"Reducing chemicals is also an investment in our health."

Karin Perdaems among her Polder chickens

As a newcomer to the broiler industry, you occasionally find yourself with surprising insights on common issues. So did Karin Perdaems. Both she and her husband Mark grew up as real farmers, but when they took over a farm in Lelystad ten years ago, they also decided to start raising chickens under the name Polderkip. After all, the farm they bought already had a barn and the corresponding poultry rights. "Eventually we decided to build an extra house, so we could keep the same number of chicks in double the space. That way the free-range chickens fit into the Better Life concept."

This attention to animal welfare and the environment defines the company's style. "When setting up this business, we focused on closing cycles," Karin explains, "Grain that we grow is fed to our chickens, then their manure and wash water from the barn is used on the land. From this, the crops then grow again, some of which are therefore fed back to the animals. And that's basically the farm in a nutshell."

Not dependent on formalin and hydrogen peroxide

Due to this circulation on the farm, the businesswoman was critical of the products used in the stables. "We were advised to use hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) for the water lines and formalin for disinfecting the barn," says Karin, "but I wasn't satisfied with that. Our hatchery itself works with Watter and advised us to get in touch. The Watter system allows us to produce our own disinfectant on our farm from just water and salt. The disinfectant produced breaks down back into water and salt after use, which can be safely absorbed by animals and crops. "This kills two birds with one stone: first, we guard our own health and safety by excluding toxic chemicals, and second, we ensure that no residues end up in chicken and soil either. The wheat that grows on these eventually ends up back in the animal as well."

After ten years in use, the pipes are still spotless

Cutting costs and improving health

Perdaems explains that the choice for Watter was not born out of pure efficiency thinking: "If you want to achieve higher margins, the easiest way is to cut costs. However, we also see the reduction of chemicals as an investment in our own health. After our barns have been disinfected and fogged with Watter, I walk right into the barn the next day. That wouldn't be possible with formalin. So it also provides labor convenience."

"We are very satisfied with Watter: the drinking lines are spotless, we do not need antibiotics and that without chemical disinfection, produced in our own barn," concludes Karin. "The use of the Watter system fits in wonderfully with our concept. I can therefore wholeheartedly recommend other livestock farmers to contact Watter, to have a talk and find out if it suits them too."