Every Egg Counts: How Donald Pig and Poultry Is Using Automation to Drive Efficiency, Hatchability and Growth

For Donald Pig and Poultry, investment in technology is ultimately about making the most of every egg and every person in the business by using automation to drive efficiency, hatchability and growth. From a family farm that began with a single broiler breeder shed in 1960, the North Yorkshire business has grown into a significant breeder operation supplying PD Hook.

Today, automation is helping Donald Pig and Poultry process eggs faster, improve hatchability and make better use of labour, while creating a better working environment for its team. For Matt Donald, the goal is simple: give people more time with the birds, protect every egg and create a business that can continue to grow sustainably as demand for British chicken increases.

The relationship with Vencomatic is far from new. Donald Pig and Poultry installed its first Vencomatic equipment in 1991 and, more than three decades later, it's still delivering reliable performance.

"It's still in good working order now and has more years to give."

For Matt, that longevity is a key part of the investment decision.

"Equipment's getting more and more expensive. We want something that lasts. We really feel the Vencomatic equipment will last for 30 years."

His confidence is based on experience. The farm's oldest Vencomatic nest system is now 21 years old and continues to perform reliably.

"When we're in the business for the long term, we want something that's built to last."

That durability has helped shape the family's approach to investment, providing confidence that new equipment will continue to deliver value as the business expands.

More than 65 years of poultry farming

The Donald family's poultry story began in 1960, when Matt's grandparents, Ken and Betty, started the farm. With Betty's experience in broiler breeders, the couple built a poultry house for her to manage. What began as a single shed has grown over three generations into a significant broiler breeder business.

By 2003, the farm had around 5,000 birds and began working with PD Hook, a partnership that has now spanned more than two decades. Donald Pig and Poultry grew to approximately 25,000 birds by 2005 with the addition of a new shed, before expanding to around 40,000 birds. In 2024, the family took another major step forward, adding a further flock of 36,000 birds.

Matt is characteristically straightforward about the family's appetite for growth:

"You get addicted to building chicken sheds!"

The latest investment was driven by a clear market opportunity. PD Hook was looking for additional breeder sites in the region, and Donald Pig and Poultry was well placed to expand alongside them.

"It's niche and PD Hook wanted more sites in the area, and we wanted to take the opportunity to grow whilst it was there. It is high risk, but at the same time high reward."

Today, Matt runs the business alongside his father and brother, supported by a dedicated team across the operation.

"My family, alongside my father and brother, have a great team who helps us as well."

While buildings and equipment have supported that growth, Matt believes the people behind the business remain its greatest asset.

"We couldn't do what we do without the team we have behind us and I have to applaud them."

The business now represents around 1.5% of the UK's broiler breeder market and continues to look ahead, "The aim going forwards is to look for another broiler breeder site. As chicken is demanded in the UK, we want to meet that demand."

Using automation to attract the next generation

For Donald Pig and Poultry, one of the biggest benefits of automation isn't simply For Donald Pig and Poultry, one of the biggest benefits of automation isn't simply reducing labour requirements. It's helping the business build and retain the workforce it needs for the future.

Finding good people remains one of the biggest challenges facing poultry businesses. Labour requirements can also fluctuate significantly throughout a breeder flock, with staffing needs changing as production progresses.

With three sites and a new flock approximately every four months, the business needs the flexibility to move people between sites and maintain efficient operations. Automation helps make that possible, particularly when team members are on holiday or absent through illness.

However, Matt is clear that technology is there to support people, not replace them.

"Finding the right staff is most important. If we can find the right people, we'll make it work with offering them flexibility."

The increased use of technology has also helped make modern poultry production more attractive to new entrants. Automated systems reduce some of the more repetitive tasks while giving employees the opportunity to work with increasingly sophisticated equipment. Training is also simpler and more consistent.

"It's definitely easier to train people with the automated equipment. It can be as easy as push and go sometimes."

For Matt, one of the primary reasons for investing in automation was to free up time for the tasks that matter most. "We were trying to save time and by saving time, I mean giving the team more time with the birds."

The benefits extend beyond productivity alone.

"It is also your work-life balance. They get done earlier and therefore there's a better working environment."

By reducing the time spent on egg handling and packing, the team can focus more on bird management and welfare while enjoying greater flexibility in their working day. A complete system built around the egg

At its latest site, Donald Pig and Poultry has invested in an integrated Vencomatic solution comprising the Classic Centre Belt Nest, Meggsius Count, Meggsius Control, Meggsius Detect, Meggsius Select and PSPC7.

