The Netherlands - De Haas breeding farm expands with a brand new house, equipped with Van Gent Nest. All of this has been made operational in close cooperation with Sleegers Farm Equipment from Someren.
Since 1970, Sleegers Farm Equipment has been the dealer for the de Haas family. Cees’ father started with a hybrid farm and then focused on raising breeding animals for broilers. At that time, it was a farm with 7,000 breeders in handmade nests, where Sleegers Farm Equipment took care of the electricity and the feed chains. In the meantime, the breeding farm has expanded to four different locations in Eersel and its surroundings.
Cees de Haas: "Sleegers Farm Equipment offers an all-inclusive package, exactly what we are looking for. The equipent in the house and also the electricity are taken care of. I've known them since I was a kid. Sleegers Farm Equipment simply takes care of things. If we needed ventilators in hot weather or heaters in the winter, Sleegers Farm Equipment either had them in stock or if not, it was ordered. In a timespan of 50 years, something was bound to go wrong, but it was solved no matter what. The people at Sleegers Farm Equipment have a heart for the business and also for their customers. If my stamper breaks down on Sunday morning, I'll have a problem. Thanks to the 24-hour service offered by Sleegers Farm Equipment, we're up and running again with the eggs on the belt an hour later."
Berry Jacobs, director of Sleegers Farm Equipment, takes pride in the trust placed in them: "We love coming here; we have a really good relationship with the de Haas family. Together we find real solutions."
In the new house, Cees has again opted for the van Gent Nest with wooden slats. Cees: "The van Gent Nest is a solid nest which the chicken is happy to be in. Sturdy, robust and easy to build. We invest as much as possible in as few floor eggs as possible. You don't want that; collecting them takes time, but it's also not good for quality and hygiene. With the van Gent nest, floor eggs are minimised, which was of vital importance for us. Furthermore, we have now installed extra night lighting in the new house so that the animals settle on the slats at night and not on the ground. This further reduces the risk of floor eggs."
The eggs are transported from the nest rows and houses via the Vencobelt to the egg room. The Vencobelt moves the eggs on plastic carriers, which minimises contact between them. This ensures that the eggs on the different carriers cannot damage each other when the system starts and stops. The eggs are handled with care, including during the transitioning from the egg belt to the packer. Berry Jacobs: "The big advantage of the Vencobelt is that the chain is in the middle, which provides flexibility. It is easy to assemble, easy to make bends and slopes. And the plastic carriers ensure that the egg has a soft landing." The eggs are finally collected on a Prinzen packer. Berry: "For the packers, Prinzen is a must-have; they are therefore indispensable in the breeding process. The point setting is simply great.”
The climate in the new house is controlled by a heat exchanger from Agro Supply. Cees: "We initially purchased this exchanger because the regulations required it. But now, I'm really glad to have it. I can ventilate the houses better, especially in the middle. The heat exchanger is a good example of what such products mean for our sector. Vencomatic Group was the first to do so at the time. They use knowledge from the field, see where there is room for improvement, and develop it further. In the early eighties, when Cor van de Ven started with the first automatic litter nest, we came into contact with Vencomatic Group. One Saturday afternoon, the old nests were removed, the new nest came in, and the eggs automatically rolled to the front of the house. We couldn't believe our eyes; we walked with an egg basket daily to collect eggs from 7,000 birds! Vencomatic Group dares to take risks, and in doing so, it really helps move the whole poultry sector forward. Innovate, improve and also continue development when there are teething problems. The strength of the poultry sector in the Netherlands is largely attributable to Vencomatic Group. Thanks to Cor van de Ven's perseverance and drive for innovation, we can now take care of poultry in a sustainable manner."
To be successful in breeding, the process as a whole must be optimal. The nests, the egg belts, the packers - each system must be designed to keep the egg in a perfect condition. It is of great importance that these systems connect seamlessly. Any egg transition which is not properly set up increases the risk of eggshell damage. The De Haas family farm takes a critical look at every detail of the egg's journey, and therefore consciously chooses the brands within the Vencomatic Group. Cees: "I haven't lost a minute's sleep over my new house 😊."