A first mini Bolegg aviary (Vencomatic) in Saône et Loire

“The Saône et Loire Chamber of Agriculture informed me of the development needs of Envie d’œufs Sud-Est in the production of alternative laying hens. A production of organic eggs was essential, more economically profitable given the size of my land,” explains Anthony Robillard, breeder. The inauguration of the Mef’s building for 12,000 organic laying hens took place on April 15 in Chalmoux (71).

Source: Filieres Avicoles

The 1,682-square-meter Mef building (108 m x 14.5 m, or 1,566 square meters for the rearing room plus 116 square meters for the technical room) is naturally ventilated with shutters and skylights, plus eight air mixers with a misting ring. The rearing room is equipped with three rows of single-story Bolegg Gallery Vencomatic aviaries, with a single level of movable-bottom nest boxes (for access to the front for the chicken and back of the nest for the farmer) and a single manure belt. "We kept all the elements of the classic Bolegg Gallery aviary system, except for the width of the rows, which was reduced to 2.60m (instead of 3.20m). It is not very high to have a good visibility of the breeding room, which corresponds to our image of organic rearing. There is only one feeding circuit per row and a pipette line in front of the nests" says Johannes Oesterdiekhoff, Vencomatic Group.

The manure is conveyed on a belt (1.60 m wide) to a manure stocking shed, so the manure is available at any time. "The scrapers, located under the slatted floors, keep a five-centimeter layer of litter in the building, which is necessary for the breeding process to run smoothly. Thicker litter (e.g. 12 cm) creates dust and encourages the hens to lay their eggs in it. At the end of the batch, the scrapers will be used more frequently to keep the litter at one centimeter to lighten the work of cleaning the barn," he explains.