LOHMANN Süd

What LOHMANN Süd does

LOHMANN Süd GmbH & Co. KG is a privately held poultry breeding and multiplication operation headquartered in Neu-Ulm, Bavaria, that produces day-old chicks, laying-ready young hens, and young roosters for commercial egg producers in southern Germany. The company runs parent stock flocks, annexed hatcheries, and a network of contract rearing farms consolidated across three sites (Dieburg, Laupheim, Heinrichsruh) to serve customers in Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Hessen, Rheinland-Pfalz, and Saarland. Its wholly-owned subsidiary, Bio-Aufzucht LSL Rhein-Main GmbH, runs the organic production stream under Bioland, Naturland, Biokreis, and ABCERT certifications.

The core product portfolio spans five LOHMANN breed genetics — Brown-Classic, LSL-Classic, LSL-Lite Europe, Tradition, and Sandy — plus the dual-purpose LOHMANN Dual breed. Underlying technology is poultry breeding and hatching combined with multiple in-ovo sex determination methods: Cheggy (hyperspectral imaging, >95% accuracy, 20,000 eggs/hour), Respeggt (PCR-based, >99% accuracy), SELEGGT (hormone analysis), PLANTegg (DNA analysis), and the In Ovo Ella system using the Sciex Echo MS mass spectrometer (3 samples/second, ~5 million sexed chicks/year at the Dorum hatchery). The company claims to be the only German multiplier offering the complete OKT ("ohne Küken­töten") portfolio — all available alternatives to chick culling — which has become strategically important following Germany's chick culling ban.

Revenue is generated through one-time direct sales of chicks, young hens, and roosters to commercial and organic egg producers, with pricing negotiated privately through regional field sales representatives. Customers span horizontal segments from conventional cage/barn producers to organic-certified operations; the customer base is fragmented across many small-to-mid farms. Distribution is direct via the satellite hatchery/rearing network and field sales force, supported by an in-house veterinary team for animal-health monitoring and contract rearing-farm auditing under KAT standards. The company coordinates with sister company LOHMANN Deutschland (Ankum) to provide nationwide German coverage. Marketing is relationship-driven, anchored on an annual producer forum, advisory services during the 17-week rearing period, and full batch-level traceability from parent stock to delivery.

Name

LOHMANN Süd

Legal name

LOHMANN Süd GmbH & Co. KG

Website

https://lohmann-sued.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LOHMANN Süd is a privately held southern German poultry multiplier that produces day-old chicks, laying-ready young hens, and roosters from LOHMANN breed genetics for commercial and organic egg producers in Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Hessen, Rheinland-Pfalz, and Saarland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Poultry Breeding & Multiplication

NAICS

Poultry Hatcheries (11234), Poultry and Egg Production (1123)

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Hatcheries & Chick Production (Day-Old Chicks, Pullets) (AFAEADAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Breeder Flocks & Fertile Egg Production (Broiler/Layer Breeders) (AFAEADAC)

Keywords

• Poultry breeding operations
• Laying hen genetics
• Day-old chicks
• Young hen rearing
• In-ovo sexing

Headquarters

HQ city

Dieburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Day-Old Chick Sales (Küken): Day-old chicks (Eintagsküken) are produced in company hatcheries from hatching eggs laid by owned parent stock and sold directly to customers. Chicks are vaccinated on request using automated vaccination machines before delivery. This is the primary product line.
2. Young Hen Sales (Junghennen): Day-old chicks are raised in company-owned and partner contract rearing farms over a 17-week period to lay-ready young hens and then sold to egg producers. This represents the core finished-product revenue stream, serving both conventional and organic egg producers.
3. Young Rooster Sales (Junghähne): Male chicks separated from female chicks during sexing are raised to ~1.3 kg target weight and sold for slaughter. Meat is processed for human consumption. Offered from both conventional and organic production, with KAT and Naturland certified options. Full traceability via unique batch numbers.
4. Mehrwert-Henne (Value-Added Hen) Products: Premium chicks and young hens produced without chick culling, certified via OKT (Ohne Kükentöten) supply chain verification. Commands a premium as customers, packers, and retailers gain legal certainty when marketing OKT egg supply chains. Includes LOHMANN Dual dual-purpose birds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

LOHMANN Süd is a poultry multiplication operation that breeds parent stock, hatches day-old chicks in its own hatcheries, and raises them to laying-ready young hens (Junghennen) at contract rearing farms for delivery to commercial egg producers across southern Germany. The portfolio covers five LOHMANN layer breeds in conventional and organic variants, the dual-purpose LOHMANN Dual, young roosters (Junghähne), and a complete range of in-ovo sexing services (Cheggy, Respeggt, SELEGGT, PLANTegg, Ella) to enable OKT (ohne Kükentöten) certified egg supply chains.

