Significant academic research has been undertaken worldwide into the digestion and feed absorption processes of young chicks, and the role of post-hatch feeding. Building on the outcome of these studies, the HatchTech R&D team initiated research and testing around early feeding, becoming a patent holder for early-feeding solutions for day-old chicks. Based on this knowhow and its commitment to finding innovations beyond the tried and tested, HatchTech launched HatchCare in 2014. The hatcher provides newly hatched chicks with the basic necessities of life – feed, fresh water, light and fresh air – right from birth.

In 2018, Pas Reform launched SmartStart™, a post-hatch feeding solution which provides newly hatched chicks with nutrition and hydration in a single formulation. SmartStart™ helps customers to implement post-hatch feeding easily and flexibly. It comprises two key elements – which can be applied individually, or together: precision feeding and intelligent lighting.

“After years of innovating and a successful market adoption of HatchCare, it is great to see other incubation technology providers acknowledging the benefits of early feeding,” says Tjitze Meter, Founder and CEO of HatchTech. “We firmly believe that early feeding can be a key driver of animal-friendly and antibiotic-free poultry production, and this patent licence agreement will help the poultry industry going forward.

“This is a clear win-win agreement, which will benefit our customers”, says Harm Langen, CEO of Pas Reform. “It underlines the importance of early feeding for the production of robust day-old chicks, and promotes the worldwide growth potential of this innovative concept. The agreement gives both companies the freedom to further develop and market their post-hatch feeding solutions.”

The agreement is with immediate effect.