Diversifying in to free range egg production

Only · Mar 22, 2017

sherg said:
Tell me about it

Didn't realise you were on the job are you building now or finished

Daniel · Mar 22, 2017

I'd be surprised if you can do it for £32/bird with the pound where it is. £2000/acre is £2.50/bird after all costs, doable definitely, my advice would be that whoever you produce eggs for, don't allow them to dictate where you buy pullets or feed from.

We financed ours over 15 years as I like to actually have a living out of it, not simply spend 8 years paying down debt.

Crack on chaps and when you achieve over 300/eggs/bird for 4 flocks in a row, let me know how you did it!

sherg · Mar 22, 2017

Only said:
Didn't realise you were on the job are you building now or finished

In planning at the moment

Daniel said:
I'd be surprised if you can do it for £32/bird with the pound where it is. £2000/acre is £2.50/bird after all costs, doable definitely, my advice would be that whoever you produce eggs for, don't allow them to dictate where you buy pullets or feed from.

We financed ours over 15 years as I like to actually have a living out of it, not simply spend 8 years paying down debt.

Crack on chaps and when you achieve over 300/eggs/bird for 4 flocks in a row, let me know how you did it!

How is your multi tier performing compared to your flat deck?

Daniel · Mar 22, 2017

sherg said:
In planning at the moment

How is your multi tier performing compared to your flat deck?

Its not doing as well! Lot of problems through the summer with enteritis and MS, however they are holding their production better now at the end of lay than the flat deck so there probably won't be much in it.

Have added a water purification system for next flock, vaccinating for MS and done a lot of work to try and stop puddles forming outside which I think contributed to the enteritis.

The Hyline in the flat deck have been flying though to be fair, too many floor eggs but in eggs/bird they are a fair way ahead of the last flock in that shed.

Live and learn!

Lloydsfreerange · Mar 22, 2017

Daniel said:
I'd be surprised if you can do it for £32/bird with the pound where it is. £2000/acre is £2.50/bird after all costs, doable definitely, my advice would be that whoever you produce eggs for, don't allow them to dictate where you buy pullets or feed from.

We financed ours over 15 years as I like to actually have a living out of it, not simply spend 8 years paying down debt.

Crack on chaps and when you achieve over 300/eggs/bird for 4 flocks in a row, let me know how you did it!

Pre brexit set up cost 30 per bird, since we have seen approximately a 16% increase. Will be some price variation depending on kit manufacturer, shed builder etc

Lloyds supply feed, pullets and a route to market for eggs and spent hens. 1 flock contract minimum so if unhappy with feed or pullets free to source from elsewhere on second flock.

Our producer groups average egg/bird/housed for last year was 316 eggs to 72 weeks. Attention to detail and repeatable performance the key to a successful free range enterprise

bobk · Mar 22, 2017

Lloydsfreerange said:
Pre brexit set up cost 30 per bird, since we have seen approximately a 16% increase. Will be some price variation depending on kit manufacturer, shed builder etc

Lloyds supply feed, pullets and a route to market for eggs and spent hens. 1 flock contract minimum so if unhappy with feed or pullets free to source from elsewhere on second flock.

Our producer groups average egg/bird/housed for last year was 316 eggs to 72 weeks. Attention to detail and repeatable performance the key to a successful free range enterprise

How is the current grain price going to affect profitability ?

Daniel · Mar 22, 2017

Lloydsfreerange said:
Pre brexit set up cost 30 per bird, since we have seen approximately a 16% increase. Will be some price variation depending on kit manufacturer, shed builder etc

Lloyds supply feed, pullets and a route to market for eggs and spent hens. 1 flock contract minimum so if unhappy with feed or pullets free to source from elsewhere on second flock.

Our producer groups average egg/bird/housed for last year was 316 eggs to 72 weeks. Attention to detail and repeatable performance the key to a successful free range enterprise

£30 + 16% is £34.80/bird. Sounds fair.

I've never changed pullet suppliers, they come from you! But we had our feed supplier dictated from a preferred list by the industries largest packer for a decade, and the savings from now being free to put our feed contract out to tender on the open market have made me extremely averse to these arrangements.