Product overview

LOHMANN Süd is a poultry breeding and multiplication operation serving South Germany. The company operates hatcheries and partner-rearing facilities to produce and deliver day-old chicks and laying-ready young hens from LOHMANN genetics. The core product portfolio centers on five named layer hen breeds (LOHMANN Brown-Classic, LOHMANN Tradition, LOHMANN LSL-Classic, LOHMANN LSL-Lite Europe, and LOHMANN Sandy), each available in both conventional and organic variants. A dual-purpose breed (LOHMANN Dual) and young roosters (Junghähne) address the exit from chick culling. The company also offers the Mehrwert-Henne (Value-Added Hen) concept bundling all chick-culling alternatives including multiple in-ovo sex determination methods (Cheggy hyperspectral imaging, SELEGGT hormone analysis, PLANTegg DNA analysis, and In Ovo mass spectrometry via the Ella system). The subsidiary Bio-Aufzucht LSL Rhein-Main GmbH handles all organic production streams. Products flow from breeding parent stock → hatching eggs → day-old chicks (Küken) → young hens (Junghennen) ready for laying.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LOHMANN Brown-Classic (Laying Hens)

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability3 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LOHMANN BREEDERS GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationLOHMANN BREEDERS GmbH, based in Cuxhaven, is the breeding/genetics company that owns the LOHMANN breed genetics (LOHMANN Brown-Classic, LSL-Classic, LSL-Lite Europe, LOHMANN Tradition, LOHMANN Sandy, LOHMANN Dual). LOHMANN Süd uses these proprietary genetics and benefits from ongoing breeding improvements developed by LOHMANN BREEDERS. The relationship involves the supply of breeding stock/genetics and technical support.
• LOHMANN Deutschland (Gudendorf-Ankum)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLOHMANN Deutschland is the sister company serving northern and eastern Germany, alongside Bio-Aufzucht Gudendorf-Ankum. Together with LOHMANN Süd and Bio-Aufzucht LSL Rhein-Main GmbH, they form a nationwide network of breeding operations covering all German regions. The companies share genetics, operational best practices, and coordinate national supply to customers.
• AAT / Agri-AT (Cheggy)coreTechnology or IntegrationAAT (Agri-AT) provides the Cheggy hyperspectral in-ovo sexing system and technology. The Cheggy method is used by LOHMANN Süd to sex brown-feathered hatching eggs non-invasively at high speed (up to 20,000 eggs/hour) with >95% accuracy.
• RespeggtcoreTechnology or IntegrationRespeggt provides the fluid-based in-ovo sexing system (combining Respeggt Circuit, Respeggt Lab, and Respeggt Sorter) for both white and brown layers. LOHMANN Süd uses this system and can offer Respeggt-certified 'Without Chick Culling' eggs. Respeggt compensates laying hen farms with 5 cents per housed hen for supply chain verification (LKV) costs.
• In OvocoreTechnology or IntegrationIn Ovo developed the Ella mass spectrometry-based in-ovo sexing system. LOHMANN Deutschland (sister company) began installing the Ella system at its Dorum hatchery using the Sciex Echo MS, capable of processing 5 million in-ovo sexed chicks per year. LOHMANN Süd and sister companies benefit from this technology as part of their comprehensive OKT solution portfolio.
• DEMCONcoreTechnology or IntegrationDEMCON co-developed the Ella system with In Ovo. The system precisely positions each egg for optimal sample extraction, enabling high-throughput in-ovo sexing for commercial hatchery operations.
• SCIEXcoreTechnology or IntegrationSCIEX provides the Echo MS mass spectrometer — the world's fastest mass spectrometer, capable of analyzing 3 samples per second — used in the In Ovo Ella in-ovo sexing system. Previously used only in cutting-edge medical research and modern hospitals.
• KAT e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKAT e.V. (Kontrollierte Alternative Tierhaltungsformen) operates the leading traceability and certification system for alternative housing forms in the German egg industry. LOHMANN Süd and its partner farms are audited under KAT standards, which apply the strictest national legislation to all member operations, creating equal competitive conditions. KAT certification is required by German food retailers for egg supply chain claims.
• Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Thomas Bartels from the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI) in Celle presented at LOHMANN Süd's Erzeugerforum on the topic of red mite (red bird mite) control, including research on cold atmospheric pressure plasma as a novel control method. The institute provides veterinary research expertise supporting the poultry industry.
• ABCERT AGminorOthersABCERT AG is the organic certification body (Kontrollstellennummer: ABCERT DE-ÖKO-006) that certifies Bio-Aufzucht LSL Rhein-Main GmbH's operations as compliant with EU organic regulations.
• Bioland e.V.minorOthersBioland e.V. is one of Germany's leading organic farming associations. LOHMANN Süd's subsidiary Bio-Aufzucht LSL Rhein-Main GmbH holds Bioland certification, enabling it to market organically certified chicks and young hens under the Bioland brand requirements.
• Naturland e.V.minorOthersNaturland e.V. is an organic farming association with high animal welfare standards. Bio-Aufzucht LSL Rhein-Main GmbH holds Naturland certification, which complements EU organic regulations with additional association-specific requirements.
• Biokreis e.V.minorOthersBiokreis e.V. is an organic farming association providing certification for organic agricultural operations. Bio-Aufzucht LSL Rhein-Main GmbH holds Biokreis certification.
• Contract Rearing Farms (Vertragspartner/Aufzuchtbetriebe)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLOHMANN Süd operates a network of selected contract partner farms (Vertragspartner) for raising young hens. These farms are audited under KAT standards and include operations offering different housing systems — from full aviary systems (Vollvoliere) to organic production with winter garden. LOHMANN Süd's own Aufzuchtbetreuer (rearing supervisors) provide professional advisory support throughout the 17-week rearing period to ensure quality, hygiene, and animal welfare standards are maintained.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Petersime: Belgian manufacturer of industrial hatchery incubators (single- and multi-stage). Comparable as a key equipment supplier into the European hatchery infrastructure that LOHMANN Süd operates within, though not a direct competitor.
• Vencomatic Group: Dutch supplier of hatchery equipment, aviary housing, and poultry automation. An ecosystem enabler to LOHMANN Süd's hatchery and rearing operations rather than a competitor — comparable because it sits in the same poultry-production value chain.
• Big Dutchman: Global supplier of poultry housing systems, feeding, and climate-control equipment. Adjacent ecosystem participant supplying infrastructure used by LOHMANN Süd's partner rearing farms — relevant for benchmarking the broader pullet/hen production ecosystem.
• Respeggt GmbH: Technology provider of the Respeggt in-ovo sexing system and 'Ohne Küten töten' certification mark. A direct technology partner of LOHMANN Süd — relevant because Respeggt-certified supply chains are part of LOHMANN Süd's OKT portfolio and Respeggt competes with other sexing technologies in the same market.

