Hennovation - animal welfare innovation

HENNOVATION is a thematic network about animal welfare and practice-driven innovation in the laying hen sector funded through the Horizon 2020 programme.

The HENNOVATION project will establish on-farm and off-farm innovation networks that will search for and use new ideas to make businesses more efficient and sustainable. The networks will be led by producers or transporters and hen processors in collaboration with veterinary surgeons, farm advisers and scientific researchers, consumers and egg production certification organisations.

The networks will initially tackle two particular issues of concern in the production chain: injurious pecking and the transport and use of end-of-lay hens (hens which no longer lay any eggs). The project will demonstrate the potential of innovation led by producers and industry practices (on farm, during transport and at the abattoir).

Due to increasingly stricter legislation with regard to animal welfare and sustainability of production, commercial animal husbandry has gone through tremendous changes in recent years. These changes place substantial pressure on producers and industry, but also create a need for innovative practices. Producers and others in the industry often do not get to hear about relevant scientific innovation, and so the intended change in terms of increased productivity and sustainability is not always achieved. 

An overarching aim is to develop and disseminate technical innovations which have come from practice. The project will also communicate economic and scientific information.

This project will also develop the skills of the participants in the innovation networks and facilitate the interaction and communication of individuals within each network. Web-based communication tools and an on-line training programme will be designed to support the knowledge sharing within and between the networks. The results of the Hennovation project are expected to inspire and support uptake of innovation in other livestock sectors.

Text editor: Lisa van Dijk, Hennovation Project Manager, email: lisa.vandijk(at)Bristol.ac.uk

Project Coordinator: David Main, School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Bristol, Langford House, Langford, Bristol, United Kingdom, BS40 5DU Email: D.C.J.Main(at)bristol.ac.uk Tel:  +44 (0) 117 928 9340

Project partners:

• Harry Blokhuis Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Department of Animal Environment and Health, PO Box 7068, SE-750 07 Uppsala. Email: Harry.Blokhuis(at)slu.se Tel: + 46 (0) 18 67 16 27
• Henry Buller, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter Amory Building Rennes Drive, Exeter, United Kingdom, EX4 4RJ. Email: H.Buller(at)exeter.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0) 1392 263846
• Jason Gittins ADAS UK Ltd Pendeford House, Pendeford Business Park, Wobaston Rd, Pendeford, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, WV9 5AP. Email: Jason.Gittins(at)adas.co.uk Tel: + 44 (0)1938 580167
• Xavier Manteca, School of Veterinary Science, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain. Email: Xavier.Manteca(at)uab.cat Tel: + 34 93 581 16 47
• Thea van Niekerk, Wageningen UR Livestock Research, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands, De Elst 1, 6708 WD Wageningen, The Netherlands, Tel: +31 317 480611 Email: thea.vanniekerk(at)wur.nl
• Eva Voslarova  Department of Veterinary Public Health and Animal Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackeho tr. 1/3, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic Email: VoslarovaE(at)vfu.cz Tel:: +420 541 562 773

Project status: ongoing

Funding source: H2020 ISIB-2

Project period: 1 January 2015 – 30 June 2017

Geographical location: UK, Sweden, Czech Republic, Spain and the Netherlands

Total budget of the project: € 2 million

www.hennovation.eu (available from May 2015 onwards)