Ulrike and Norbert Martkfort from Westladbergen, Westphalia, Germany, are experts in the area of poultry growing: They built their first broiler house ten years ago. The couple has now expanded this production branch with a new house for 40,000 broilers – also in the light of knowing that their eldest son is planning to continue his parents’ family business. Approximately 300 visitors recently followed the invitation for an open house to see the new poultry house as well as the poultry systems provided by Big Dutchman.
The new, 20 x 90 meter large building is located right on the farm, guaranteeing short distances. In accordance with the effective requirements of the German Animal Welfare Act (Tierschutzgesetz), the window area amounts to three percent of the house floor area.
Poultry growing in Big Dutchman poultry systems
The Marktfort family employs a partial depletion system: About one third of the broilers is moved out after 32 days with a weight of approximately 1,600 grams. The remaining two thirds stay in the poultry house until the end of the growing period. The Marktforts always have reliable numbers on their broilers’ weight thanks to Big Dutchman’s bird weigher Swing 20. The scale has been accepted fully by the birds, resulting in plenty of weighings and thus precise weight data.
Feed is supplied via Augermatic, a classic Big Dutchman product for poultry growing. A total of four feed lines have been installed. Fresh drinking water is of course also supplied: The broilers can access fresh water at any time from a total of eight drinking lines. The Marktfort family took care to comply with animal welfare requirements in this regard as well: The drinking lines are equipped with the required 3,000 nipple drinkers.
Fresh air enters the house via the air inlets in the side walls. At one end of the poultry house, a 12-meter exhaust air tower with 14 chimneys was constructed. With this tower, the Martkfort family has met one more requirement for the construction of livestock houses which regulates an exit speed of 7 m/s.