Jointly organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the China Association for the Promotion of International Agricultural Cooperation (CAPIAC), the "2022 World Conference on Farm Animal Welfare and Food Health" was held online recently. Representatives from Chinese government departments, international organizations, embassies of many countries in China, academia and animal husbandry enterprises gathered in the live broadcast room. One Health ".

Walter Benz, President of Big Dutchman China, was invited to give a keynote speech on "Integrated Solutions for Welfare Farming Model", sharing the company's market insights and technology applications in the field of welfare farming such as laying hens, broilers and pigs.

01 Report Summaries

Mr. Walter introduced that as a global leader and practitioner of farm animal welfare breeding equipment, Big Dutchman has long been committed to introducing the most cutting-edge breeding concepts and technologies from Europe and the United States into its business in more than 100 countries, providing customers with "one-stop" services and complete solutions in line with local conditions, and promoting the high-quality and sustainable development of animal husbandry.

The world's first regulation on the welfare of laying hens was introduced in the European Union in 1999, which started a global trend in animal welfare production, he said in the report. At present, European and American countries have issued relevant laws and regulations, animal feeding space in livestock and poultry farming, available area of the barn and other related indicators to make requirements.

This is mainly reflected in the cage-free system of laying hens, which includes three modes: egg-laying box and leaky floor (traditional cage-free), multilayer or shelf cage-free system, and free range or organic system. The last of these requires large coop space, and multilevel or shelf cage-free systems can meet animal welfare requirements while allowing producers to have sufficient stock density.

Big Dutchman Natural Tier rack cage-free system

As an early adopter of animal welfare farming, the current proportion of cage-free laying hens in the European Union and the United States is 52% and 34% respectively. That compares with about 0.1% in the Chinese market (in line with animal welfare standards in the US and Europe), but the government supports the shift to welfare production, and public surveys have shown that Chinese consumers generally approve.

Big Dutchman's cage-free system is now used in Shanxi, Hainan, Xizang, Fujian and Tianjin, with a total size of about 300,000 hens.

In addition, freestanding or hanging roosts are available for large numbers of chickens. The sand bath box is a box with bedding grass for the chickens to peck and play and meet their sand bath needs. A special padded crate provides breeders with comfortable bedding that meets welfare regulations.

For pigs, Big Dutchman's Sow welfare birthing beds provide a comfortable environment for sows at all times, including climate, feed and water, as well as more room for sows and piglets to move around. The delivery bed has a stable design and is easy to open and close. Its low wall design provides a good view and easy access for pigs. The piglet loss rate is close to that of enclosed piggery because it provides a lot of protection space for piglets.

Mr Walter says the Big Dutchman's automated farming system also provides a comfortable environment for pigs at different stages of growth, including good temperature, clean water and periodic nutritious feed. The system has a play area for piglets, which allows them to grow up in a safe and warm environment. With toy chains, toy sticks, hay and other enrichment entertainment facilities, it can also meet the entertainment needs of pigs, improve animal welfare.

Walter also showed the Havito Whole Process Concept Pig House, developed by Big Dutchman and Bröring Pig Partner. In this barn, pigs live in the same barn without moving from birth until they are finished fattening. The design won the DLG Agricultural Concept Award at the just concluded International Livestock Show in Hannover.

He also presented the Big Dutchman manure and waste gas treatment solutions. These schemes not only deal with the environmental problems, but also help the farms to obtain better economic benefits and improve the level of animal welfare.