More than 40 years of hatching experience went into the design of Ovo, remarked Mr. Claude Boire, President and co-owner of Boire & Frerès at the inauguration ceremony held on Oct. 9. While not the biggest hatchery in the Boire & Frerès portfolio, as the company operates the largest broiler hatchery in Canada, Couvoir Ovo is the newest layer hatchery in the country.

The layer hatchery business in Canada is well established with a long history, the last hatchery built before OVO was more then 18 years ago. The Boire family are amongst the pioneers in the poultry hatching business, the entrprise was started by the father Gérard in 1930, when hatching layer chicks was a seasonal affair. Gérard Boire helped change it into a year-round activity.

Lohmann layer distribution

Lohmann is proud of its association of Boire & Frerès and appreciates their contribution to the success of Lohmann layers in Canada. This was clear by the level represent-ation at the inauguration event, lead by Michael Seidel and Thomas Abdo Calil. Boire & Frerès have been the distributors of Lohmann layer chicks since 2001, and have succeeded in becoming the market leaders in Quebec and the french speaking Eastern Ontario. Their market approach is focused on chick quality, under the leadership of Claude Boire, who is probably the most passionate hatchery men in Canada. The company is also renouned for its exemplary customer service, as reflected by the performance records of layer flocks of their customers, which rank amongst the top Lohmann records world-wide.

Technical aspects of the hatchery:

Couvoir Ovo is located in Acton Vale, 20 km away from the headquarters in Wickham, far enough to maintain adequate bio-security. It ia also centrally located at half an hour drive from the parent stock barns that supply the hatching eggs. The setting capacity of the hatchery is 1.3 million eggs in 24 setters (PT60 & PT40 from Jamesay), in 3 separate setter rooms. There are 12 hatchers in 2 hatcher rooms to compliment the setters.

The emphsis in the design is on the flow of work and traffic, making it efficient and bio-secure. Special attention was given to the use of quality construction materials, the design of the ventillation system, and the safety and comfort of the employees. Precision of controls and data collection is another focus of attention, and automation allows the operator to access controls and alarms at all times thru their mobile phone.
At Lohmann we believe this project will enable Boire & Frerès to continue to produce the quality layer chicks that truly reflect the genetic potential of Lohmann layers. It will also facilitate the achievement of the company goals of supplying quality products that faithfully meet the needs of their customers, while maintaining their commitments to social responsibility and the humane treatment of animals.

In commemoration, Lohmann presented Boire & Frerès a “Certificate of Excellence” as a token of appreciation of their contribution to the layer business in Quebec and Canada.

Khalil Arar