Perfect layers for a changing US market

With excellent livability and nest behavior, the breed is social and shows less stress and feather pecking behavior. All are particularly important factors in cage-free systems. Consumers in Europe have traditionally associated brown eggs/hens with cage-free production, and white eggs/hens with cage production. This perception is changing. White birds are becoming the preferred choice in many European countries. We expect that this will also happen in the US.

The new layer hatchery has a capacity to produce 24 million female chicks per year. It will contribute towards meeting the enormous demand for our layers in the US. Construction of the new facility began in September 2016 and is almost complete. The facility will create around 45 new jobs for local people in a range of hatchery roles. Some of these posts are already filled. Yet, recruitment for the rest continues.

With the new hatchery, expansion of Hendrix Genetics’ layer distribution in the US will be strengthened. Key contract growers located near the new hatchery, will rear and house the birds during production. We are already working together with eight contract growers in the Grand Island area. They have invested in new barns to house the birds with a capacity of 40 000 birds for each barn. The Grand Island contract growers will complete the new ‘national production hub’ for Hendrix Genetics in the US. We have provided the contract growers with blueprints for the barns. We advised them on contractors and management of the eventual facilities. All to ensure that our high production standards are maintained throughout the ‘hub’. Construction of eight of the eleven new barns is already complete.

Construction of our new ‘production hub’ in Nebraska will enable us to meet another 10% of the total US layer market needs. It is one of many exciting development projects underway at Hendrix Genetics. We are progressing steadily to enlarge our global downstream distribution significantly.