Hennovation

Practice-led innovation in laying hen and other livestock sectors

Resource explained

This links to information on the EU-funded research project Hennovation. One of the key project aims is to increase sustainability, efficiency and hen welfare within the laying hen sector, through developing and disseminating practice-driven technical innovations alongside economic and scientific information. It aims to promote proactive sharing and using of new ideas within the hen processing industry. It promotes innovation through encouraging and establishing networks of producers at different levels of the production chain; at local, national and European levels. The networks are led by producers or transporters and hen processors interacting with veterinary surgeons, farm advisors and scientific researchers, consumers and those certifying egg production. The networks are initially tackling the important areas of injurious feather pecking and the transport and use of end-of-lay hens.

Findings & recommendations

  • The project demonstrates the potential of innovation led by producers and industry practices (on farm, during transport and at the abattoir) through establishing the networks and proactively searching for and using new ideas to make their business more efficient and sustainable.
  • From this page you can also view information on the Henhub (www.henhub.eu), the knowledge hub of the Hennovation project.
  • The Henhub collates information taken from scientific research and practical experiences, and has been designed as an interactive wiki providing information and enabling people to share knowledge with others.
    • You can comment on the information available and contribute your knowledge and experience.
    • You can currently access information on reducing feather pecking or optimising the transport and management of end-of-lay hens.
    • There are also links to publications, articles and reports related to the different topics.
  • As stated on the website, results of the project will be shared EU-wide during the lifespan of the project on the EIP-AGRI website: http://ec.europa.eu/eip/agriculture/.

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