Layer farming: rearing pullets and running a laying flock
A laying flock is made during rearing and managed during production. Pullets that reach point of lay at the right body weight lay better and longer than pullets that were underfed at 8–12 weeks. Once in lay, the job is consistency: same feed, same light, same routine, and a daily egg count you actually write down.
Rearing: weeks 0–18 decide the whole cycle
The most common and most expensive layer mistake is treating rearing as a holding period. It is not. A pullet builds her skeleton, her digestive capacity and her body reserves before she lays a single egg, and a bird that arrives at point of lay underweight will never fully catch up — she will come into lay late, peak lower, and drop off sooner.
| Phase | Age | Feed | What you are building |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chick / starter | 0–6 weeks | Chick mash, ~20% CP | Frame, immune development, digestive capacity. |
| Grower | 7–14 weeks | Grower mash, ~16–17% CP | Skeletal growth and body weight uniformity. |
| Developer / pre-lay | 15–17 weeks | Pre-lay, higher calcium | Medullary bone reserve for shell formation. |
| Layer | 18 weeks onward | Layer ration, 16–18% CP, 3.5–4% calcium | Egg production and shell quality. |
Point of lay and the first eggs
Commercial layers typically start laying around 18–20 weeks. Move birds to the laying house before this, not during it — moving a flock that has just started laying will stop it. Introduce the layer ration about a week before you expect the first eggs so the calcium reserve is in place.
- Provide one nest box per 4–5 hens, placed in the darkest, quietest part of the house.
- Collect eggs at least twice a day, more in hot weather. Eggs left in nests get dirty, get broken, and teach hens to eat them.
- Expect small eggs at first. Size climbs over the following weeks as hens mature.
- Keep lighting consistent. Never reduce day length during lay — 14–16 hours of total light is the usual target.
Reading production figures
Lay percentage is eggs collected per 100 hens per day. A healthy commercial flock climbs steeply after first egg, reaches a peak of 90–95% around 28–32 weeks, then declines slowly — a good flock loses only about half a percentage point a week from peak.
| Observation | Likely explanation |
|---|---|
| Peak never reaches 85% | Underweight pullets at point of lay, or poor flock uniformity during rearing. |
| Sudden drop of 10%+ in a few days | Disease, water interruption, a feed change, heat stress, or a night-time disturbance. |
| Gradual decline faster than 1%/week | Nutrition, parasite burden, or the flock is simply ageing out of its cycle. |
| Thin or soft shells | Calcium level or particle size, vitamin D3, heat stress, or flock age. |
| Rising number of dirty eggs | Nest box hygiene, too few nests, or eggs being laid on the floor. |
The economics of a laying flock
Layer economics work differently from broilers. There is a long investment period with no revenue — roughly 18 weeks of feeding a bird that produces nothing — followed by a year or more of daily income. The break-even point usually falls several months into lay, which is why working capital, not profit per egg, is what most new layer farms actually run out of.
- Budget the full rearing period before you place pullets, including all 18 weeks of feed.
- Track feed per egg weekly — it is the earliest sign that efficiency is slipping.
- Plan for the end of the cycle: spent hens have a sale value, and a replacement flock needs to be reared before the old one goes.
- Egg prices are seasonal in most markets. Know the pattern where you sell before committing to a placement date.
Sources
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