Published on Nov. 13, 2017
Hendrix Genetics hosts Brazilian egg producers
A group of Brazilian egg producers visited European farms in The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. The aim of the visit was to see some aviary housing systems first-hand and learn more about transitioning to an alternative housing environment.
With the ongoing trends for cage free production in North America and Europe, Brazilian producers are interested in learning more about animal welfare friendly management. Europe has experienced the transition since the ban on cage systems in 2012 and can offer a number of lessons to help others make a successful transition.
The group visited nine locations, with some of these farms raising Dekalb birds. In their visit, the group could interact with the farm owner, ask questions and share experiences as fellow egg producers.
Marco de Almeida, Area Director for South America, helped escort the group.
The program was very productive and gave everyone a full taste of the European trends; after so many challenges, Europe has been able to achieve improved performance using new housing systems for both rearing and production. The opportunity to have direct contact with local families of egg producers also gave a special touch to the visits. Their own life trajectory to overcome the transition to alternative housing systems made the visits even more educational.
