Hubbard: New grand parent complex as UK growth continues

Hubbard has taken a step further into the UK market with two new Grand Parent laying farms and a rearing unit close to Lincoln. More than £500,000 (€575,000) has been invested in equipping and updating the sheds.

“Hubbard is very serious about further developing its market share in the UK, and Hubbard is here to stay,” says Hubbard’s CEO Stéphane Duthoit. “The investment in people and production facilities is proof of our commitment. It is a reflection of the company’s success in breaking into the UK market”.

The “Hubbard Flex” suits markets like the UK, requiring lowest live cost (chicks, FCR, liveability) with good conformation and the flexibility to be used for a wide range of bodyweights. It has proven to give enormous advantages in animal welfare traits such as active behaviour, very low levels of hock burn and footpad lesions in combination with very competitive technical results in the broiler house and the processing plant. The good litter quality results in much less need to re-litter the houses or to use antibiotics.

Recently there has also been an increased interest in the “mini” version of the Flex, the “Hubbard F15” and the first GPS flock for this product has already been placed in the UK. It offers the same advantages as the Hubbard Flex, but this bird uses about 10kg of breeder feed per PS female less than a standard type breeder.

The “Hubbard JA 57” PS female is the bird of choice for the different alternative markets in the UK. Since 2008 Hubbard has also introduced a new product called the “Hubbard JA 87”. This new product fills the gap between the standard broiler and the 56-day free range chicken.