Issue 21 - June 2022

Hy-Line International is committed to developing the world’s most sustainable laying hens. It enables our global customer base to provide healthy and affordable egg protein to a growing world population, while minimizing environmental impact, preserving our planet’s precious resources for current and future generations. 

More than 30 years of genetic gain on a global scale prove Hy-Line varieties feed more people and reduce land and water usage, all while yielding more profits back to the customer for every bird. 

Read more here.

Jonathan Cade – 2022 has proven resiliency and perseverance in regard to changes all over the world. With the addition of Eduardo de Souza Pinto as President of Operations, Hy-Line International advances its efforts to ensure the optimal production and supply of the best quality chicks for our customers. Hy-Line is proud of its global, yet local teams. We remain committed to developing customer relationships while growing our business, tradeshow and event presence, and providing the highest level of technical support.  

Together, Eduardo and I with the Hy-Line geneticists, will continue to provide accelerated genetic progress with birds suited for every market and every need.

Eduardo de Souza Pinto – I am pleased with the opportunity to have joined Hy-Line International and to collaborate with a strong group of specialists in the different fields of the genetic businesses such as pedigree, grandparent , hatcheries, veterinarians, laboratory, quality, HR, compliance, finance, exports, IT, and logistics.

Hy-Line International is committed and focused on the ongoing process of developing the world’s most sustainable laying hens. Our company operations are driven to protect and provide food security, collaborating to the development of current and future generations, while supplying a sustainable and profitable product to our customers. 

As always, we wish you success and thank you for your trust. 

Jonathan and Eduardo

New technology allows in-ovo sex determination for the first time on a market-relevant scale. Hy-Line Italia uses the CHEGGY method for in-ovo sex determination, a technology based on the hyperspectral measurement technique developed by the German company AAT.

Massimo Graziani, Managing Director of Hy-Line Italy, is enthusiastic: "With the help of CHEGGY, we can now determine the sex of brown layers even before they hatch and thus make a significant contribution to animal welfare and sustainability. As the first supplier in Italy, we are doing real pioneering work with this." 

The hyperspectral measurement technology is already in practical use in several other European countries. Systems are in operation in Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Austria and Spain. Further facilities are currently being set up, especially in France. "Hy-Line France has been using hyperspectral measurement technology since spring 2020," says Frédéric Masson, Managing Director of Hy-Line France. "CHEGGY has convinced us entirely: the process is designed for large-scale use and allows us to meet the requirements of the market quickly." 

In fact, CHEGGY has a number of advantages: The process can be fully automated with high accuracy (currently greater than 96 %), and more than 20,000 eggs can be tested per hour per machine. With this high throughput, the process can be well implemented in modern hatcheries and handle the large volumes required. For further information, click here.

It may be the largest commercial hatchery in Europe, but Hy-Line UK’s Millennium Hatchery can boast one of the smallest carbon footprints following over a decade of investment to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.

The process started in 2009 with the installation of invertor controls for the setters and hatchers leading to more precision control of the motors, which resulted in an immediate reduction in electricity use. At the same time, a heat recovery unit was installed, which intercepted the cooling water from the setters. This water supply enters the setters and hatchers at around 10˚C and returns at some 20˚C higher, and what would previously have been a wasted heat source is now used to raise the ambient temperature of the hatchery by up to 10˚C. Not surprisingly, this significantly reduced gas consumption.   

Further reducing reliance on the electricity grid was the installation of a 250kW solar system on the roof of the hatchery building. This is capable of supplying around ten per cent of electricity consumed by the hatchery, which has the capacity to produce over 30 million female chicks a year. A more recent investment has been the installation of a ground source heat pump which supplies all the hot water used in the hatchery, resulting in there no longer being a requirement for gas as an energy source.

The strive to reduce reliance on carbon fuels doesn’t end in the hatchery, with the latest delivery vehicles recycling waste engine heat as part of the chick temperature control system. And to top it off, with the hatchery’s chosen electricity supplier sourcing energy from 100% renewables, the Millennium Hatchery can be justifiably proud of its green credentials! 

