Orvia
Orvia is a French family-owned waterfowl genetics and breeding company that develops proprietary duck and goose strains and produces day-old ducklings, goslings, and breeding stock through eight French hatcheries and international subsidiaries serving professional farmers in 40+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1976
- HeadquartersNantes, France
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Orvia does
Orvia is a French family-owned waterfowl genetics and breeding company founded in 1976 near Nantes, originally as Couvoir de la Seigneurtière. The company specializes in the reproduction of ducks and geese through two integrated competencies: genetic selection (development of proprietary strains such as STIMUL Mulards, ST5 Pekin, ST6 Barbarie/Muscovy, and SI14/SI4 geese, supported by RFID-based individual feed-intake recording, molecular biology traceability, and an in-ovo sexing capability) and industrial multiplication through a network of eight French hatcheries and wholly-owned subsidiaries in China, Hungary, Vietnam (joint venture), Spain, and Poland, supplemented by distributors across the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Canada. Orvia operates a Spanish genetic sanctuary (UNEKEL) that protected breeding lines during the 2022-2023 avian influenza outbreaks and is the only company offering a dedicated grey goose program optimized for foie gras.
The company sells day-old ducklings and goslings, hatching eggs, and parent/grandparent breeding stock on a B2B basis to professional farmers and other hatcheries, with pricing negotiated by quote under multi-year contracts and no public price disclosure. Revenue streams span all major waterfowl species segments: Mulard (the dominant European foie-gras input), Pekin (the Asian meat duck), Barbarie/Muscovy, and geese. Orvia also operates Cycle Farms, a subsidiary that produces Black Soldier Fly larvae for the insect-protein feed market, representing a diversification away from pure waterfowl genetics into alternative proteins. Geographic reach extends to 40+ countries, with 20% of FY2024 revenue (€83M) generated internationally through subsidiaries and representative offices; the remaining 80% comes from the diversified French domestic market.
Orvia's go-to-market relies on direct field sales through its hatchery network, on-site commercial offices in key markets (Poland, Hungary, Beijing), and third-party distributors in markets where direct presence is not economical. Marketing is conducted via trade-show participation (SPACE in Rennes, Viv'Europe, Agrilink Philippines), trade publications (Filières Avicoles, Réussir Volailles, Les Échos), corporate website, and LinkedIn. The company reports dominant market shares of 70% in European Mulard production, 62% in European Pekin production, and 60% in European Barbarie production, with stated production capacity of 6 million Mulard ducklings per year from its three Southwest France hatcheries alone.
Orvia firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Orvia
- Legal name
- Orvia
- Website
- https://orvia.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1976
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Orvia is a French family-owned waterfowl genetics and breeding company that develops proprietary duck and goose strains and produces day-old ducklings, goslings, and breeding stock through eight French hatcheries and international subsidiaries serving professional farmers in 40+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Orvia industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Waterfowl genetics and breeding
- NAICS
- Poultry Hatcheries (112340), Poultry Hatcheries (11234), Other Poultry Production (11239)
- SIC
- Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Duck & Goose Production (Waterfowl) (AFAEADAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Breeder Flocks & Fertile Egg Production (Broiler/Layer Breeders) (AFAEADAC), Hatcheries & Chick Production (Day-Old Chicks, Pullets) (AFAEADAD), Nucleus Herd/Flock Breeding & Multiplier Stock Supply (AFAEAJAF), Genetic Trait Selection (e.g., polled, disease resistance) Services (AFAEAJAJ)
Keywords
Where Orvia is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nantes
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices25 records
Markets served
Orvia business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Day-old Ducklings and Goslings: Sale of commercial day-old ducklings and goslings for meat production and foie gras. Products include Mulard, Barbarie, Pekin ducks and grey/white geese.
- Breeding Stock (Parent Stock): Sale of grandparent and parent breeding stock to other hatcheries and breeding operations, both domestically in France and internationally.
