A virtual look inside a laying hen house – a typical floor-rearing system
The laying hen house at the VBZL Haus Düsse is divided into four sections. One of these was completely modernised in 2025. This demonstration section was fitted with a floor-rearing system commonly used in practice. This is a modern, single-storey system divided into two sections by a service corridor. In both areas, the hens are reared on the floor, with the right-hand section additionally having access to an outdoor climate area.
The unit is divided into eight smaller pens, each currently accommodating around 135 birds. Each pen can be fed individually, allowing different feeding trials and research questions to be addressed under real-world conditions. Another aim of the modernisation was to provide trainees on the inter-company training programme with practical insights into modern housing systems.
Since June 2025, interested visitors have been able to use a viewing walkway to gain insights into the hens’ daily lives through large windows at varying heights without disturbing the birds. The house thus serves not only for feeding trials and training, but also makes modern animal husbandry transparent and understandable to the general public.