Broad incumbents

• Hy-Line International: One of the world's largest laying-hen genetics companies (Hy-Line Brown, Hy-Line Silver Brown, etc.). Competes directly with LOHMANN genetics at the breeder/hatchery level globally, including in German and European egg supply chains.
• Hendrix Genetics: Global multi-species breeding company (ISA, Dekalb, Shaver, Babcock, H&N, Hypor, etc.). Competitor via the H&N and ISA layer brands, which compete head-to-head with LOHMANN breeds at the pullet/hatchery level across European markets.
• Aviagen: Global poultry breeding company primarily focused on broiler genetics (Ross, Arbor Acres, Indian River) but with broader poultry-industry capabilities. Comparable as a large established poultry-genetics incumbent supplying European and global markets.
• Cobb-Vantress: Major broiler breeding company (Cobb 500, Cobb 700). Comparable as a broad poultry-genetics incumbent operating in European markets, though less directly competitive on the layer side where LOHMANN Süd is concentrated.

Direct peers

• LOHMANN Deutschland (Gudendorf-Ankum): Sister multiplier operation within the LOHMANN group serving northern and eastern Germany with the same LOHMANN genetics, hatchery and pullet-rearing model. Identical product, customer, and business-model footprint, just a non-overlapping territory — the most directly comparable peer.
• LOHMANN BREEDERS GmbH: Upstream genetics company (Cuxhaven) that owns the LOHMANN breed portfolio used by LOHMANN Süd. While focused on primary breeding rather than chick multiplication, it is the closest genetic-supply peer and effectively the parent lineage of LOHMANN Süd's product range.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 LOHMANN Süd