- Hatching Eggs: Production and sale of hatching eggs for various waterfowl species to customers who operate their own incubation facilities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | B2B professional pricing - not publicly disclosed |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Orvia product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Orvia is a French waterfowl genetics and breeding company that develops proprietary genetic lines of ducks (Mulard, Pekin, Barbarie/Muscovy) and geese, and supplies day-old ducklings, goslings, hatching eggs, and parent/grandparent breeding stock to professional farmers and hatcheries. The group combines genetic selection through Gourmaud Sélection with industrial multiplication via a network of regional hatcheries in France and international subsidiaries. It also produces black soldier fly larvae for sustainable animal feed protein through its Cycle Farms subsidiary.
Product overview
Orvia is a French genetics and breeding company specializing in waterfowl (ducks and geese) reproduction through genetic selection and multiplication. The product portfolio consists of five core genetic product lines: Mule Duck (STIMUL series with variants MG AS, MGC AS, MG, MGC, MV for foie gras and meat production), Pekin Duck (ST5 series known for economic efficiency), Muscovy Duck (ST6 series for meat yield), Goose (SI14 for foie gras and SI4 for meat), and Black Soldier Fly (via Cycle Farms subsidiary for insect protein). Products are sold as parent stock (breeders) and commercial stock (one-day ducklings/goslings), with hatching eggs and one-day products distributed through a network of hatcheries in France and international subsidiaries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Orvia Vietnam: Joint venture entity in Vietnam for Pekin duck genetics distribution, partnered with Lan Chi Farm and De Heus Vietnam
- Cycle Farms
- Gourmaud Sélection
- Couvoir Ducournau
- Orvia Magyarorzág Kft
- Orvia Polska
- Orvia China
Products and services
- Mulard Duck Products (STIMUL Series) Sterile hybrid ducks (female Pekin × male Muscovy) produced via artificial insemination. The STIMUL series includes autosexable MG AS and MGC AS variants and is optimized for foie gras production (liver yield potential 750g+) and meat yield. Sold as parent breeding stock and commercial day-old ducklings to professional farmers.
- Pekin Duck Products (ST5 Series) Pekin duck strains (ST5 HEAVY, ST5 H) known for rapid growth, low feed consumption, and high meat yield. ST5 HEAVY is Orvia's most exported strain globally, particularly to Asian markets including China, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Sold as parent stock and commercial day-old ducklings to integrated poultry producers.
- Muscovy Duck Products (ST6 Series) Muscovy (Barbarie) duck strains (ST6 C, ST6 LC) offering exceptional growth potential and feed conversion rates for meat production. Sold as parent breeding stock and commercial day-old ducklings. Orvia holds a 60% European market share in Barbarie production.
- Goose Products (SI14 / SI4 Series) Grey goose (SI14 HEAVY) for foie gras production with liver potential of 700-900g, and white goose (SI4 MEDIUM) for meat production with target body weight of 5.6 kg. Orvia is the only company offering a dedicated program to optimize grey geese for foie gras. Sold as parent stock and day-old goslings.
- Black Soldier Fly Products (Cycle Farms) Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae and pupae products for the insect protein market, produced by subsidiary Cycle Farms in Beaufort-en-Anjou, France. Larvae grow from 5 mg to 160 mg in 7 days, providing sustainable animal feed protein particularly for aquaculture.
- Hatching Eggs and One-Day-Old Waterfowl Day-old ducklings, goslings, and hatching eggs delivered from Orvia's network of hatcheries in France (Hinx for Mulard, Bonnegarde/Ducournau, Vieillevigne/Seigneurtière, Château-Gontier/France Canard, Beaupréau/Mésangère, Cé ran, Le Pin/Sèvre Maine) and international subsidiaries in China, Hungary, and Vietnam. Available for all five genetic lines: Mulard, Pekin, Barbarie, goose, and (via Cycle Farms) black soldier fly.
Quantifiable outcome
- Mulard market share of 52% in France (South-West)
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Orvia
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Orvia technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Orvia partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- De Heus VietnamcoreJoint venture partner in Orvia Vietnam. Royal De Heus is a Dutch animal nutrition company with operations in Vietnam since 2009. Contributes feed expertise and nutrition solutions to the partnership.
- Lan Chi FarmcoreVietnamese partner providing local breeding and hatching facilities in Đồng Nai province. Key infrastructure partner for Orvia Vietnam operations.
- Cycle FarmscoreSubsidiary focused on Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) production for sustainable protein in animal feed. Located in Beaufort-en-Anjou, France.