Hy-Line continues to invest in the best technologies to produce high quality chicks. The addition of a chick storage room at the Iowa production facilities optimizes the hatching and transportation stages so chicks can reach their maximum genetic potential.

Added to the hatchery facilities, chick storage rooms are designed to regulate the perfect environment, including temperature, humidity, and air flow chicks need just after hatching.  

Hy-Line distributors and their customers directly profit from this new technology. It increases hatchery productivity in our Iowa production center, the starting point of all Hy-Line genetics to the world. As a result, more high-quality GP and PS chicks are produced and delivered to customers, directly impacting distribution and commercial egg laying businesses worldwide.

Hy-Line International has integrated disease resistance into its selection program for more than 60 years to maintain its position as the world leader in poultry layer genetics. Its global field test programs allow Research and Development to implement the most modern techniques of selection, to provide our customers the most robust hens with excellent livability. These programs bring distinct economic and ethical advantages to poultry farmers who choose Hy-Line varieties.

“Disease resistance is important in genetic selection because we want the birds to perform despite extreme conditions and disease challenges,” said Dr. Danny Lubritz, Director of Research and Development for Hy-Line International. “We select the birds for their robustness, healthy immune system, and resilience to be capable of performing for our customers all over the world.”

The value of genetic selection for disease resistance enhances overall livability and gives our customers  opportunities to improve profits with more birds laying eggs every day. Livability is also an important welfare metric for audits in many countries, with higher livability boasting higher welfare audit scores. 

“The success of the Hy-Line selection program for disease resistance is well recognized by the research community,” said Dr. Janet Fulton, Molecular Geneticist for Hy-Line International. “The data we collect advances the future of poultry science.”

Hy-Line varieties continue to lead the world in poultry genetics with performance and profitability advantages for its customers. The accelerated genetic progress and customization of lines to best fit local markets, globally, set Hy-Line above its competitors.

The Hy-Line W-36 drives customer profit through efficiency. The W-36 boasts efficient daily feed intake and the ability to convert this to high egg mass output, earning her the reputation as the industry’s most efficient layer. She gains an additional 8 hen-housed eggs at 90 weeks, and livability remains unmatched with 3% more birds in the house at 70 weeks. Read more about the Hy-Line W-36 Advantage.

The Hy-Line W-80 drives customer profit through productivity. The W-80 is bred to maximize profits by optimizing egg mass output to beat the competition. She yields more 87% saleable eggs in the more valuable large and above egg weight categories compared to competitors. Per every hen housed, the W-80 earns $1.64 more profits for the producer. Read more about the Hy-Line W-80 Advantage.

Hy-Line is proud to recognize 40 years of distribution partnership with Criaves S.A. in El Salvador. Criaves’ chick quality meets and exceeds world market standards with some of the world’s best results in Central America with the W-80 and Hy-Line Brown. With the largest hatchery in Central America, Criaves and Hy-Line began its relationship in 1981. See the video of the award presentation here.

Hy-Line President Jonathan Cade (left), and Tom Dixon, Hy-Line Director of Breeder Sales to the Americas & Product Manager (right), present an anniversary plaque to Jorge Jiminez, Criaves Poultry Director (center).

Saudi Arabia: Hy-Line Team Attends Middle East Poultry Expo

Hosted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, members from the Hy-Line team attended the Middle East Poultry Expo from March 14 to 16, 2022. More than 200 customers visited the booth for business discussions and to ask technical questions.

The Hy-Line Team in Riyadh

Botswana: First Chick Delivery Since 2020

The first shipment of Hy-Line Brown Layers produced in Hy-Line Africa in Zambia was delivered to Treasureland Farms in Botswana in April 2022. The Regional Business and Technical Manager Sujeewa Loku Waduge accompanied the chicks in a small, chartered plane. The Director of Treasureland Farm, Mrs. Letsile Wanita Kgoladisa received the chicks at the airport. This has been a monumental step toward strengthening regional supply of Hy-Line in Africa.

