Lisanne Stadig of the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals (Dierenbescherming):
“Hatching in the house is the future”
The Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals has qualified the One2Born system, along with other systems in which chicks hatch in the house, as a leader in promoting animal welfare. It’s just one of the good examples that the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals has posted on the Delta Plan Livestock Farming website. “Chicks hatching in the poultry houses is certainly a positive development in terms of their welfare,” says Lisanne Stadig, senior policy officer on livestock farming at the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals.
Hatching in the poultry house is praised as an example of a positive development in livestock farming on the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals’ Livestock Farming Delta Plan website. Last year, One2Born and similar systems were cited as good examples in the Livestock Farming Delta Plan. Good for people. Good for animals. In this plan, the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals outlines its vision for livestock farming in 2050. One of the four transition paths in the plan is a livestock farming system that treats animals well as part of a comprehensive process of sustainabilisation. “Chicks in the poultry house is an excellent example of this,” says Lisanne Stadig, senior policy officer on livestock farming at the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals. “Chicks that hatch in the poultry house have immediate access to feed and water, and no longer have to be transported. That’s positive for the welfare of the chicks,” in Stadig’s opinion. “Poultry farmers tell us that chicks which hatch in a poultry barn behave differently to day-old chicks that are transported to the barn. They appear to be less stressed. Research has also shown that hatching in the house can lead to fewer foot injuries and a lower mortality rate.”
Pleased with recognition by the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals
“We’re obviously delighted with the recognition of our system by the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals,” says Frank de Louw. He founded One2Born together with Huub van Santvoort and Willem van den Boom, and has been developing the animal-friendly system for years. The One2Born hatchholder already won the Herman Wijffels Innovation Award in the Food & Agri category back in 2015. “We were convinced from the outset that chicks hatching in the house are much less stressed than chicks transported from a hatchery to a broiler farm. As a result, these chicks are more resistant, which benefits their health.”
The innovative entrepreneurs have experienced in practice that the advanced One2Born hatchholder makes all this possible with unique packaging. It’s also fast, safe and predictable to use in every poultry house and hatchery. “Animal welfare, sustainability and cutting costs go hand in hand, and that appeals to people.”
Senior policy officer Stadig sees a whole range of animal welfare benefits in hatching chicks in the house instead of the hatchery. “Poultry farmers who have switched tell me that they now consider it the most normal thing in the world. Ultimately, we’d like to end the transport of live animals completely, and see the benefits of hatching in the houses rolled out in other poultry sectors,” says Stadig. De Louw says that One2Born also has experience with the system in layer chicken farming. “Every type of chicken can hatch in the house, without any problems. It’s a matter of willingness and organisation. We’re very proud to be at the forefront,” says De Louw.
