Probroed & Sloot, Meppel hatchery

The branch in Meppel in the northern part of the Netherlands is the newest Probroed & Sloot hatchery. The spacious and efficient layout and the very high level of computerisation help the Meppel team keep working on quality improvements.

Together with Groenlo, the hatchery in Meppel is not only one of the biggest but also one of the most modern hatcheries in Europe. This hatchery was set up in 1995 with a clear underlying vision, resulting in shorter routes, a logical layout and optimum hygiene. As in the other Probroed & Sloot hatcheries, the people are central in Meppel too. Staff can take an internal vocational training course. Education and training courses enable us to keep tightening up on hygiene, as well as letting us monitor quality.

Transparent
The introduction of a ten-day candling procedure to detect potential problems at an early stage is a good illustration of just how committed the hatchery staff are. The reasons for the eggs being unfertilised are examined and feedback is given to the people responsible in the hatchery and at the egg supplier: indispensable information for making adjustments if necessary. Probroed & Sloot aims to be completely transparent in order to help deliver healthy chickens. The more quickly the information is fed back, the better everyone is able to anticipate events.
The Meppel team also works closely with the incubator manufacturer Petersime. Probroed & Sloot are continually testing new techniques in the hatchery. One example is incubating at eggshell temperature: we control the hatching process depending on the embryo's requirements, which produces better chickens. So we are continuously engaged in improving the quality of our processes.

The most modern in Europe
The improvements that have been put in place in Meppel often mean that more work can be done by the same number of people. A good example of that is the new robot for laying the eggs on setter trays. This means an increase in capacity and reduced physical strain on the staff. This makes our Meppel hatchery one of the most modern in Europe. And we'll keep it that way.