Maximising the potential of poultry genetics
Vencomatic Group is an important player in the automation of egg production and collection. Director Ton van de Ven still sees plenty of opportunities to make improvements.
In the reception area of the egg-shaped head office of Vencomatic Group, Ton van de Ven proudly shows the mechanical laying nest for breeders that his father Cor first made in 1983. The simple wooden construction is in stark contrast to the large modern showroom with innovations on display a few metres away. Innovation has always been in the genes of the Dutch family business, Van de Ven states.
The futuristic building has served as an office, warehouse and showroom for more than 12 years; one of the production locations is a few hundred meters away. Vencomatic describes it as Venco Campus, showcasing an innovation centre for poultry farming.
Van de Ven is part of the management team of the family business that has spread all over the world. To expand and integrate the product offering, a number of companies in the sector have been acquired over the years. For example, Prinzen (egg collection), Van Gent (housing) and Agro Supply (climate solutions) fall under the same group. “We want to optimise everything around the egg, from the moment it is laid until it is packaged.”
In addition to everything surrounding the egg production process, the company produces related applications. For example, it has launched in-ovo sex determination Genus Focus in a partnership. This is now installed in several European hatcheries. Another application is the Eco Air Care system for emissions reduction such as nitrogen and particulate matter to the environment and also to provide a constant climate for the birds in the house. Furthermore, the Rondeel concept has been brought to market by Vencomatic. There are now 3 of these round houses in the Netherlands.
Your company is still relatively young and already a major player in the market, with large and strong international competitors. What’s the explanation?
It’s true that there’s strong competition in poultry farming. We have always specialised in parent stock and laying hens with a strong focus on bird behaviour. We never had to switch from the battery cage because we never produced it. That already gave us a head start. Our goal is to help the farmers to maximise the potential of the poultry genetics.
What are the opportunities in that area?
We know that 30% of the result is achieved by genetics, so the impact of the environment around the bird is much greater. We can contribute to this with our systems. We also see that the spread in the economic results of farms is large and only appears to be increasing. Thanks to our systems, we help poultry farmers to reduce errors and respond more quickly to deviations, while using less labour. We have everything in-house to help poultry farmers with this.
What about Meggsius, everything ‘precision poultry farming’, i.e., data and algorithms?
These developments continue. Just 6 years ago, less than 10% of investments in innovation were in smart technologies. That is now much higher. That is important, but we do not forget to develop mechanical, electrical and ventilation techniques. Innovation has always been the basis for our company. Now about 10% of the people work in R&D.
Poultry farmers get 38 eggs above the breeding standard”
These automation applications require large investments. Won’t that increase the cost price on farm?
On average, the techniques in the house contribute to about 7% of the cost price of the egg, while smart tech ensure that larger factors on the cost price, such as labour and feed costs, decrease. We help users with real-life management information to gain more control over the performance of the birds. Companies achieve 38 eggs above the breed standard, which ensures a sharp feed conversion.
What challenges do these new applications bring?
Understanding what we are doing. How do new technologies compare to each other and what does that mean for the user, the poultry farmer? We have always had that in mind. We know our customers and through Venco Campus we keep in close contact with stakeholders from the sector.
Where will automation be in 10 years?
Then we can further optimise and automate the process from chicken to egg to the mind of the farmer. We have more data available on nutrition, climate, but also light intensity. This combination of factors allows us to better manage the production and quality of the eggs. Predictions are even more accurate and chances of failure are further reduced.
‘With this system, no farmer has to quit in the Netherlands’
Innovation often involves trial and error. Which innovations have not delivered what you expected?
The patio system (broilers in a multi-storage house, where the chicks arrive as hatching eggs) got off to a flying start but did not turn out to be what we had envisioned. Maybe the market wasn’t ready for it yet or it was too far ahead of its time. That is always an aspect that determines whether innovations are successful.”
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