Free range hen performance

[evolution]

We have the opportunity to get into free range egg production. (Yes another one!)

We are still working out the returns, but there seems to be a large disparity between the technical performance of the hens.
Would anyone mind sharing their figures (actual or budget) for the following:
Eggs/bird housed
Seconds %age
Feed / bird / day

PM if you prefer

Many Thanks

 

[country_gal]

following for interest...

 

[wellingtonfarmer]

We find Lohman always undersell there performance.

I'm am delepleting 32k tonight.
The one shed which is 2 year old has done 328 at 72weeks and the 6 year old shed has done 319.
Can't really tell you about 2nds off the top of my head but I would guess around 3-4%.
Feed wise this year they have eaten a bit more 121g but they are different bird to previous, Lohman lite as opposed to Lohman classic. I have also just put a mill in so will hopefully seee consumption drop a bit!
Pm if you want to know anymore or my phone number to talk about it!
There does seem a lot going up at the moment mind!

 

[evolution]

Thanks for the numbers. It's hard to do a sensibile budget when output ranges from 300 - 330!
BFREPA are saying 300 average, producers/salesmen are quoting 320 - 335. I had been working on 315, so your numbers are nice to hear.
What sort of mill have you put in? Have you been buying in feed upto now or getting a lorry in?

 

[Frodo2]

Thanks for the numbers. It's hard to do a sensibile budget when output ranges from 300 - 330!
BFREPA are saying 300 average, producers/salesmen are quoting 320 - 335. I had been working on 315, so your numbers are nice to hear.
What sort of mill have you put in? Have you been buying in feed upto now or getting a lorry in?

I think you probably will find the range is huge and the BREPFA average takes into account multi age sites, producers without specialist buildings and some sites where things could be done better.

An average of 315 is definately possible, but it wont just happen.

 

[Netherfield]

@wellingtonfarmer Do you get to know egg weight to feed ratio these days? , not that I can now remember figures from days gone by, although I seem to recall Lohmann were the breed bringing average egg size down and numbers up.

Can't help thinking how things have changed, in the 60s and probably 70s Brown egg layers producing around 260/270 was the mark to aim for, queen of the white egg birds was the Shaver 288,so named as that was the 72 week average hoped for.

 

[wellingtonfarmer]

@wellingtonfarmer Do you get to know egg weight to feed ratio these days? , not that I can now remember figures from days gone by, although I seem to recall Lohmann were the breed bringing average egg size down and numbers up.

Can't help thinking how things have changed, in the 60s and probably 70s Brown egg layers producing around 260/270 was the mark to aim for, queen of the white egg birds was the Shaver 288,so named as that was the 72 week average hoped for.

Not really sure what you mean by egg weight to feed. But they are eating around 120g and egg weight is around 64.5g so I guess that 53%?

That's the good thing with chickens genetics can change so quickly not like cattle where it takes 5 years to see if you have made a good genetic change!

 

[wellingtonfarmer]

Thanks for the numbers. It's hard to do a sensibile budget when output ranges from 300 - 330!
BFREPA are saying 300 average, producers/salesmen are quoting 320 - 335. I had been working on 315, so your numbers are nice to hear.
What sort of mill have you put in? Have you been buying in feed upto now or getting a lorry in?

Put a buschhoff mill in. Buying feed up into a month ago now we will be feeding our own wheat and a balancer from Lloyds!

 

[Netherfield]

Not really sure what you mean by egg weight to feed. But they are eating around 120g and egg weight is around 64.5g so I guess that 53%?

That's the good thing with chickens genetics can change so quickly not like cattle where it takes 5 years to see if you have made a good genetic change!

That's what I meant, one particular breed started getting egg numbers up above the others, but at the end of the 72 weeks it turned out that although they were eating a little less there were a lot more medium than large,which at the time meant they actually made less profit.

 

[Bones]

We have the opportunity to get into free range egg production. (Yes another one!)

We are still working out the returns, but there seems to be a large disparity between the technical performance of the hens.
Would anyone mind sharing their figures (actual or budget) for the following:
Eggs/bird housed
Seconds %age
Feed / bird / day

PM if you prefer

Many Thanks

Is it with bowler? They are putting up a shocking amount of houses over here ,is your meal prices tied in with your egg prices.