Altogether 12,000 laying hens recently moved into the new poultry house built by Iduna and Bernd Sachtjen from Friedeburg in northern Germany. In the course of modernising their farm, the couple changed from dairy farming to organic egg production.

Before the hens were moved into their new home, the Sachtjen family invited the public to an open day of the new barn, which is equipped with Big Dutchman’s latest generation of the Natura-Nova Twin aviary. Approximately 400 people took advantage of the opportunity to take a closer look at the new poultry shed.

Organic egg production in the new poultry house

The core part of the new poultry house is the two-tiered Natura-Nova Twin 280 with portal. The further development of the Big Dutchman aviary for barn egg production and free range egg production, a bestseller among the so-called conventional aviaries, is characterised by several additional new features.

Among others, these include the increased usable area as well as the widened connecting passage between nest and system which can be used by the farm staff for the daily inspection rounds. In addition, the two catwalks above the portal were further reinforced and thus provide additional walking safety and a more comfortable system inspection.

The hens are supplied with feed and water on two levels and have direct access to the nest. A low share of mislaid eggs and the overall good acceptance of the system are the positive result of the sophisticated construction, which is also designed for 100 per cent utilisation of the house surface area. The poultry house for aviary management is divided into four separate areas which means that the number of hens per group is limited to 3,000 hens per group.

Everything is ready for free range egg production

As free-range area for their 12,000 laying hens, the Sachtjens established a pasture of approximately five hectares. The size of the area for free-range egg production is defined by the EU Eco regulation, based on which each hen must have a surface area of at least four square metres. Also installed are the stipulated shelters which protect the hens against rain, sunshine or birds of prey.

The poultry shed has a size of 90 metres × 14 metres. Along the sides, the building has roofed outdoor porches, through which the hens can access the free range area.