Author Topic: what is the best hens for small commercial egg business (Read 2736 times)

farmers wife · « **on:** August 16, 2016, 02:34:22 pm »

I am a bit confused by it all really I have crosses here which are hybrids I suppose - including Nera, Light Sussex, Oxford Blue, Ambers etc.

My hens are around 18m so a lot are moulting which is causing a problem with egg production drop. Assuming that they may not come back into production for a long while - can anyone confirm when this will be on these breeds?

Its obviously causing a massive headache in my egg business. The choices are whether I continue with these breeds or get rid as 18m is supposed to be the age to renew stock. However I think this is rather harsh and prefer as a low input farmer to go for something that lays eggs for a lot longer. However, does that mean that I have to look at pure breeds? - problems are broodiness and total egg drop over winter. I am not bothered about massive egg numbers as long as they lay over the week thats fine I can adjust numbers to suit.

Can anyone help me out with this please. I need 300 eggs per week.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #1 on:** August 16, 2016, 02:41:41 pm »

I once had a long and interesting conversation with the owner of a 30,000 laying hen operation. She had three groups of hens in the pipeline at any one time and as soon as egg production from the oldest batch started to drop they'd be culled and made into chicken nuggets and the next batch would be ready to take their place. Egg production after the moult would always be lower and didn't justify the expense of feeding them whilst unproductive. I believe she had Lohmann Browns. There are many names for what is basically the same crossbreed laying variety of chicken - Warrens, ISA Browns, etc.

devonlady · « **Reply #2 on:** August 16, 2016, 02:54:17 pm »

If you need a commercial amount of eggs you will need commercial hens i.e. hybrids and buy in POL hens as the older ones are starting to go off lay. (or get day old chicks to rear on)

waterbuffalofarmer · « **Reply #3 on:** August 16, 2016, 04:00:51 pm »

Quote from: farmers wife on August 16, 2016, 02:34:22 pm

I am a bit confused by it all really I have crosses here which are hybrids I suppose - including Nera, Light Sussex, Oxford Blue, Ambers etc.

My hens are around 18m so a lot are moulting which is causing a problem with egg production drop. Assuming that they may not come back into production for a long while - can anyone confirm when this will be on these breeds?

Its obviously causing a massive headache in my egg business. The choices are whether I continue with these breeds or get rid as 18m is supposed to be the age to renew stock. However I think this is rather harsh and prefer as a low input farmer to go for something that lays eggs for a lot longer. However, does that mean that I have to look at pure breeds? - problems are broodiness and total egg drop over winter. I am not bothered about massive egg numbers as long as they lay over the week thats fine I can adjust numbers to suit.

Can anyone help me out with this please. I need 300 eggs per week.

I have a couple of people who breed very good qulaity POL warrens and they are the best birds I have ever had. Between £8 and £12 for POL. http://www.pencwarre.co.uk/poultry/
http://www.pentwynpoultry.co.uk/
def worth a check, I bought from the last guy and he is excellent, plus he garantueed them to lay 2 weeks after I got them and they did

hughesy · « **Reply #4 on:** August 16, 2016, 04:25:59 pm »

Definitely hybrid birds bred for laying. Buy at POL, get rid at about 18 months. You can't expect to make a profit while you're feeding birds that aren't producing eggs. Pure bred birds will not lay enough eggs to keep you in the black.

ellied · « **Reply #5 on:** August 16, 2016, 05:31:38 pm »

Producer I buy day olds from says she keeps her laying birds in separate sheds and changes one in Feb and one in Aug each year, selling on at 18 months-2 years at £6 a bird which folk locally to her (central Scotland) are happy to pay because they're not commercial brown hybrids but other colour hybrids like your sussex, bluebells, rhode rocks etc. They lay as well as the warren types but have a residual value at the end of their prime laying by going live to secondary homes. She has a secondary business selling young birds, day old to pol and finds the price and turnover for both markets are higher for coloured birds over brown ones - because people associate the brown hens with large scale commercial yards and rescue hens regardless of their conditions.

Again best to know your local market and potential sales margin on young and spent birds, but definitely at that level of production your trad purebreds aren't going to make the grade or they'd be the commercial preference.

May or may not work for you, depends on your local market for domestic hens.

farmers wife · « **Reply #6 on:** August 16, 2016, 06:52:38 pm »

I'm still a bit perplexed surely if you cross a two pures say Rhode (Dual) x moran (dual) = speculed why is that a short life span or am I to assume that the commercial crosses (hybrids) are not truely pure to start with?

twizzel · « **Reply #7 on:** August 18, 2016, 03:50:37 pm »

We have ex commercial columbian blacktail layers- they lay very well and are hardy too. I also have some white leghorn hens, who were a little sluggish to get going this spring (bought as POL pullets in November, they came into lay on Xmas day for about a month then didn't lay until April) but now they are a bit older egg production is super and they are very small... I guess like the Jersey equivalent of a dairy cow? They lay white eggs- not sure if that's a problem or not. I bought them from a commercial hatchery paid £6 POL.