InnoChick - Innovative housing systems for the free-range management of laying hens

Background and Objective

Mobile barns are becoming increasingly popular, both in organic and conventional laying hen husbandry. The reasons for this are very good consumer acceptance, good entry opportunities for direct marketing and flexible expansion options. Compared to stationary houses, however, the production costs of eggs are many times higher. This is due in particular to a comparatively high labour input. In the three-year "InnoChick" project, the Thünen Institute in Braunschweig wants to research how the labour requirements of mobile barns can be effectively reduced through the innovative use of technology.

Approach

1) Analysis and evaluation of existing housing systems

2) Technical development of an innovative housing system for free-range laying hens, taking into account sustainability, digitalisation, automation, miniaturisation, autonomisation, mobility, modularity, possibility of integration into crop rotations, energy self-sufficiency.

3) Economic analysis: full cost analysis, comparison with already established mobile housing systems.

4) Economic and technical optimisation, prototype model construction.