Lucerne as roughage is pretty standard in broiler poultry farming. The pork sector knows the way to find Hartog lucerne to offer distraction and structure. Compact Lucerne and Compact Luzerne Organic bales of Hartog give the chickens distractions and help prevent feather picking. The straps around the Lucerne Compact slow down the intake, making the chickens / broilers take their time with a bale. 

Since 2013, the “chicken of tomorrow” concept has been rolled out by several supermarkets. The purpose of the concept is to preserve the chain, especially the poultry sector that produces the meat will bring the chicken to a large extent according to new conditions. These conditions relate in particular to the welfare of the chickens. Some supermarkets sell only this new chicken meat. 

Better life quality mark – The Chicken of Tomorrow 

According to various organizations, the welfare conditions of the Chicken of Tomorrow concept are very lean, which has resulted in new and improved concepts being rolled out by supermarkets. For many of these concepts, enrichment is used. Broiler poultry not only gets more space and a longer / slower growing time, but also gets roughage such as Lucerne or straw. 

For consumers it is very difficult to distinguish these different concepts. For a number of concepts, roughage for poultry is offered as a trace material: 

• A better life mark of animal protection 
• Organic chicken meat with Skal quality mark 

Why is roughage like lucerne so important? 

In comparison to laying hens, a broiler has a short life span. In the first days of life, a broiler is very susceptible to bacteria and germs. This is because the animal still has to build up resistance. The resistance is mainly determined by the intestines. Nutrients like vitamins and minerals are included, and harmful bacteria make the chicken sick. In case of reduced intestinal activity or disease, aqueous manure is more likely to develop. Drugs / supplements are also administered in case of disease which causes the chicken to drink more. The dung becomes thinner and the stubble litter moisturizes. This results in a higher infection pressure in the stable. Lucerne is very fiber rich and helps to optimize the intestinal flora in the initial phase of the round. In addition, the lucerne for broilers has a positive effect on the quality of the litter due to the behavior. 

These new concepts also use new poultry feathers. These breeds grow slower and often the chickens are more active. They “play” more in the stable and also seek more distraction. “The poultry owner sees more movement in the stable and the animals are also more focused on what is happening around them. Diverting is crucial here, since the poultry that have too few opportunities for foraging, dust bathing and moving, end up focusing on each other! This results in poaching. The chicks with less thick veins need more food to keep warm and turn less energy into meat! 

Choosing between straw and lucerne 

Straw comes directly from the land, hence the risk of bacterial contamination by birds, etc. is present. By strict GMP regulations we try to keep out germs like Salmonella. Where is a cheap alternative like straw then chosen? Lucerne is artificially dried. As a result, germs are killed. The Hartog Compact Lucerne bales are stripped and wrapped in foil. This allows the product to be stored safely and cleanly. The straps around the Compact Lucerne slow down the intake, making the broiler chickens take their time with the bale. Grasdrogerij Hartog is the only drier that dries its products with direct gas combustion. This combustion is extremely clean and safe for the chickens. The packaging is also dioxin-free. 

All advantages: 

• Handy format 
• Safe and cleanly wrapped 
• Artificially dried 
• GMP certified