B. Las instituciones laborales uruguayas
6. Jubilaciones, licencias maternales y paternales
Wytze J. Nauta1, Wim Vredevoogd
Key words: organic breeding, laying hens, dual purpose, purebred
1 W.J. Nauta, Dutch Foundation for Organic Animal Breeding. www.organicanimalbreeding.com
Role of Livestock in Sustainable Agriculture IAHA Pre-Conference on Organic Animal Husbandry November 7-8, 2017 linked to the 19th Organic World Congress, New Delhi, India, November 9-11, 2017 Organized by IAHA, FiBL, OFAI, NCOF, ICAR-IVRI , ANTHRA, IFOAM
Introduction
The organic poultry sector is entirely dependent upon conventional breeding companies that produce special layer or broiler hybrids for free-range and organic poultry farms. The pure, inbred lines on which these hybrids are based are not kept in organic conditions, nor are they selected in organic farming systems. To develop breeds that suit organic production, a selective breeding scheme under organic conditions is needed. The multinational breeding companies are not equipped to set up small breeding schemes for organic production only. Several farmers and institutes are trying to breed a native breed or crossbreed layer for organic systems (Fibl, 1998; Günther, 2017), however egg production levels are often too low. Traditional, native breeds lack productivity, since they have been bred only for hobby and shows, not for commercial production. Egg production of such breeds is usually less than 150 eggs per year, while at least 260 eggs per year is necessary for commercial viability (Maurer et al.,1998). Therefore in 2009 we launched a breeding scheme with hybrids aimed at developing a new breed with a high genetic potential for production (Nauta, 2014). We selected hybrid hens and roosters from the brands Lowman Brown, Silvernick and Amberlink and also two purebred Sussex and Haghewheyder roosters. With these animals five separate families were formed and we started breeding with these families according to the kinship breeding system (Nauta et al., 2005).
Results
>> Performance <<
At the main breeding unit in Amersfoort, the five families are housed separately. In 2017 the 11th generation was reached and this new breed was named “Vredelinger”. The base families consist of 12-18 hens and 2 roosters. The breeding goal is a robust dual-purpose laying hen and cockerels that are suited for meat production. The layers must produce at least 250 eggs per year in their first laying period and be able to be used for more laying periods. Robustness must result in low disease incidence and low mortality. Egg quality must be good and the colour of the eggs brown.
The hens’ average egg production is 72%, or about 250 eggs/year (Table 1). The eggs are (light) brown and weigh 58-60 grams on average. Hens have an average weight of 2145 grams. Surplus cockerels are raised for meat. They consume up to 8 kg feed and reach an average slaughtered weight of 1283 grams in 18 weeks.
>> Breeding groups <<
Currently, groups of 50-100 hens with 5-10 roosters from each of the different families are produced for other farms in the Netherlands, resulting in different regional breeding groups.
Table 1: Overview of performance of the 10th generation Vredelingers
Breeding stock 2016-2017: 77 hens and 10 roosters and surplus cockerels
Body weight hens: 2145 g (s.d. 240) Body weight roosters: 3256 g
Average production: 72% (55 eggs/day) Average egg weight 58-60 g
Colour of eggs: light brown to brown Slaughter weight surplus cockerels
This breeding project mainly serves small-scale, multifunctional farms with secondary activities such as social care, local food production/consumption cycles and recreation. Such farms are often situated close to urban areas. We are now developing breeding groups around Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Zwolle and Amersfoort. The chickens provide the farms with fresh eggs and meat. Caring for the animals is also a therapeutic activity for social care clients. Moreover, farm animals enhance visitors’ and clients’ farm experience. In particular, the raising of young chicks to mature layers and roosters enables such farms to engage more with organic principles.
With this breeding approach, we spread the risk of losing animals due to diseases like avian influenza. If there is an outbreak in one area, we will not lose all the genetics. Currently the whole population consists of 1200 birds spread over 25 farms in the Netherlands.
