Hy-Line International or Hy-Line is a multi-national genetics company that raises and sells commercial/industrial laying chickens. It is a subsidiary of the German EW Group. ^[1] The firm has subsidiaries in multiple countries including Brazil, Japan, and the United Kingdom and has 60 distributors in more than 50 countries worldwide. ^[2]

Corporate

The firm is a subsidiary of the privately owned German livestock breeding company EW Group. Its president is Jonathan Cade; Thomas Dixon serves as the firm's director of international sales and marketing ^[3]

Operations

Hy-Line directly operates subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Brazil, and South Africa. ^[4] Many of its subsidiaries were formerly distributors bought out by Hy-Line, including Hy-Line Italia (formerly Valversa) and Hy-Line South Africa (formerly Hy-Line Chicks). ^[5] In several countries it has instead signed exclusivity deals with distributors. In India, Amrit Group has distributed Hy-Line chickens since July 2014 when a new 'poultry hub' was established as part of plans to capture 30% of the Indian egg-laying market by 2017–2018. ^{[6] [7]} Sales in Vietnam are exclusively licensed to the Ba Haun Company since 2013. ^[8]

Products

Products of the company include the Hy-Line W-36, Brown, and Silver Brown lines. ^[9]

Criticism

Hy-Line International has been subject to criticism from animal rights group Mercy for Animals following the release of a video alleged to have been filmed inside of a Hy-Line hatchery, showing the process of chick culling. The video went viral and received widespread media attention across the English-speaking world. ^{[10] [11] [12] [13]}

Hy-Line Australia was sued in 2013 for unsafe practices at its chicken hatchery at Huntly near Bendigo, after a fire in one of its sheds in April 2009 left an employee trapped due to a lack of fire exits. The man escaped by breaking through floorboards. The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum. ^{[14] [15]}

Sponsorships

Hy-Line Australia is the name-sponsor of the Hy-Line Australia Oval, which is a home ground of the Heathcote District Football League. ^[16] It also sponsors the Hy-Line International Research Award of the Poultry Science Association. ^[17]

See also

• American Veterinary Medical Association
• American Association of Avian Pathologists
• Poultry Science Association
• ISA Brown

References

External links

• Hy-Line International