Opening Day: Siemens Farms

Siemens Farms is an egg farming operation based in Manitoba.

Sector: Layers, pullets

Location: Rosenort, Man.

The business
Siemens Farms is an egg farming operation based in Manitoba. Overseen by third-generation producer Kurt Siemens since the early 1990s, the family-run business has quota for 24,000 laying hens (28,000 with quota credits) and 16,000 pullets.

The barn
The Siemens had been housing their flock in a barn built in 1983. It had three rows of conventional cages and one row of enriched housing. While they’d updated the facility with modern technology, the barn was still getting old. After hours of research and deliberations, the Siemens decided to transition to an aviary free-run system. Due to the lack of supply of pullets raised in such housing, they’d have to produce their own too. They demolished their old building and built an aviary pullet barn and two aviary layer barns on the same site. Hellmann provided the equipment – the Rearing System Pro Pullet for the pullet barn and the Aviary Pro 11 for the layer barns. A Maximus Controller operates the facilities. The pullet and first layer barn opened in 2018 while the last layer barn opened this spring.

The strategy
The Siemens went the aviary route because they saw it as a unique opportunity. “There aren’t many farms in Manitoba doing that now in the aviary system,” says Kurt’s son Harley, who led the business’ transition. “And dad likes to be an industry leader,” he adds. While converting to free-run while simultaneously getting into the pullet business was challenging, Harley says with hard work and excellent service the transition has worked out.

Harley Siemens spearheaded his family’s transition to an aviary system. The pullet and first layer barns were built last year while the last layer barn opened this past March.