Published in News
Buckl Poultry Plant: Final Shutdown Confirmed
After months of talks and financial planning, Bavaria’s biggest poultry slaughterhouse will not reopen.
A Difficult End to a Long Process
The Buckl poultry slaughterhouse in Bavaria once played a major role for many egg-producing farms. But after serious animal-welfare violations were discovered, the state closed the plant in April. Since then, farmer groups and officials looked for ways to restart operations.
Now it is finally clear: the plant will stay closed.
Why the Restart Failed
Farmers Tried Hard to Save It
Over 150 farms wanted to support a relaunch. Together, they planned to invest about €2 million. A business plan was prepared with legal support, and several retailers even signaled they would buy Buckl products again.
Financial Demands Became Impossible
The Bavarian State Development Bank asked for much more equity than expected. It also did not provide the loan guarantees needed for a safe restart. To meet new regulations, the plant would have required tens of millions of euros in investment, including:
updated animal-welfare technology
camera systems
CO₂ stunning equipment
a new operating license
For the farmers, this level of investment was simply too high.
No Realistic Timeline
Even with full support, the slaughterhouse would not have become profitable until 2028 or 2029. Because of this long delay and the huge financial risk, the poultry association decided to stop the project completely.
What This Means for Bavarian Egg Farmers
The closure affects more than just one plant — it changes the whole logistics chain for laying-hen farms in southern Germany.
Practical Consequences
Older hens will now have to be sent to slaughterhouses in northern Germany or exported.
Costs for transport will rise.
Smaller farms may struggle the most because they cannot easily collect hens in large batches.
One industry representative called it a “missed chance” to strengthen poultry farming in the region.
Any Hope for the Future?
Farmers say they are still ready to support a new solution, but only if financial demands become realistic. For now, the plan is to explore smaller, more specialized slaughter facilities that could serve local farms without such enormous investment needs.
Conclusion
The final shutdown of the Buckl plant shows the increasing pressure on agriculture: stricter rules, higher costs, and complex licensing. Bavarian farms now face new challenges in handling their older hens, and the region must rethink how poultry processing will work in the future.