H&N International

Name

H&N International

Legal name

H&N International GmbH

Website

https://hn-int.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

H&N International is a German layer poultry genetics company that breeds and sells five proprietary lines of egg-laying hens through a global network of 60+ distributors, serving commercial egg producers worldwide since 1945.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Layer Poultry Genetics

NAICS

Poultry Hatcheries (11234)

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Nucleus Herd/Flock Breeding & Multiplier Stock Supply (AFAEAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hatcheries & Chick Production (Day-Old Chicks, Pullets) (AFAEADAD), Breeder Flocks & Fertile Egg Production (Broiler/Layer Breeders) (AFAEADAC)

Keywords

• Layer poultry genetics
• Parent stock supply
• Commercial egg layers
• Layer breeding programs
• Poultry hatchery stock

Headquarters

HQ city

Cuxhaven

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Parent Stock Sales: H&N International generates revenue primarily from selling layer parent stock (breeding birds) to distributors and producers. Parent stock includes day-old chicks and hatching eggs for their five layer lines.
2. Commercial Layer Sales: Direct sales of commercial layer chicks to egg producers through their online ordering platform and distributor network.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

H&N International breeds and supplies layer poultry genetics, selling H&N Parent Stock (day-old chicks and hatching eggs) and commercial layer chicks across five proprietary breeds — Nick Chick (white medium egg), Super Nick (white big egg), Brown Nick (brown egg), Crystal Nick (white small egg), and Coral (tinted egg). Offerings are sold to a global network of distributors and commercial egg producers, supported by technical service, the KAI farm management software, Nutricubes nutrition guidance, and the H&N Academy training platform.

Product overview

H&N International is a layer genetics company offering five distinct layer breeds—Nick Chick (white medium eggs), Super Nick (white large eggs), Brown Nick (brown eggs), Crystal Nick (white small eggs), and Coral (tinted eggs)—alongside parent stock sales and supplementary services. The portfolio is supported by KAI precision farming software for real-time flock management, The Chickipedia knowledge hub, H&N Academy training platform, and Nutricubes nutrition guidance. The company operates through a global distributor network serving commercial egg producers worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nick Chick White medium egg commercial layer breed from H&N International, sold as parent stock or commercial chicks to egg producers and breeders, selected for high productivity, laying persistence, strong eggshell quality, and feed conversion efficiency.
• Super Nick White big egg commercial layer breed from H&N International, sold to egg producers and breeders, selected for high productivity, laying persistence, superior eggshell quality, consistent egg size, and strong feed conversion in commercial layer operations.
• Brown Nick Brown egg commercial layer breed from H&N International, sold to egg producers and breeders, recognized for stable brown shell color, outstanding eggshell quality, laying persistence, consistent egg size, and adaptability across cage, cage-free, and free-range environments.
• Crystal Nick White small egg commercial layer breed from H&N International, sold to egg producers and breeders, selected for high productivity and efficient performance in commercial egg production operations.
• Coral Tinted/cream egg commercial layer breed from H&N International, sold to egg producers and breeders, delivering productivity, adaptability, and reliable flock results across commercial egg production systems.
• H&N Parent Stock H&N Parent Stock supplies day-old chicks and hatching eggs from the company's five proprietary layer breeds (Nick Chick, Super Nick, Brown Nick, Crystal Nick, Coral) to commercial breeder operations. Sold via the H&N distributor network and direct online ordering portal (minimum 500 birds per order, with additional transport fees for orders below 3,000 birds), the product is the primary revenue-generating offering and the upstream genetic input for the global commercial layer industry.

Quantifiable outcome

• 373-486 eggs per bird up to 100 weeks depending on layer line
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Ngoc Mung (Vietnam)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 3 April 2025H&N International welcomed Ngoc Mung as the new Brown Nick distributor in Vietnam. This partnership expands H&N's presence in the Vietnamese market, supporting local egg production with high-performance brown egg genetics.
• VIV ASIA 2025flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 March 2025H&N International exhibited at VIV ASIA 2025 in Bangkok, engaging with industry professionals and showcasing their layer genetics portfolio to the Asian market.
• Zambia DistributorcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 25 March 2025New distributor in Zambia began distributing H&N Parent Stock Brown Nick, marking entry into a new African market and supporting local egg production capabilities.
• 5th H&N Distributor Conference Cairo 2025coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025H&N held its 5th Distributor Conference in Cairo, bringing together distributor partners for networking, training, and strategic planning around the theme 'Long Lasting Things'.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hy-Line International: Hy-Line is the world's largest layer genetics company and H&N's most direct competitor, selling pure-line and commercial layer chicks across global markets with a similar product portfolio of brown and white egg lines. Both companies compete head-to-head for distributor partnerships and commercial layer accounts worldwide.
• Lohmann Tierzucht: Lohmann is a German-headquartered layer genetics specialist owned by EW Group, offering LSL and LB layer lines for white and brown egg production. As a fellow Germany-based pure-play layer genetics company with global distribution, Lohmann is one of H&N's closest comparable peers on product, geography, and business model.
• Hendrix Genetics: Hendrix Genetics owns multiple layer brands (ISA, Bovans, Shaver, Hisex, Dekalb) and competes with H&N across virtually every region and segment. It is a multi-species breeding company (layers, turkeys, swine, aquaculture) and serves as a benchmark for what an integrated, scaled genetics platform looks like versus a focused specialist like H&N.
• Novogen: Novogen is a French layer genetics company offering NOVOgen Brown and White commercial layers, focused on alternative housing systems (cage-free, free-range, organic). It competes with H&N's Brown Nick and other lines in the premium welfare segment, especially in Europe.

Emerging players

• Hubbard: Hubbard is a broiler genetics company (conventional, slow-growing, colored broiler breeds) owned by Aviagen. It is adjacent rather than directly competitive with H&N but illustrates the path a focused poultry genetics business may take toward ownership by a larger strategic.

Broad incumbents

• EW Group: EW Group is the German strategic holding company that owns several poultry genetics businesses including Lohmann Tierzucht and Hy-Line International. It is not a direct competitor in name but represents the consolidated competitive force H&N faces and was historically part of H&N's own corporate lineage.
• Aviagen: Aviagen is the world's largest broiler genetics company (Ross, Arbor Acres, Indian River). While focused on broilers rather than layers, Aviagen is a relevant peer for understanding the operational economics, distribution model, and R&D intensity of a global poultry genetics franchise.
• Groupe Grimaud: Groupe Grimaud is a French multi-species animal genetics group (parent of Novogen, Hubbard, and other brands) operating in poultry, swine, and aquaculture genetics. It is a relevant broad incumbent for benchmarking an integrated, multi-brand genetics holding against H&N's pure-play layer model.
• Cobb-Vantress: Cobb-Vantress is a major broiler genetics company owned by Tyson Foods. It does not compete directly in layers but shares the global distribution and nucleus-to-commercial supply chain structure that defines poultry genetics businesses like H&N.

Others

• Versova: Versova is a US-based integrated egg producer and H&N customer, demonstrating the type of large commercial operator H&N's distributor network ultimately serves. It is included as a downstream customer reference rather than a true competitor, useful for understanding H&N's end-market.

Market position

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/h-n-interntaional-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about H&N International