For Matt, the value lies not in any individual machine, but in how the entire system works together to create a seamless egg handling process.

"All of it. The machines work really well together."

The integration between the Meggsius egg handling systems and Prinzen packing equipment helps create a continuous workflow from collection through grading and packing, enabling the business to process up to 17,000 eggs per hour with minimal manual intervention. A key benefit is the automation of egg flow throughout the system.

"The Count and Control means there's less inefficient time with the belts. You're not relying on somebody watching for when the belts are empty, or when there's a lower patch of eggs coming through. It monitors the eggs itself."

By automatically monitoring egg numbers and regulating product flow, the system maintains a consistent supply of eggs to the packer while reducing inefficiencies and bottlenecks.

The Meggsius Select grader adds a further layer of control by automatically removing eggs that are unsuitable for hatching.

"The Meggsius Select with the grader on it makes it better for handling the small eggs and the double yolks, which we take out of the hatching eggs."

For the team, that combination of automation, grading and packing means eggs move through the process quickly, consistently and with minimal handling. When processing thousands of eggs every day, those improvements in accuracy, throughput and egg quality can have a significant impact on overall flock performance.

The business case for automation

For breeder producers considering automation, performance alone isn't enough. The investment has to deliver a clear commercial return.

For Donald Pig and Poultry, labour efficiency forms an important part of the business case. At peak production, the farm can comfortably operate with three people, compared with the four often required on similar operations.

"At peak production, we can run the farm with three people quite comfortably, and at the end of the flock two people."

However, Matt believes the greatest value comes from how that labour can be used. Rather than spending time monitoring belts and handling eggs, staff can focus on bird management, welfare and overall flock performance. Together with the wider operational benefits, Matt estimates the investment can deliver a return on investment of around five years.

"You've got a five-year return on investment, and your improved hatch rate and utilisation pays back even more so."

That distinction is important. For Donald Pig and Poultry, the return isn't based solely on labour savings. It comes from a combination of faster processing, improved egg handling, greater utilisation, higher hatchability and better chick quality.

The system also helps identify and remove eggs with hairline cracks that may otherwise go unnoticed. For a broiler breeder producer, that matters. Eggs with hairline cracks are less likely to achieve the desired hatch result, so detecting them before they enter the hatchery supply chain helps protect both hatchability and chick quality. Ultimately, the value of automation comes down to maximising the potential of every egg.

Getting eggs to 18°C faster

For Donald Pig and Poultry, one of the most important benefits of automation is speed. The team's priority is to get eggs off the belts, processed and into the egg store as quickly as possible, where they are held at 18°C.

For Matt, that speed is critical because every broiler breeder egg is a living product.

"Broiler breeder eggs are fertile, so it's a living thing. When that egg is laid, you want to do everything you can to minimise damage to that egg, but also to get it into the right temperature."

Efficient egg handling plays a crucial role in achieving that.

"To get them out of the shed and into the egg store is critical, and therefore efficient egg handling means you can do that quickly."

The integrated Vencomatic and Prinzen system enables eggs to move quickly and consistently through the collection, grading and packing process. Across all three sheds, the team typically has all eggs packed by around 9:30am each morning.

"We're getting all the eggs packed by about 9:30 in the morning, and that's all three sheds from 36,000 birds."

Getting eggs into the correct storage conditions sooner helps protect egg quality and hatchability, particularly during the extremes of a North Yorkshire winter or summer when temperatures inside poultry houses can vary considerably.

"Most importantly, it helps us get the eggs off the belts as soon as possible and into the egg store, which is 18 degrees."

Faster movement through the egg room, combined with consistent handling and grading, also helps minimise unnecessary damage.

"There's less eggs on the belt, and therefore there's less damaged eggs and less cracked ones coming out. We're getting more eggs off to the hatchery."

For Donald Pig and Poultry, the result is improved utilisation of hatching eggs and more opportunities to maximise value from every egg produced. "Chick quality is everything, and for us, we want the broiler grower to want our eggs and chicks."

There is also a practical advantage when the hatchery collection vehicle arrives. By processing eggs more efficiently, the team can often have an additional one to two trolleys ready for collection, helping fresher eggs leave the farm sooner and supporting stronger hatch results.

More than a labour saving

Looked at individually, the benefits of automation can appear incremental: faster packing, greater counting accuracy, fewer manual interventions, simpler staff training and more consistent egg handling.

However, across three sites and thousands of eggs every day, those improvements quickly add up. That is why Donald Pig and Poultry sees the return on investment as far more than a labour-saving exercise. The technology helps the business improve efficiency, hatchability and egg utilisation while making better use of its people and their time.

