Technical guide · NEXTEKCI School
Brown laying hen rearing guide
From chick to end of lay: pullet rearing, point of lay, lighting, water, heat
Benchmarks: Novogen Brown, ISA Brown
Download the guide (PDF)
1. The NEXTEKCI brown laying hen
The brown laying hen lays brown-shelled eggs for about a year and a half of production. NEXTEKCI layer chicks follow the same growth and laying curves as the Novogen Brown reference strain. They are vaccinated against Marek’s disease at the hatchery (certificate on request).
The main stages
| Age | Stage |
|---|---|
| 0 to 5 weeks | Brooding and chick house |
| 6 to 16 weeks | Pullet growth |
| 17 to 20 weeks | Preparation for lay, transfer to the laying house |
| 20 to 22 weeks | Point of lay |
| 22 to 72-80 weeks | Production, then depletion (end of lay) |
A good laying hen is made during rearing: a pullet at the right weight and in a uniform flock at 18 weeks will lay for longer and more consistently.
2. Brooding the layer chicks
- Pre-heat the house 30 to 40 hours before arrival: about 35 °C in the brooding area, litter at 29-30 °C.
- On the floor, no more than 20 chicks per m² in the heated area during brooding.
- Water between 20 and 25 °C on arrival, crumbled starter feed on paper or trays.
- A chick kept properly warm has a body temperature of 40 to 41 °C: warm feet, active chicks, evenly spread out.
Source: Novogen Brown, management guide (2024)
3. Rearing the pullets
Weigh around a hundred pullets every week and compare with the table. If weight is behind, do not reduce the lighting too quickly, and check the water, feeder space and feed quality.
Pullet body weight and feed
| Age | Feed per day | Target weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week | 11 g | 65 to 70 g |
| 2 weeks | 17 g | 110 to 120 g |
| 4 weeks | 35 g | 270 to 285 g |
| 6 weeks | 47 g | 470 to 495 g |
| 8 weeks | 55 g | 660 to 695 g |
| 10 weeks | 60 g | 840 to 900 g |
| 12 weeks | 65 g | 1,020 to 1,090 g |
| 14 weeks | 72 g | 1,190 to 1,255 g |
| 16 weeks | 78 g | 1,350 to 1,425 g |
| 18 weeks | 85 g | 1,480 to 1,580 g |
Source: Novogen Brown, management guide (2024), p. 38
Hot-climate guidelines
- Floor density: about 20 pullets per m² up to 4 weeks, then 10 per m² up to 17 weeks.
- Enough feeders for all the pullets to eat at the same time: this is the key to uniformity.
- During rearing, feed moves from starter to grower, then pullet feed and pre-lay feed before the first eggs.
Ref. Lohmann, hot climate
4. Lighting in a hot climate
Light controls the hen’s sexual maturity: it is reduced during rearing, then increased to bring the birds into lay. Never increase day length before the pullets have reached the right weight, and never reduce it during lay.
Lighting programme for hot countries (between 20° North and 20° South)
| Age | Hours of light per day | Target weight |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 22 h then 20 h | — |
| 3 weeks | 18 h | — |
| 5 weeks | 16 h | — |
| 8 weeks | 14 h 30 | — |
| 12 weeks | 12 h 30 | — |
| 13 to 18 weeks | 12 h (or natural day length from 14 weeks) | 1,480 to 1,580 g at 18 weeks |
| 19 weeks | + 1 h | 1,560 to 1,660 g |
| 20 weeks | + 1 h | 1,625 to 1,730 g |
| 21 weeks | + 1 h | 1,675 to 1,780 g |
| 22 and 23 weeks | + 30 min each week | 1,715 to 1,840 g |
| 24 weeks and over | 16 h | 1,765 to 1,860 g |
Source: Novogen Brown, management guide (2024), p. 13
In an open-sided house, daylight counts: the total day length is natural daylight plus supplementary lighting (before sunrise or after sunset).
5. Point of lay
- Move the pullets into the laying house at around 16 to 17 weeks, before the first eggs.
- Switch to pre-lay feed, then to layer feed (rich in calcium) as soon as the first eggs appear.
- Nest boxes in place, clean and lined, before lay begins.
- Increase the lighting only once the target weight is reached (see the table in chapter 4).
The first eggs arrive at around 19 to 20 weeks; half the hens are laying at around 20 to 21 weeks.
6. Egg production
The table gives the strain’s targets under very good conditions. In an open-sided house, in strong heat, the average laying rate over the year is often lower (around 75%): follow your curve every week so you can react quickly if production drops.
Production targets
| Age | Laying rate (% of hens) | Average egg weight | Cumulative eggs per hen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 weeks | 15% | 48 g | 1 |
| 22 weeks | 69% | 53 g | 9 |
| 25 weeks | 94.5% | 57.6 g | 28 |
| 30 weeks | 96.5% | 60.5 g | 61 |
| 40 weeks | 95.7% | 62.9 g | 127 |
| 50 weeks | 93.8% | 63.9 g | 192 |
| 60 weeks | 90.4% | 64.5 g | 254 |
| 72 weeks | 84.7% | 65 g | 318 |
| 80 weeks | 80.9% | 65.4 g | 362 |
Source: Novogen Brown, management guide (2024), p. 39-42
- Layer feed: about 111 to 119 g per hen per day at peak production.
- Collect eggs at least 2 to 3 times a day, more often when it is hot.
- Set aside broken, cracked or dirty eggs; store eggs in a cool, shaded place.
Source: Novogen Brown, management guide (2024)
7. Water and heat
A hen drinks about 1.8 times what she eats, and almost double that when it is very hot. In strong heat, cool water (below 20 °C if possible) helps the hen maintain her laying rate and eggshell strength.
Water drunk by a laying hen in production
| Temperature | Litres of water per 1 kg of feed | Water per hen per day |
|---|---|---|
| 20 °C | 1.8 | 205 ml |
| 25 °C | 2.1 | 230 ml |
| 30 °C | 3.1 | 320 ml |
Source: Novogen Brown, management guide (2024) (after ITAVI 2012), p. 18
Against the heat
- On the floor, about 4 to 5 hens per m² when it is 30 °C.
- More drinkers when it is hot: about 1 nipple per 10 hens at 30 °C (1 per 20 at 25 °C).
- East-west orientated house, light-coloured roof, good roof overhang, moving air.
- Give part of the feed during the cool hours.
Ref. Lohmann, hot climate
8. Health, biosecurity and end of lay
NEXTEKCI layer chicks are vaccinated against Marek’s disease at the hatchery. The other vaccines are given on the farm during pullet rearing, following the protocol of the vet in your area: ask for it before the chicks arrive.
- A single age group per house; footbath, dedicated clothing, few visitors.
- Control of rodents and insects; no backyard poultry nearby.
- Record every day: eggs collected, mortality, feed and water consumed.
- End of lay at around 72 to 80 weeks: spent hens are sold, which is part of the flock’s income.
Need advice?
Our advisers answer on WhatsApp: +225 05 44 83 27 79 (information) · +225 07 07 72 78 67 (chick orders).