Episode Details

Tom Willings and Tom Woolman are joined by Vera Bavinck, poultry veterinarian for Kipster, to discuss a radically different approach to egg production in the Netherlands. The conversation covers Kipster’s low-impact production model, the use of upcycled feed ingredients, welfare-led housing design, natural daylight, lower stocking densities, keel bone fracture monitoring, delayed onset of lay, and the potential for mobile on-farm slaughter.

The episode also touches on Groundswell, regenerative agriculture, ultra-processed food, and the broader question of how poultry systems can reduce pressure on land, improve animal welfare, and become more transparent to the public.

Guest

Vera Bavinck

Poultry veterinarian working with Kipster, alongside wider welfare, monitoring and small-scale poultry projects in the Netherlands and African countries.

Main topics covered

Groundswell and regenerative agriculture

Tom Willings opens by reflecting on his first visit to Groundswell, describing it as a regenerative agriculture festival focused on soil health, water health, pollution control, diversity in cropping, and reintegrating animals into farming systems.

The hosts discuss how regenerative agriculture differs from organic farming, particularly because regen is less prescriptive and more focused on what is appropriate for each farm, soil type and context.

Introduction to Kipster

Vera explains that Kipster was founded around six years ago with the aim of producing animal protein — in this case eggs — while doing as little damage to the planet as possible.

Key features of the Kipster model include:

• A target of a very low or near-zero CO₂ footprint.
• A house design using solar panels, heat exchange and other environmental technologies.
• A major focus on feed, especially upcycled or residual feed streams.
• Use of bakery products and other ingredients originally intended for human food but diverted into poultry feed.
• High levels of transparency, daylight and public-facing education.

Upcycled feed and circular farming

A central part of Kipster’s model is the use of feed ingredients that avoid direct competition with human food production. Vera explains that the system uses residual and waste streams, including agricultural by-products and bakery products.

Later in the episode, Tom Willings expands on this, arguing that one of Kipster’s most important ideas is reducing the conflict between land used to grow crops for direct human consumption and land used to grow crops for animal feed.

The hosts note that the supply chains and raw materials exist in the UK, but the challenge is practical: feed mills are designed around current systems, and using more varied waste or by-product streams would require infrastructure, storage and investment.

Kipster’s welfare model

Vera describes Kipster’s welfare approach as animal-focused. Birds are not beak-treated, live in full daylight, and have access to different functional spaces within the house, including a large indoor garden area.

The stocking density is described as low compared with many commercial systems, with Tom Willings noting that when all space is accounted for, Kipster birds are stocked at around six to six and a half birds per square metre.

Vera argues that lower stocking density reduces pressure on the system and makes farming easier. She says that, in her experience, six birds per square metre presents fewer challenges than nine birds per square metre.

Better Leven welfare accreditation

The discussion compares the UK’s RSPCA Assured model with the Dutch Beter Leven welfare scheme.

Vera explains that Beter Leven uses a one-, two- or three-star system. Kipster sought three-star recognition but did