Further down the gravel road, there is a hive of activity.

Vans bearing different company logos are parked along the roadside, while contractors move purposefully between lifts, tools, and construction materials. The final details of a new 3,000-square-meter broiler house are gradually falling into place.

In the middle of it all, Mathias Højgaard walks out of the building. He smiles, shakes hands, and briefly looks around.

“If we drive a little further down the road, we can sit down there and have a chat,” he says.

A moment later, he climbs onto his ATV and slowly makes his way toward the farm where he lives with his wife and their young daughter. He leads the way into a modest staff room in one of the farm buildings. From here, there is a view of two broiler houses that will soon be joined by a third.

That expansion is the reason for today’s conversation.

Mathias Højgaard is 32 years old and represents the second generation on the family farm in western Denmark. His father built the first broiler house in 1991, and seven years later, a second house was added.

An Investment Made with Care

Before taking over the farm in 2023, Mathias took a slightly different path. He trained as an agricultural machinery mechanic—a profession he genuinely enjoyed. But over time, he realized that the workshop was not where his passion truly lay.

“It was almost harder to watch the machines leave the workshop than it was to repair them. I always looked forward to finishing work so I could go home and operate machinery for my father.”

His education gave him a strong technical foundation, but his interest in farming remained. That led him to agricultural college.

“When I completed my agricultural qualification, I had to admit that mathematics wasn’t my strongest subject. I realized I needed to become better with numbers and financial management.”

He therefore continued his studies and qualified as an Agro Business Manager, gaining a much deeper understanding of finance and business management.

That knowledge proved especially valuable when the plans for a new broiler house became reality. An investment of this size requires thorough financial calculations—and a bank willing to believe in the project.

“As a young farmer, it wasn’t easy to raise the capital for an investment like this. Fortunately, the bank believed in me,” he says with a smile.

Originally, the plan had been to build two new houses.

That didn’t happen.

“We could have built two houses, but it would have stretched our finances too far. I’d rather build one house at a time and maintain a healthy financial position.”

He smiles again as he recalls one of his father’s pieces of advice.

“He always says it’s better to sit in an old tractor and be able to afford a new one than the other way around.”

That philosophy continues to shape how Mathias develops the business.

Since 2017, production has grown steadily, and by the beginning of 2026, the farm was producing approximately 400,000–450,000 broilers annually. In addition, the farm cultivates 130 hectares of land and carries out a small amount of contract work for neighboring farms.

With the new broiler house, production will nearly double. It is a major investment, but for Mathias Højgaard, it is first and foremost about creating a strong foundation for the future.

From Idea to Reality

We drive back and park outside the new broiler house. Inside, contractors are still busy. Some are completing the final installations, while others are preparing the house for its first flock.

Nothing about the layout has been left to chance.

Mathias visited fellow poultry producers to gather inspiration and brought home the ideas that made the most sense for his own operation.

“You don’t have to reinvent everything yourself. There are many skilled colleagues, and I’ve tried to take the best ideas from them.”

This is particularly evident around the entrance.

On one side of the main entrance are the boiler room and storage facilities. On the other side are the entrance lobby, toilet, and the facilities needed for daily operation.

Before entering the broiler house, everyone must shower and change clothes.

For Mathias, biosecurity comes first.

“When you’re going in to the birds, you need to shower, and the same applies when you leave. If you’re heading to a meeting or a parent-teacher conference afterward, you’re already clean and ready.”

The technical installations have also been carefully considered.

Pipes and radiators have been suspended in a way that allows the metal to expand naturally while also making the house easier to clean.

“There should be as little as possible hanging from the ceiling. The fewer things hanging down, the easier it is to wash and clean.”

That principle also became part of the dialogue with LANDMECO, which supplied and installed most of the equipment in the new broiler house.

Valuable Collaboration

Mathias explains that throughout the entire project, he worked closely with Rune Thomsen from LANDMECO.

“Rune is extremely knowledgeable, and it’s obvious that he has worked in poultry production himself. He understands exactly what we’re talking about.”

One good example of their collaboration is the barrier system used during bird catching. During one of their discussions, Rune introduced an idea borrowed from layer production.

“Rune explained that layer houses use a double-wire system above the drinking lines to prevent hens from perching on them. That got us talking about whether the same solution could also serve as a barrier in our broiler house.”

It turned out to solve both challenges.

Today, the double wire both supports the drinking lines and acts as a barrier when the birds are divided into sections during catching. The broilers simply do not jump over the wire, eliminating the need for a net that would otherwise have to be raised and lowered from the ceiling.

For Mathias, it perfectly illustrates the value of professional collaboration.

“I had my own ideas about how I wanted the house to function, and Rune contributed experience from another part of the poultry industry. Together we found a solution that fitted exactly what I wanted to achieve.”

Trust Is Built Over Time

When Mathias talks about his collaboration with LANDMECO, he is thinking about much more than just the new broiler house.

Their partnership goes back several years, making the choice of supplier for this project a straightforward one.

“We’ve gradually converted more and more of our equipment to LANDMECO. I’m very pleased with the cooperation because you’re always speaking with people who can actually help.”

For Mathias, the real value of a supplier is measured when something unexpected happens—and he has experienced that several times.

On one occasion, a drinking line had fallen without anyone noticing, and just six hours before a new flock was due to arrive, every drinker cup had been destroyed.

“I called Rune Thomsen, and he simply told me to collect the replacement parts from their warehouse. We managed to get everything ready in time.”

Another time, a faulty feed motor put production under pressure.

“I called Rune, and we found a solution immediately.”

Mathias also mentions a hypothetical example.

“If the feeding system breaks down on Christmas Eve, it’s no good reaching an answering machine telling you to call again after Christmas. Production has to keep moving.”

He also appreciates that the people at LANDMECO know both him and his farm.

“I never feel like just another customer at LANDMECO. I feel like a person they know.”

Looking Ahead

That trust also meant Mathias chose LANDMECO without hesitation to supply the equipment for the new broiler house.

Although construction is nearly complete, his attention is already focused on the future.

The plan is to have another broiler house operating before 2030. It will be built alongside the new one.

“I already have the environmental approval, and those approvals certainly don’t grow on trees. Of course, it has to be used. Ultimately, I believe that a ‘license to produce’ will become a valuable asset in the future.”

He emphasizes that his ambition is not about becoming the biggest producer.

It’s about developing the farm responsibly.

“Chicken has a relatively low climate footprint, it’s lean meat, and consumers have many different product choices. I believe the poultry industry has a bright future.”

Before we say goodbye, Mathias returns several times to the fact that this project was never something he accomplished alone.

His wife, parents, parents-in-law, family, and friends have all contributed along the way.

“A construction project like this is complex. Many people have helped throughout the process, and that means a great deal.”

That is also why he is looking forward to the upcoming open house event.

“Now they can come and see what they’ve helped create. Many have driven past the construction site and followed the progress from the outside. Now they can finally come inside.”

We step outside once more. Contractors are still hard at work, putting the finishing touches on the new broiler house.

Mathias Højgaard stands quietly for a moment before pointing toward the open area beside the new building.

“That’s where the next broiler house will stand.”

Text: Journalist Mikael Sand, JVR Consult.