Hendrix Genetics has recently been partner in the realisation of the innovative layer farms Kipster, which will produce and sell eggs to Lidl, one of biggest European food retail.
The first Kipster farm was officially opened. This is the most state-of-the- art layer farm in the world. The farm is located on the Wusterveld in the town of Venray. This area is intended for innovative agriculture, with an eye for animal welfare and the environment.
Hendrix Genetics is a proud partner in this concept and will be delivering Dekalb White laying hens to be housed at the new farm.
These are the main innovations realized on one farm:
– A great deal of innovations has been used.
– This farm concept is designed around the instincts and needs of the chicken.
– 1,100 solar panels make the farm energy-positive.
– Fuel emissions are limited to an absolute minimum using energy systems not used in the agricultural sector before.
– The facility includes an area for visitors and a center for education and information.
– The chickens eat newly developed feed made from surplus foodstuffs from the food industry which minimize the environmental impact and do not compete with food for human consumption.
The eggs will be sold directly to Lidl, one of the major retailers in Europe. Lidl will also sell the meat of the male chicks. Lidl is the first retailer in The Netherlands to do this.
Development of the Kipster farm concept
Kipster is an initiative of four entrepreneurs combing expertise in the fields of poultry, sustainability, farming and communication. Four years of development went into the design of the Kipster farm. This project is truly unique as it involved numerous parties including animal welfare and sustainability organizations in the design phase. The end result is a farm concept that is future proof, flexible and scalable.
Ruud Zanders of Kipster: “Lots of innovations, and plain old common sense, make Kipster the most state- of-the-art layer farm in the world. We have the ambition to conquer the world with this innovative concept.”
Olivier Wegloop of Kipster: “We aim to bring poultry farms worldwide to an animal and environmentally friendly level. There is already interest from the US, Canada and some European countries.”
Maurits Groen of Kipster: “Our aim is an affordable egg, which has been produced sustainably and climate positive, with a clear eye on animal welfare as a starting point, and a decent income for the farmer. We have succeeded in that aim.”
Styn Claessens of Kipster: “With common sense and the latest technology, we have built the farm of the future.”
Dekalb White an essential part of the Kipster farm concept
Dekalb White laying hens are an essential part of the new farm concept. With the performance of the Dekalb White it is possible to combine animal welfare and environmentally friendliness in a financially feasible way. The Dekalb White is a perfect fit for innovative farms like Kipster.
The first 24,000 laying hens arrived last September at the new farm. These are Dekalb White hens from the Hendrix Genetics breeding company, reared and distributed by Belgian distributor Vepymo.
Dekalb White hens are docile in behavior, making them highly suited to this new, innovative system. Furthermore, these hens produce large amounts of eggs with an excellent shell quality. The egg weight is very consistent with minimal increases by the end of the active laying period.
Frans van Sambeek – Director Research & Development at Hendrix Genetics: “We breed for balanced laying hens that produce top quality eggs. Meaning stronger- and happier laying hens with a prolonged life. This gives our customers, like Kipster and Lidl, a more sustainable production cycle in total.”
For more information, please contact:
Maartje.hendrickx@hendrix-genetics.com
Website Kipster: www.kipster.farm
