14 December 2023

2 minute read

By: Big Dutchman

Big Dutchman customer Trevor McBride from County Monaghan, Ireland, decided to expand his egg production business. He began with a new house for pullet rearing; the first young hens have already moved in. The impressive new building is the first alternative rearing house equipped by Big Dutchman in the Republic of Ireland (another one is located in Northern Ireland). Two modern aviary houses for barn egg production will follow. One is already in the construction phase and the second one will probably start operating in 2024.

Striving for the optimal combination of bird welfare and economically sustainable poultry management, McBride selected systems that are popular with egg producers worldwide: the pullets are reared in the Natura Filia aviary and produce their eggs in Natura Step.

McBride will soon be operating a total of four poultry houses. His father had previously erected a first layer house. Additional production branches of the farm are arable agriculture, dairy farming and sheep husbandry.

Pullet rearing: living in the Natura Filia aviary

Life in the Natura Filia aviary system is geared to the chicks’ needs. The sensitive young birds spend the first weeks inside the aviary, where it is easier to maintain high and uniform temperatures.

An intermediate level helps the pullets to start jumping early on; first attempts to fly are also on the agenda. A few weeks later, the start tier is opened and the birds begin exploring the house and the other parts of the aviary.

Egg production

When the pullets start laying, McBride moves them into his layer houses. Since the pullets spent the beginning of their life in a very similar system, they have no problems finding their way around Natura Step and will quickly start laying.

More Big Dutchman technology Trevor McBride selected for his pullet rearing house (a selection):

• Poultry climate control: ventilation with the energy-saving control principle Dynamic MultiStep | indirect heating with BH50 heaters
• Poultry house lighting: moisture-proof LED lamp and FlexLED tube lamp
• Poultry house management: ViperTouch climate and production computer