Swiss layer farm: higher expenses for a higher income

25-09-2023 | Layers | Article

Half the hens are usually outside but only a few brave and curious hens go to the farthest point. They mostly stay in the shade of the willow trees. Photos: Robert Bodde

Daniel Würgler in Switzerland does not focus on costs but on revenues. He’ll accept fewer eggs, as long as they’re in the highest-earning weight range. Despite high wages, expensive feed and expensive land, his farm with 18,000 hens is profitable. On a sunny Monday morning at 11.30, everything is quiet on Daniel Würgler’s free-range laying hen farm. The thoroughly fenced-off area exudes tranquility with at least 15 large weeping willows and fruit trees, a few dozen small wooden shelte