Creating STOCK

Breed and raising your own replacement layers for a small-scale egg operation.

- DOUG OTTINGER

Are you a poultry owner who maintains a small-scale, egg-selling business? One challenge all egg producers face, whether they have a large or small operation, is the reality of restocking their flocks with young, more productive pullets every year or two. For an egg-production operation to be sustainable, laying stock needs periodic culling and most birds need to be replaced at least once every two years.

FREQUENT FLOCK REPLACEMENT 

Chickens lay the most eggs in their first year of laying. By the second year, many high-producing hens only produce at about 60% of what they did the first year. By the third year, they may only produce at 10% to 20% of their original production. This means a hen that lays 260 eggs in her first year of production may only lay 160 eggs her second year, and in the third year might only pump out 25 to 50 eggs.

While eggs laid by older hens tend to be extra-large in size, shell quality is often of poorer quality, leading to lower-graded eggs. Even though they may not produce as many eggs, older hens still consume lots of feed, making your cost for each dozen eggs produced considerably higher.

There are hens who continue to lay well into their third, fourth and even fifth years, but they’re rare. Longevity of lay is an inherited trait. These hens are real treasures, and you might want to consider using these as breeders in flock perpetuation.

 REPLACEMENT PULLETS