At the beginning of November 2022, the long-awaited first in-person network meeting of the Impulsbetriebe Geflügel (Poultry Impulse Companies) took place. Until then, all meetings had had to be held virtually. A small but committed group of farm managers made their way to LindenGut near Fulda and enriched the meeting with their open exchange of ideas.
After a very interesting and detailed first part of the introductory round of the Impulsbetriebe, which was characterised by open discussions and conversations, the group turned its attention to a current and much-discussed topic – in-ovo sex determination. Laura Zumbrink from Agri Advanced Technologies (AAT) presented the basics and possibilities of sex determination in eggs. Ms Zumbrink also provided insights into the work of AAT. After a short break, the presentation of the participating companies continued.
After a delicious dinner, all participants came together for a cosy get-together with lively discussions and conversations.
After a varied breakfast featuring many products from the farm, we set off, refreshed, to tour LindenGut. Anja Lindner, the farm manager, presented her business to the interested audience. Starting in the vegetable garden, we passed the ducks and geese on our way to the herd of suckler cows. We then visited the mobile chicken coop, whose inhabitants are protected from predators by dwarf goats. We also visited a rearing barn, where Caramel dual-purpose chicks from Ökologische Tierzucht gGmbH are currently being reared. This was followed by a tour of the pigsty. We were able to get an impression of how the farm's own products are processed in the farm shop.
Following the tour of the farm, Katja Kulke and Alina Lückemann from the poultry office of the "Netzwerk Fokus Tierwohl" (Animal Welfare Network) presented their current work. The group also discussed future meetings. The next network meeting is scheduled to take place in the first quarter of 2023 and an excursion to Austria is planned for the summer.
Author: Gesa Krone (FiBL e.V.)