Producers seeing benefits of birds reared on high

Free range producers taking pullets from multi-tier rearing systems are seeing benefits over conventionally reared birds.

Pullet customers of Jansen UK – a poultry equipment company which has expanded into rearing – claim birds are noticeably more active and quickly acclimatise to a life in the laying shed.

It was necessity which caused Jansen UK – which is run by the husband and wife team of Eamonn and Janis Ryan – to get into pullet rearing. As well as the equipment side of their business, the couple also have an 8,000 bird multi-tier laying unit on their 56-acre farm which lies on the fringes of Exmoor in Devon.

Not only is it a requirement of the RSPCA's Freedom Food scheme for layers housed in multi-tier systems to be reared in similar conditions, but industry experience elsewhere in Europe has proved it is key to the success of the system.

Eamonn initially overcame this hurdle by placing his first two crops of multi-tier layers in the laying house as chicks, effectively operating a "day-old to death" system.

"This worked perfectly well from a welfare and flock performance point of view but it isn't economic to tie-up expensive laying accommodation as rearing space," says Eamonn, whose free range unit not only boosts income for the business but is somewhere he can take potential customers to see Jansen equipment in operation.

Eamonn knew that ultimately he would need his own multi-tier rearing space and by chance he came across a former broiler-breeder rearing site that was available for rent in Hertfordshire.

It was something of a gamble because capacity was way beyond that needed to satisfy his own needs but Eamonn nevertheless took it on and began to convert the floor rearing sheds to multi-tier, the equipment being manufactured by Jansen at its factory in Barneveld, Holland.

The gamble appears to have paid off with a growing list of repeat orders now coming in from satisfied customers.

Pullets reared in the system are restricted to the raised platforms for the first 15 days of life and Eamonn sees this as a major benefit. "It means the chicks are never far from food or water during this crucial period," and he adds that by having the chicks off the floor and confined in this way gives the stockperson an excellent view of what is going on. "Any problems can be spotted early," he says.

Another advantage over conventional floor rearing systems, believes Eamonn, is the manure belts fitted under the platforms which by regular removal of droppings leads to an improved environment within the house.

After 15 days the sides of the platforms are lowered to form ramps which give the birds access to the floor and they are also free to move through the system using the overhead perching. The growing pullets soon learn to use even the highest perches from only a few weeks old.

Producers who have taken pullets from the site are benefiting from this improved mobility, which is immediately noticeable.

"The pullets are very active, right from day-one," says Linda Courtney who has a 7,500-bird free range flock housed in a conventional slats and litter system in Sussex. "The very first evening all the birds were up on the slats and required no training. In the past I've known it where we've had to lift what seemed like most of the flock off the litter each evening for around two weeks."

Linda's flock is nearly 60 weeks of age and still laying at just short of 90 per cent. Not surprisingly she has already ordered a replacement batch from Eamonn.

Meanwhile in Somerset, producer Ken Cottey has recently stocked a new 16,000-bird multi-tier house with pullets from Jansen UK, as well as 6,000 that went into a conventional house.

"I'd actually ordered the birds from Eamonn before we'd made the decision to go multi-tier," said Ken, who keeps a total of 28,000 free range layers. "Whilst having birds reared in a multi-tier system will be an essential requirement when it comes to stocking the new house, having seen how active the birds are compared to the floor reared flocks I've had previously, I would opt for multi-tier pullets in the future, regardless of which system they are going into."

Ken reckons the only drawback is that he's now been left with the job of fitting more overhead perching in his conventionally designed house, such is the birds' desire for the high life!