Poulehouse

Poulehouse was an ethically-focused egg production company founded in February 2017 by Fabien Sauleman, Sébastien Neusch, and agronomist Elodie Pellegrain. The venture originated from Sauleman's experience caring for chickens, which highlighted the standard industry practice of sending hens to slaughter after 18 months when their productivity declines. Poulehouse was established to create a production model that respected the entire lifespan of the hens.

The company's business model was centered on producing "the egg that doesn't kill the hen". It collaborated with organic and free-range partner farmers who agreed not to cull their hens at 18 months. Instead, Poulehouse paid these farmers a premium for the eggs, and the older hens were transferred to a sanctuary called "La Maison des Poules" (The House of Hens) in Coussac-Bonneval, where they could live out their natural lives. This system's additional costs were transparently integrated into the final price of the eggs, which were sold for approximately one euro each. The company targeted both retail consumers and professional clients, offering shell eggs in boxes of six and liquid egg products for the food industry.

A significant milestone for Poulehouse was becoming the first French company in 2019 to adopt "in ovo sexing" technology. This process determines the sex of an embryo inside the egg, allowing the company to prevent the culling of male chicks, a widespread practice in the egg industry. By partnering with the German firm Seleggt, Poulehouse began hatching only female chicks for its production line. The company gained considerable market traction, with its products available in nearly 2,000 retail stores and cumulative sales reaching over 10 million eggs. However, despite its growth and a funding round of €2 million in 2019, the company faced financial difficulties. A dispute with its egg conditioning and shipping partner, ONE, led to a halt in its operations and derailed a planned fundraising effort. Poulehouse was placed in judicial liquidation in February 2022 and subsequently ceased operations.

Keywords: ethical eggs, animal welfare, hen sanctuary, in ovo sexing, sustainable agriculture, organic eggs, free-range chickens, French food startup, cruelty-free products, food production innovation, egg industry ethics, La Maison des Poules, Fabien Sauleman, Sébastien Neusch, Elodie Pellegrain, retired hens, ethical farming, consumer-funded animal welfare, egg traceability, food supply chain reform, social impact food, Seleggt partnership