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To ensure a future-proof sustainable and resilient egg production in North-West Europe (NEW), integrating hen longevity with animal health and welfare will become a vital necessity. Both territorial and common EU challenges amplify the need for longevity. The implementation of keeping hens longer while maintaining animal health and welfare in combination with ensured profitability is less evident. All 11 project partners are eager to tackle these challenges.  

Promoting the longevity of laying hens in practice 

Through transnational cooperation in Belgium, The Netherlands, France, Switzerland and Germany, OMELETTE brings together multidisciplinary knowledge and skills needed to jointly overcome obstacles and stimulate the adoption of hen longevity in the field by: 

• Reducing disparities in innovative capacity 

• Capitalising on innovative techniques and customising them to the poultry sector 

• Integrating and reinforcing smart digitalisation  

• Employing methods to monitor hen behaviour and track the entire flock in real-time 

• Focusing on continuous, structural improvement. 

The above objectives will lead to a more proactive management that directly improves hen longevity.  

Long term repercussions 

Knowledge and techniques will feed the co-creation of a cross border Longevity Action Plan that will be demonstrated on different pilot farms in the NWE region representing specific territorial situations and supported by impact analyses.  

Focused training schemes and diverse communication will be targeted at current and future farmers and their advisors to increase knowledge and change behaviour so that sustainable hen longevity will become standard practice in a future-proof resilient NWE egg production. In addition, OMELETTE will close the gap between farmers and local authorities and between farmers and consumers. Demonstrations at pilot locations targeted at authorities or consumers will increase knowledge of the origin of eggs, of the challenges but also of the efforts from the sector, leading to raised awareness and facilitation of dialogue.