Between 2008 and 2014, Vencomatic performed five trial flocks with the Veranda Breeder system at Kempenkip, and worked closely with Aviagen.

Aviagen will be testing the Ross Ranger at Kempenkip. This chicken breed, with brown feathered Ranger females and white Ross males, is Aviagen's answer to the increasing demand for alternative poultry meat production.

A total of 1,900 birds will be housed on the Veranda Breeder in several different groups.

The Veranda is the perfect system to perform the trial as it allows the possibility to make small groups out of the flock and monitor each group closely.

Outstanding results

The fifth trial flock at Kempenkip, with Ross 308 birds, has been very successful for Vencomatic.

Results where outstanding with peak egg production over 90 per cent, giving a final production of over 170 hatching eggs per hen housed at week 60.

Hatchability was above the Ross 308 standards and peaked over 92 per cent. Furthermore, mortality was low with 7.5 per cent at 60 weeks of age.