(L-R) Director of Treasureland Farm, Mrs. Letsile Wanita Kgoladisa, receives the chicks from Sujeewa Loku Waduge, Hy-Line Regional Business and Technical Manager, upon their arrival in Botswana.

China: Huamei and Hy-Line Continue 36-Year Partnership

Shenyang Huamei Livestock and Poultry Co was the first enterprise in China to import Hy-Line International grandparent stock. Since 1985, it has experienced the rapid development of the China layer industry, and grown its partnership with Hy-Line.

UK: Family Achieves Top Results with Hy-Line Brown

A committed family team and attention to detail is yielding top results for Daniel and Trudi Bates, now on their fifth flock of 32,000 Hy-Line birds on their farm in Mid-Wales in the UK.

The decision to enter into free range egg production was driven by Daniel wanting to give up his ‘day job’ as an agronomist and concentrate on running the farm. “At the time we were running 800 breeding sheep as well as rearing calves for beef production and I was trying to juggle that with a job that took me off the farm in the week,” recalls Daniel. “As you can imagine it left very little time to spend with Trudi and our three boys and I wanted to address that.” In common with many livestock farms in Wales, the addition of a poultry enterprise has helped to secure the viability of the holding and despite a squeezing of margins since the Bates started, Daniel has no regrets. “We borrowed a lot of money to do it and of course that’s a concern with input costs increasing like they are but from a lifestyle point of view it’s been a good decision.”

Undoubtedly helping Daniel and Trudi to ride out the current downturn in profitability is the consistently good results achieved from their flocks. Having done their research in the shape of weighing-up information from those already in the industry and comparing the different breed traits, the Bates opted for Hy-Line and have stuck with it ever since, with the last three flocks being Hy-Line Plus to help them meet their packer’s demand for larger eggs.

The flock that left the farm at 74 weeks last year achieved 354 eggs-per-hen-housed, a figure boosted by a mortality level of just 1.84%. Combined with an egg weight that reached 65g in late lay, total egg mass was 22.5kg, achieved on an average daily feed intake of 123g. With the current flock following a similar course – at 36 weeks they’re laying at 96% and 64g average egg weight with mortality a mere 0.2% – there’s no hesitation about re-ordering Hy-Line, with Daniel and Trudi further encouraged by the ease of management of this latest flock. “Even in the short time we have been doing it, we have seen the progress in genetics and we like what we are seeing now. In the past, at times it has felt that we have been working for the birds but now they’re working for us and we’re spending less time in the shed, “ says Daniel, who nevertheless still puts in a good shift, arriving at the poultry house at 5.20 each morning, except for lambing time when Trudi picks-up the early morning role and Daniel heads for the sheep shed.

There’s no doubting the flock performance being achieved is due in no small part to the hard work and commitment from all members of the family including boys George, Stanley and Oscar, aged 7, 9 and 10 respectively, who are never happier than when helping on the farm, with Daniel joking that the lighting times for the flock are governed by what time the school bus gets in! Along with their two cousins, they are willing helpers when it comes to picking up newly housed pullets and placing them on the aviary system at lights-out during the first week after housing, which, says Daniel, involves perhaps two nights of what he describes as heavy lifting with rapidly decreasing numbers over the following nights.

Prior to housing new pullets, the Bates team undertake the four-week turnaround themselves with Daniel in the chicken house spraying for red mite as soon as the previous flock has been removed. Controlling mite is something high on Daniel’s agenda. “We don’t want to be placing pullets in a house where they are immediately met with a mite infestation so the first job, whilst the house is still warm and before the mites begin to withdraw into cracks and crevices, is to spray the house, including taking the end caps off the perches and spraying inside there,” says Daniel, who then uses two doses of fluralaner during the life of the flock to help keep them mite-free. After spraying for red mite the next job is muck removal followed by a blowdown using a hired industrial compressor.

