USA – Perdue Farms, a fourth-generation, family-owned food and agricultural company based in the United States, is introducing the NestBorn on-farm hatching system into its broiler production process.
This shift allows chicks to hatch directly in temperature-controlled broiler barns rather than traditional hatcheries, aligning with the company’s commitments to animal welfare and antibiotic-free practices.
In mid-2023, the company began testing the NestBorn Egg Placing Machine near its headquarters on the Delmarva Peninsula.
The machine automates the transfer of pre-incubated, vaccinated eggs from setter trays directly onto the barn floor.
This marked the first use of the NestBorn technology in the United States.
The on-farm hatching method offers several welfare benefits, including immediate access to food and water for newly hatched chicks, eliminating the need for transportation and handling.
After more than a year of testing in barns with deep litter systems, Perdue Farms announced its decision to expand the use of the technology through a partnership with NestBorn.
As part of the initial rollout, two advanced NestBorn Egg Placing Machines, manufactured by Dutch automation company Viscon, will be deployed to increase the number of on-farm hatched chicks in the company’s operations.
Bruce Stewart-Brown, Perdue Farms’ Chief Science Officer, stated that on-farm hatching aligns with the company’s goals of improving animal welfare and reducing the need for antibiotics.
“We explored the feasibility of on-farm hatching by placing pre-incubated eggs in broiler barns instead of hatcheries and found it to be an effective addition to our operations,” he said.
Erik Hoeven, General Manager of NestBorn, expressed satisfaction with the expansion of the technology into the U.S. market.
“Since 2018, our concept has been implemented in over 10 European countries. Collaborating with Perdue Farms has helped us adapt the equipment to suit U.S. barn conditions,” Hoeven explained.
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