Tackling the future challenges of Organic Animal Husbandry - vTI

Abstract
RAHMANN G & GODINHO D (Ed.) (2012): Tackling the Future Challenges of Organic Animal Husbandry.
Proceedings of the 2 nd OAHC, Hamburg/Trenthorst, Germany, Sep 12-14, 2012
Les Bleues – a new approach to dual purpose chicken
WERNER VOGT-KAUTE 1 , CARLO HORN 2 , JÖRG GROßE-LOCHTMANN 2
Öko-Beratungsgesellschaft mbH, Naturland Fachberatung, Germany,
www.naturland.de, w.vogt-kaute@naturland-beratung.de
Marktgesellschaft der Naturland Betriebe mbH, Germany, www.naturland-markt.de,
c.horn@naturland-markt.de, j.grosse-lochtmann@naturland-markt.de
In laying hens, hybrid strain male birds are killed as one day old chicks. Some initiatives try to use
these male hybrid birds for fattening. The disadvantage to this is the bad feed to weight ratio, the
low weight of the bodies and the small amount of breast meat these birds yield. The bodies of these
chickens do not look like broilers. In our trials we used strains that are used in France for programs
with slow growth. Because of their French origin and their blue feet we called the birds “Les
Bleues”. They can be slaughtered after 90 days with a feed to weight ration of 1:3 and the meat
quality is good. The new data that was collected by us in 2011 and 2012 is regarding the amount of
eggs. The potential egg yield is between 240 and 250 compared to the 280 to 290 of a hybrid hen.
The main challenge is for the young laying hens not to become too fat before the start of the egg
laying period. 6 organic farms around Berlin have begun to produce these dual purpose chickens in
small flocks for the regional market successfully.
Key words: poultry, breeding, dual purpose chicken
Introduction
In laying hens, hybrid strain male birds are killed as one day old chicks. This is an ethical problem
especially for the organic sector. (ifoam EU group, 2010). Some initiatives try to use these male
birds of egg strains for fattening. The disadvantage to this is the bad feed to weight ratio, the low
weight of the bodies and the small amount of breast meat these birds yield. The bodies of these
chickens do not look like broilers and the consumer does not recognize these bodies as broilers. So
the only chance for using these animals is processing (e.g. sausage, cans). In our trials we used
strains that are used in France for programs with slow growth. Because of their French origin and
their blue feet we called the birds “Les Bleues”. They can be slaughtered after 90 days with a feed
to weight ration of 1:3 and the meat quality is good. But we did not have information regarding
amount of eggs because these birds are only used for fattening in France (except the parent flocks).
Results
Meat
A trial on fattening comparing with other slow growing fattening strains and with egg strains already
was made in Austria.
The growth of the Les Bleues was between the normally used slow growing fattening strains
JA957/JA457 and the most promising old land races. The positive aspect is that the bodies looks
like a broiler with sufficient amount of meat. The meat of these older birds does taste good but there
has to be a certain amount of fat on the meat. Birds killed with an age older than 16 weeks can have
the danger of lower meat qualtity because of meat with longer fibre structure.
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