- Gourmaud SélectioncoreSelection subsidiary responsible for waterfowl genetic selection programs. Led by Bernard Alletru, Director General. Located in Montrévérd, France.
Scale indicators17 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Orvia competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Aviagen: Global poultry genetics leader (Ross broilers, Rowan Range) now parent of Cherry Valley Farms. Comparable as a broad incumbent in primary poultry breeding with proven ability to operate waterfowl genetics at scale.
- Hendrix Genetics: Multi-species animal genetics company (layers, turkeys, pigs, aquaculture, poultry) that previously operated waterfowl through Caringa (sold to Orvia in 2018). Comparable as a broad incumbent in animal genetics with overlapping channel and customer base.
- Hubbard: Broiler breeding company (Hubbard, JA757) serving the alternative and conventional broiler markets. Comparable as a primary poultry breeder with overlapping customer base of integrated poultry producers.
- Maple Leaf Farms: Largest duck processor/producer in North America, vertically integrated from breeding to processing. Comparable as a customer archetype (large integrated duck operator) and as a vertically integrated duck industry participant in a different geography.
- Topigs Norsvin: Global pig genetics leader applying genomic selection and large-scale multiplication. Comparable as an animal genetics operator leveraging data-driven breeding programs and integrated multiplication networks similar to Orvia's selection-plus-accouvage model.
- Cobb-Vantress: World's second-largest broiler breeding company (Cobb 500) owned by Tyson Foods. Comparable as a primary poultry breeding incumbent serving integrated meat poultry operations similar to Orvia's customer profile.
Direct peers
- Cherry Valley Farms: UK-based duck genetics company owned by Aviagen, producing commercial Pekin and Mallard duck breeding stock globally. Most direct head-to-head competitor to Orvia in waterfowl genetic selection and multiplication.
- FPL Food: US-based integrated duck processor (Maple Leaf competitor) sourcing duck meat globally. Comparable as a downstream integrated duck operator with similar supply-chain dependencies on quality waterfowl genetics.
Regional players
- Beijing DQY Agricultural Technology: Chinese duck genetics and integrated duck meat producer. Comparable as the leading local competitor in the Chinese Pekin market where Orvia's share has eroded from ~30% to ~18%.
Emerging players
- Innovafeed: French industrial-scale insect protein producer (Black Soldier Fly) for aquaculture and pet food. Comparable as a direct competitor to Orvia's Cycle Farms subsidiary in the industrial BSF protein space.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Orvia social profiles
Digital presenceOrvia financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Orvia leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Orvia subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries23 records
Orvia funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Orvia M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Orvia
What does Orvia do?
Orvia is a French waterfowl genetics and breeding company that develops proprietary genetic lines of ducks (Mulard, Pekin, Barbarie/Muscovy) and geese, and supplies day-old ducklings, goslings, hatching eggs, and parent/grandparent breeding stock to professional farmers and hatcheries. The group combines genetic selection through Gourmaud Sélection with industrial multiplication via a network of regional hatcheries in France and international subsidiaries. It also produces black soldier fly larvae for sustainable animal feed protein through its Cycle Farms subsidiary.
Is Orvia a public or private company?
Orvia is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Orvia founded?
Orvia was founded in 1976. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Orvia based?
Orvia is headquartered in Nantes, France, in the Europe region.
How does Orvia make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Day-old Ducklings and Goslings are the primary driver. The others are breeding Stock (Parent Stock) and hatching Eggs.
Who are Orvia's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Aviagen, Hendrix Genetics, Hubbard, Maple Leaf Farms, Topigs Norsvin and Cobb-Vantress. Direct peers are Cherry Valley Farms and FPL Food. Beijing DQY Agricultural Technology is listed as a regional player. Innovafeed is listed as an emerging player.
Does Orvia have an API?
No public API is recorded for Orvia.
What industry is Orvia in?
Orvia's product category is Waterfowl genetics and breeding. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAEADAG, Duck & Goose Production (Waterfowl), with a secondary code of AFAEADAC, Breeder Flocks & Fertile Egg Production (Broiler/Layer Breeders). Its NAICS code is 112340 and its SIC code is 200.