>> Economics <<
The focus is firstly on small-scale production and niche markets. For example, a system of 100 layers per farm, producing around 25,550 eggs (70%) a year. At a retail price of €0.25, this results in €6387 per year. Costs depend greatly on the way the hens are fed, housed and who is doing the labour. If purchased, the feed for the hens costs about €2000 (3.65 tonnes at €0.55/kg). However, other feed stuff from the farm can be fed as well, such as farm grown cereals and wastes from gardening and so on. The average labour requirement is 30 minutes per day. Every year, new young stock must be raised – incubation of 300 brooding eggs will result in enough replacement animals. The profit of the meat production pays for the raising of the hens. The young layers replace their parents, which can be slaughtered and sold as soup chickens. Again, production costs greatly depend on the situation at the farm: is surplus housing, available for raising the animals, are there people to care for the animals, is there alternative feed, waste products for feeding available etc? Will the products be sold at the farm gate or by retailers?
Other aspects that can be taken into account are the added value of having chickens on a multifunctional farm. For example, what is therapeutic benefit of the chickens?
Discussion
Organic animal breeding is of concern to many organic poultry farmers (Nauta et al, 2003). However, they can only buy new layers of a certain ‘brand’ that is offered by a supplier. These hens are raised under organic conditions but the parents of the hens, the breeding stock, are not kept under organic conditions, i.e. outdoor access, organic feed, organic management. To meet consumers’ expectations, selection and breeding of layers should also become certified organic. However, economically, a lower production of the hens is not feasible in large-scale specialised operations (Nauta et al., 2003). The situation is different for small-scale multifunctional farms where the laying hens serve multiple purposes besides production and eggs are sold as a niche product. At such farms chickens are often kept in a mobile henhouse in the field with dairy cows (Joel Salatin, p.c.), where they eat insects and larvae and spread the cows’ manure. Such farmers see the added value of chickens that are organically bred, are raised on the farm and become part of the system. Consumers, too, recognise this added value for which they are willing to pay more. This is the reason why this breeding project first focuses on this type of farm. Step by step, the Vredelinger breed will be integrated and become better known in the sector. At a later stage, we hope to supply this breed to larger farms, but this will require more research and a different approach to the markets on the part of those farmers.
Production and quality of the eggs is an important issue in selection. During breeding of the first 11 generations, we selected for egg production only on the female side by brooding only the best quality eggs from a collection period of no more than 12 days. In this way, the most productive
hens with the best eggs automatically gained more influence. However, more individual selection of hens is needed. Roosters from the best hens must be selected for breeding the next generation. However, what is the optimum production level of laying hens? With selection we must seek to maintain production at a level of at least 70-75% or 250 eggs per year to keep up profitability (Maurer et al., 1998).
Another issue that must be discussed is the matter of surplus cockerels, the brothers of all the laying hens. In the 1960s breeding companies started separate breeding schemes for layers and broilers. This resulted in the killing of all one-day-old male chicks (Leenstra et al., 2010). In our project we decided to keep the cockerels and raise them for meat, thus breeding a dual-purpose breed. These cockerels, however, can never compete with organic broilers that grow in twelve weeks to about 2 kg live weight (Leenstra, 2010). More genetic predisposition for meat will lead to lower egg production. Further, there is not a big enough market for the meat of all surplus cockerels. A solution to this could be using the layers for two or even three laying periods. This will result in fewer surplus cockerels.
References:
Günther, I. (2017), Ökologische Tierzucht. http://www.oekotierzucht.de.
Leenstra, L., P. Horne, van, M. Krimpen, van, (2010) Dual Purpose Chickens, Exploration of Technical, Environmental and Economical Feasibility. Wageningen University, Wageningen, www.edepot.wur.nl/170107.
Maurer, V., E. Frölich, P. Schlup, (1998). Project Zweinutzungsgeflügel, schlussbericht zur Pilotphase. FiBL, Ackerstrasse 133, CH-5070 Frick, Switzerland, internal report.
Nauta, W.J., Baars T., Cazemier, C.H. (2005). Kinship-breeding as a foundation for organic dairy production. 15th Organic World Congress of the International Federation of Organic Farming.
Nauta, W., G.J. Slingenbergh, J.P. Wagenaar, M. Bestman, (2014). On-farm breeding of a double purpose chicken. Louis Bolk Institute, www.louisbolk.org/downloads/2941.pdf
Abstract
Investigations into livestock products of Raen nomads in Baft city of Kerman province in southern Iran indicated that milk production can be innovatively considered as organic or beyond for ethical aspects. Results showed that of the total milk produced, about 5% is processed into butter, 5% into ghee, 31% into local cheese and the rest is either drunk fresh or processed into other products. Nomads process the milk into butter and yoghurt for immediate use, and ghee and hard, dry curds for storage. Animal rennet is added to heated milk to make cheese.