Dual Purpose Poultry

Summary

In this field lab, six farms are working with welfare experts and researchers to assess the feasibility of dual-purpose breed poultry systems in the UK (i.e. bred for both eggs and meat). The triallists are seeking to understand some of the social and economic factors associated with a move away from specialisation in poultry farming, by monitoring their productivity, ability to thrive on diets using less imported high-protein feed, and welfare.

A key outcome of the field lab is to build a community of practice around dual-purpose breeds. The group welcome producers from a diverse range of systems to join, as well as processors, chefs, butchers and other industry stakeholders.

If you would like to join the group, please contact the coordinator Sam Packer: sampacker@soilassociation.org

For updates, results and reports click on the brown banner above

Photo credit Clare Hill

How it works

• In the past century, chicken breeds have become specialised. This became commonplace after the introduction of chick sexing, which enabled selective breeding for either egg production or meat.
• Within this system, male chicks are deemed uneconomical and are routinely culled. This is an ethically controversial practice that is already subject to legal restrictions in some European countries, and it's expected to be restricted by regulations in the UK in the next 5-10 years.
• Specialised breeding has resulted in highly productive chickens with efficient feed conversion rates, but these breeds rely on high-protein feeds, often sourced from imported ingredients like soya. A few companies control the genetics, restricting farmers' options and hindering innovation in alternative feed methods and influencing the welfare outcomes of animals . Additionally, these breeds are poorly suited to outdoor organic systems, which has welfare implications.
• Dual purpose poultry systems offer a potential solution by finding a role for the male birds as meat, the dual-purpose system offers a counterpoint to specialisation, as the meat and laying hens are reared together. Their use is commonplace in small-scale farms in Africa and Asia, and there are models across Europe that demonstrate the sustainability of these systems.
• Evidence suggests dual-purpose breeds can thrive on a lower protein diet, reducing dependence upon high protein and imported feeds and some dual-purpose breeds are shown to be well suited to a diet based on by-products and waste.
• These more robust breeds could be better adapted to cope with common laying hen welfare concerns, such as keel-bone fractures and they appear to have improved resilience to common diseases that affect conventional breeds.
• While there is evidence associated with dual-purpose breeds and their performance in key areas, it is limited and not much has been done to test feasibility in UK systems, with existing infrastructure, markets and supply chains.
• This field lab presents an opportunity to test some of the questions on production systems and help demonstrate what might be possible to consumers and within the marketplace.

Trial design

Each of the six participating farms will rear (from dual-purpose breeds) either a group of male meat birds or female laying hens, or both for the whole production cycle.

All the farms sell directly, including via onsite butcheries, and direct sales to local butcheries and retailers. Flock sizes on the farms range from 150 birds to 1000 birds.

Existing infrastructure on the farms will not change, as we want to understand the feasibility of transitioning from systems designed for specialists, to dual-purpose breeds, and consider what modifications and costs may be necessary.

Productivity

Each site will use a checklist to monitor key factors:

• Egg production, size (S, M, L, VL), seconds, floor eggs (females)
• Feed input per bird
• Age at slaughter, variation across flock, carcass weight (males)
• Growth rates (optional if they have existing capacity)

Qualitative data on the time and labour involved in the systems will be collected.

This data will be collected by farmers in the trial and collated and analysed by the researcher/coordinator.

We will use productivity and sales data to understand and build examples of the economic outcomes associated with dual-purpose poultry systems.

Welfare

Researchers will visit each farm 10 weeks after placement of each flock. This will give a good indication of welfare and condition of male birds, particularly as there is greater uncertainty of male welfare needs amongst producers who are more experienced with laying hens. Welfare data can also be captured at the point of slaughter (12-18 weeks). Producers will assess female welfare at 40 weeks. AssureWel protocols will be used for laying hens, which includes feather score, dirtiness, behaviour and mortality. AssureWel welfare outcomes methods were created by the Soil Association and RSPCA.

Nutrient density

To support producers to communicate the difference these products offer, the trial will cover costs of nutrient density testing of a sample of end-products. This will be compared against nutrient profiles of poultry and egg products in organic, free range and conventional systems.