While working in the field today, we spotted a truck belonging to Broekman B.V., a company specialised in catching, transporting and vaccinating young laying hens.
As we happened to be near their head office in Haler, we decided to stop by spontaneously to introduce ourselves and, if possible, exchange ideas about the catching, loading and transport of laying hens.
At several progressive laying hen farms, hens have been successfully caught in an upright position for many years, as this method reduces stress and lowers the risk of injury. We believe this technique could also offer significant welfare benefits for young hens being transferred from rearing to laying farms. Minimising stress at the start of the production phase can have a meaningful impact on their long-term health and performance. We ultimately hope to find a pullet rearing and catching company that sees potential in this method and is open to experimenting with it.
Unfortunately, the director of Broekman was not present at the time of our visit. We agreed to follow up by email to schedule a meeting and discuss the above topics in more detail. However, in his reply on June 18, 2025, the director let us know that he does not see the need for a meeting, as he believes that animal welfare at the company is already in good order.
