Number of animals in livestock farming in the Netherlands in 2016
In 2016, over 100 million animals lived on farms in the Netherlands. Poultry made up the large majority of the animals used for the production of eggs and meat. Broiler chicken, kept for their meat, and breeder hens, kept for their eggs, numbered 48.4 and 46 million animals respectively. That year, breeder hens in the Netherlands produced over 700,000 tons of eggs.
Scaling up part I: meat production
One of the most important trends in livestock farming in the Netherlands is scaling up. This is the case both for companies with broilers and companies with laying hens. The number of companies keeping broiler chickens decreased by nearly 130 in the past decade. At the same time, a company with broilers had an average of 77,200 animals in 2017, compared to under 58,000 in 2007.
Scaling up part II: egg production
This trend of scaling up is even more clearly visible when looking at developments concerning companies with laying hens. Between 2007 and 2017, the number of companies decreased by nearly half. At the same time, the average number of hens per company almost doubled, from just under 23,000 animals in 2007 to nearly 40,500 in 2017.
Scaling up part I: meat production
One of the most important trends in livestock farming in the Netherlands is scaling up. This is the case both for companies with broilers and companies with laying hens. The number of companies keeping broiler chickens decreased by nearly 130 in the past decade. At the same time, a company with broilers had an average of 77,200 animals in 2017, compared to under 58,000 in 2007.
Scaling up part II: egg production
This trend of scaling up is even more clearly visible when looking at developments concerning companies with laying hens. Between 2007 and 2017, the number of companies decreased by nearly half. At the same time, the average number of hens per company almost doubled, from just under 23,000 animals in 2007 to nearly 40,500 in 2017.
