Pullet rearing | Jumping and flying take practice

View into the Natura Filia aviary

New house for pullet rearing

View into the Natura Filia aviary

New house for pullet rearing

Rearing pullets in two-level houses is currently still quite uncommon. One recently constructed example was put into operation in Neuenkirchen-Vörden in North-Western Germany a short while ago. The pullets get ready for the laying aviary on two levels. The midsize, family-owned company who operates the new poultry house has been trusting Big Dutchman equipment for decades. Consequently, they selected the Natura Filia rearing aviary, and thus once again a system from the poultry equipment supplier from Vechta.

There is good reason for rearing pullets in special aviaries: jumping and hopping need to be practised. When the pullets finally move into the laying aviary at 17 weeks, they easily find their way around the new environment, ensuring a good start into the laying phase.

The rearing aviary remains closed for the first few weeks so the birds can easily access feed and water. One characteristic feature of Natura Filia is the intermediate level, which the pullets use to learn and train jumping very early on.

As soon as the birds eat and drink well and know how to move around the system, the aviary is opened. The pullets can then satisfy their need for movement in the entire system, including the house floor, which counts as usable area.

Additional benefits of the welfare aviary:

flexible handling of the front grids for easy bird inspection;
height-adjustable perches above the feed trough protect against dirt, reduce feed wastage and stop chicks from sitting in the trough;
automatically folding approach perches make for easy access to the aviary, reduce the amount of manure in the aisle and train the birds to sleep in the aviary;
sliding partitions make moving the birds in and out easy.