung des Landes Schleswig-Holstein

Federal State

Schleswig-Holstein

Contact

Mercatorstraße 3
24106 Kiel

Website: External link to the authority

Project Title

Optimization of animal welfare and significant extension of the residence period for vital senior laying hens in organic farming

Project description

Because actually the residence period of laying hens is 12 months and flocks are periodically renewed, the male half of them is killed as one day old chickens. This ethically less than satisfactory situation shows a project as wanting which could develop management systems in respect to appropriate animal welfare of laying hens, with the goal to significantly extend their lifetime to about two years. Six farms, consultants and scientists participate in this project, developing key parameters to be measured with a passage of layers over the extended residence period and systematically check and record the data in the hen houses. "Animal welfare indicators" show the effects of the actions undertaken. In addition, the economic situation of the farms with senior laying hens is analyzed.The suitability of the methods for prolonged laying hen holding is judged at the end of the project to decide their possible merits and further implementation on other farms.

Results focusing on practiceorientation

Experimental flocks with an induced laying break were compared with flocks with individual laying breaks. The analysed laying performance and weight development for a longer rearing period provide indications for both rearing methods. Regardless of the method, the continuous weight gain of the young laying hens and good vaccination protection appear to be decisive for a persistent laying performance. From an economic point of view, it became clear that longer rearing reduces the remounting rate and thus the proportionate costs of the pullets can be spread over more eggs. If the laying break is used as a regeneration phase, treatment measures (e.g. deworming) can be carried out during this time without economic losses and the hens start the next laying period with their plumage intact. The project carried out revealed weaknesses, but also the advantages of a longer rearing period, e.g. through animal welfare benchmarking.

Key words

Animal husbandry

Main funding source

Rural development 2014-2020

OG contact information

Ökoring S.-H. e.V., Versuchs- und Beratungsring Ökologischer Landbau Schleswig-Holstein
Grüner Kamp 15-17
24768 Rendsburg

Phone: 04331-9453460

Email: romanaholle@oekoring-sh.de

Type of OG partners

  • Farmer
  • Advisor

Begin of project

2015

Project status

completed

Total budget applied for in EUR

228,501

Link 1

project website of EIP Agrar SH

NUTS3 CODE

DEF0B Rendsburg-Eckernförde

To top