316 is good, I reckon we'll be 5-10 eggs below that over a 3 flock average, the site has been in production since 2004 though.

sherg · Mar 22, 2017

Daniel said:
Its not doing as well! Lot of problems through the summer with enteritis and MS, however they are holding their production better now at the end of lay than the flat deck so there probably won't be much in it.

Have added a water purification system for next flock, vaccinating for MS and done a lot of work to try and stop puddles forming outside which I think contributed to the enteritis.

The Hyline in the flat deck have been flying though to be fair, too many floor eggs but in eggs/bird they are a fair way ahead of the last flock in that shed.

Live and learn!

Hope you can get it sorted, the people I've spoken with around here seem really pleased with their multi tiers

Lloydsfreerange · Mar 22, 2017

Daniel said:
£30 + 16% is £34.80/bird. Sounds fair.

I've never changed pullet suppliers, they come from you! But we had our feed supplier dictated from a preferred list by the industries largest packer for a decade, and the savings from now being free to put our feed contract out to tender on the open market have made me extremely averse to these arrangements.

316 is good, I reckon we'll be 5-10 eggs below that over a 3 flock average, the site has been in production since 2004 though.

Hence why we dont tie people in to long term contracts. Reputations are easily tarnished in a small industry.

Very pleased to hear our pullets are performing well. Jason must be looking after you well!

Lloydsfreerange · Mar 22, 2017

bobk said:
How is the current grain price going to affect profitability ?

Feed represents over 50% of cost set so intake and price are key in maintaining profitability. There are various contracts available such as where egg and feed movement correlates, fixing feed and egg price for the flock or taking spot prices.

As with all sectors in agriculture the most efficient ride out the volatility in the market.

D14 · Mar 28, 2017

Why doesn't many people mill their own feed? Surely there are farms out there with crops and birds so milling their own must be viable surely? Whats feed wheat today, £140/tonne?

7610 super q · Mar 28, 2017

Lloydsfreerange said:
Feed represents over 50% of cost set so intake and price are key in maintaining profitability. There are various contracts available such as where egg and feed movement correlates, fixing feed and egg price for the flock or taking spot prices.

As with all sectors in agriculture the most efficient ride out the volatility in the market.

Where do the eggs go to ?

Pasty · Mar 30, 2017

D14 said:
Why doesn't many people mill their own feed? Surely there are farms out there with crops and birds so milling their own must be viable surely? Whats feed wheat today, £140/tonne?

Performance would drop dramatically with just wheat unless you new exactly what else to add in.

D14 · Mar 31, 2017

Pasty said:
Performance would drop dramatically with just wheat unless you new exactly what else to add in.

Yes of course but the feed merchants are buying in wheat off farm, milling it and adding in whatever it is then selling back to the farm at around £250/tonne looking on this forum. If feed wheat is £130/tonne then it seems another £120/tonne is a lot more for what exactly?

Pasty · Mar 31, 2017

That's true but these feeds are carefully balanced. It might be worth trying though with some research. If big producers are paying £250/tonne then that surprises me. I pay around £300/tonne in 20kg bags from Countrywide. I would have thought the savings for huge amounts would be bigger.

Netherfield · Mar 31, 2017

D14 said:
Yes of course but the feed merchants are buying in wheat off farm, milling it and adding in whatever it is then selling back to the farm at around £250/tonne looking on this forum. If feed wheat is £130/tonne then it seems another £120/tonne is a lot more for what exactly?

Apart from the limestone, wheat is probably the cheapest component of the mix

turbofarming · Apr 12, 2017

How much electric do these set ups require?

Lloydsfreerange · Apr 12, 2017

turbofarming said:
How much electric do these set ups require?

75 kva would be sufficient for 32000 birds (2 sheds)

Our farms would be a 50/50 split between single and three phase

Thanks

Only · Apr 12, 2017

Lloydsfreerange said:
75 kva would be sufficient for 32000 birds (2 sheds)

Our farms would be a 50/50 split between single and three phase

Thanks

Is single phase more expensive to run?
Are the motors more expensive?

Netherfield · Apr 12, 2017

Only said:
Is single phase more expensive to run?
Are the motors more expensive?

Single phase more expensive to buy,more parts to go wrong, e.g. centrifugal switch and capacitors.

No more expensive to run, a 1kw motor uses one kw per hour no matter how many phases.

Diversifying in to free range egg production

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