It also gives the farm greater confidence to grow without a corresponding increase in labour requirements or operational complexity.

Remote support with biosecurity benefits

The customer experience doesn't end once the equipment is installed. Matt says the latest installation arrived on schedule and was completed as planned, with support available whenever required. One aspect of that support has become particularly valuable to Donald Pig and Poultry: remote access.

"Remote access has been great. The more they can fix remotely, the better it is for reducing AI risk."

For a poultry business, avoiding unnecessary site visits can provide an important biosecurity benefit. Using the remote access gateway, Vencomatic can monitor equipment performance remotely and support the Donald Pig and Poultry team without always needing to attend the farm in person.

Where issues can be resolved remotely, they can often be addressed more quickly and efficiently, reducing downtime while limiting the number of visitors to the site. When an engineer is required, remote diagnostics allow the support team to assess the issue in advance, helping ensure the visit is as effective as possible.

For Donald Pig and Poultry, remote connectivity is more than a convenience. It supports operational efficiency, improves service response times and complements the farm's wider approach to biosecurity. Flock of the Year Ultimately, Donald Pig and Poultry measures any investment by one thing: performance. For Matt, one of the clearest indicators that the combination of people, management and technology is delivering results came when the business's most recent flock was named PD Hook's Flock of the Year.

Asked whether he would make the same investment again, Matt's response is unequivocal. "We'd be hard pushed not to do the same again. Our last flock won PD Hook's Flock of the Year, so it's a good sign that what we have is working."

While Matt is quick to point out that no award can be attributed to a single piece of equipment, he believes the technology plays an important role in supporting the wider operation. The recognition reflects the performance of the flock, the dedication of the team and the management systems that help Donald Pig and Poultry consistently achieve high standards of production.

Competing through automation

As well as his role within Donald Pig and Poultry, Matt serves as Chair of the NFU North Poultry Board for 2026-2028, giving him a broader perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing British poultry producers. Planning remains one of the biggest barriers to growth.

"Planning is the most restrictive thing for our industry right now."

Access to skilled labour is another challenge. While Matt believes there is still a strong appetite among British poultry farmers to invest, businesses need confidence and long-term certainty to make those investments worthwhile. In his view, automation will play an increasingly important role in helping UK poultry producers remain competitive.

"People do want British chicken, but we can compete with imports if we have enough automation."

Donald Pig and Poultry's own experience demonstrates what that can look like in practice. Automation has not simply reduced manual tasks; it has helped the business improve efficiency, make better use of labour, support future growth and create a more attractive working environment for employees.

For Matt, technology is not about replacing people. It is about giving producers the tools they need to maintain high standards of production and welfare while remaining competitive in an increasingly challenging market. Building the next generation of Donald Pig and Poultry Donald Pig and Poultry's investment strategy extends beyond poultry equipment. Matt believes breeder sites are likely to become larger over the coming decade, while energy efficiency will continue to play an increasingly important role in the economics of poultry production.

The farm already has 170kW of solar capacity and generates more than 50% of its energy requirements. Battery storage is now being considered as the next step. This reflects the same long-term approach that has guided the business since Ken and Betty Donald built their first poultry house in 1960.

That long-term thinking is also evident in the farm's relationship with Vencomatic. The first Vencomatic system was installed in 1991 and remains in operation today, while the latest generation of technology is helping the business address modern challenges, including labour availability, biosecurity, efficient egg handling and the need to operate at greater scale.

Looking ahead, Matt believes automation will become increasingly important to the future competitiveness of British poultry production.

"Automation will play a key part in the poultry industry going forwards. It will help us bring down cost of production and drive efficiencies."

However, he is equally clear that technology is there to support people, not replace them. "Technology will never replace humans in poultry sheds. It helps us maintain high standards of production and welfare, and it makes poultry farming a more pleasant place to work."

For Matt, achieving the best results comes from paying attention to every detail.

"In order to get the best performance, you need to critique every single little aspect of poultry farming. The birds are more valuable; the eggs are more valuable and every egg counts."

With plans to continue expanding, a strong team and equipment built for the long term, Donald Pig and Poultry is creating a business that is ready for the future.

The goal remains the same as it was when the family started farming broiler breeders more than 65 years ago: maximise flock performance, support the people behind the business and give every egg the best possible opportunity to deliver value.

Because at Donald Pig and Poultry, every egg counts.

To learn how Vencomatic and Prinzen egg handling solutions can help improve efficiency, hatchability and flock performance on your farm, contact the team on 01845 521 360 or email info@vpauk.com.