Stepping-up for muck removal is Oscar on a mini-digger. “He’s surrounded by some very expensive equipment and he doesn’t even nudge it,” says a proud Daniel, who then spends some long days on a pressure washer which sees the house washed and disinfected by the end of week three. “Week four used to be reserved for a holiday but that seems to have slipped by the wayside and is now spent on maintenance and any last-minute jobs,” says Trudi resignedly, whose mum Beryl collects eggs each day once the birds are in lay, with Daniel’s mum Buddug also lending a hand.

The Bates are meticulous when it comes to walking the birds and during nest training the flocks will be walked almost constantly from early morning up to lunchtime. “Walking birds has always been part of our life,” says Trudi. It’s a strategy that seems to work with peak daily floor eggs for the current flock of 32,000 amounting to less than 700 and at 36 weeks they are under one per cent.

India: Srinivasa Farms Recognizes Two Producers for W-80 Performance

Srinivasa Farms, the Hy-Line distributor in India, recently recognized two of its commercial producers for their success with the Hy-Line W-80. Both farms serve as models for prospective customers.

Eggceptional Poultries Farms in Hyderabad, and D S P Poultry Farm in Guntar have partnered with Srinivasa for over four years, and only produce eggs with the W-80.

Hy-Line Customer Anniversaries

Thailand: Charoen Pokpand Food Public Co, Ltd. Celebrates 5-Year Anniversary with Hy-Line

Charoen Pokpand Food Public Co., Ltd. is the one of the top 10 egg producers in the world. To present its first anniversary with Hy-Line for five years of partnership, President Jonathan Cade and Director of Southeast Asia Ron Gooi visited the CP Tower office to present the plaque. .

Hy-Line President Jonathan Cade and Southeast Asia Director Ron Gooi celebrate with team members at Charoen Pokpand's CP Tower office.

Korea: In-Person 35th Anniversary Celebration for Korean Poultry

Korean Poultry Co. celebrated its 35-year anniversary with Hy-Line in person! President Jonathan Cade and Director of Southeast Asia, Ron Gooi, presented the plaque to President Mr. Yun-ho Kim and Chairman Younghwan Kim in the Seoul office. Korean Poultry Co. is the largest commercial chick producer in Korea.

(L-R) Chairman Younghwan Kim, President Mr. Yun-ho Kim, Hy-Line President Jonathan Cade, and Southeast Asia Director Ron Gooi.

France: Hy-Line France Celebrates 15 Years

Since 2004, Hy-Line France has been distributing day-old chicks to Hy-Line customers in Europe. Christopher Latimier, PS Production Manager, accepted the plaque in 2022. 

Christopher Latimer, PS Production Manager for Hy-Line France, displays the 15-year anniversary plaque.

Hy-Line International has recently invested in several new hires. “With our new hires, Hy-Line International continues its global but local mission to provide the best products and services to our customers,” said Jonathan Cade, president.

Valeriy Stepanenko joined the Hy-Line team as the Europe Sales and Technical Manager. In this role, he will manage the parent stock sales and technical service to customers in Europe.

Elvia Maria Lemos joined the Hy-Line team as the Latin America Lead Nutritionist. She will provide valuable recommendations and economically efficient nutritional information for customers to achieve the highest genetical potential of Hy-Line varieties. 

Katie Aupperle joined the Hy-Line team as the Digital Marketing and Events Coordinator. Katie develops social media content, supports global projects, and assists with event coordination.

Hy-Line International is proud to support our team of women in science who play a major role daily for helping feed the world with an affordable source of protein by celebrating International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11. International Day of Women and Girls in Science, initiated by the United Nations Assembly in 2015, recognizes the critical role and achievements of women and girls in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers. 

Dr. Janet Fulton, Dr. Anna Wolc, and Dr. Kaylee Rowland apply their knowledge to ensure the future generations of Hy-Line varieties maintain their profitability advantage in every climate, system, and country. Read more about these remarkable women here.