Published on Aug. 24, 2024
Dekalb White Continues To Impress Free Range Producers With Incredible Performance
John and Nicola Peate are on target for a record-breaking performance as their Dekalb Whites achieved 500 eggs PHH with six weeks left to go!
Their poultry site is situated at Cross Farm in rural Mid Wales. The partnership is run by husband-and-wife team, John and Nicola Peate. They joined the Dekalb White 500 Club in 2022, and their latest flock looks set to break the record for a UK free range flock!
Asked about the original decision to select Dekalb White birds, John Peate said: “A lot of research was done into the breed type we wanted, and whites seemed the obvious answer - long life cycles, less turnarounds, strong birds and not too many in the market. With the potential to keep the flocks in production for up to 100 weeks, 3 flocks are managed in the same amount of time as 4 brown flocks, making an overall saving.”
John and Nicola give the birds as much attention as possible, keeping diaries of patterns of bird behaviour and working out what may cause changes. They keep a close eye on egg size to know when to adjust the feed rations. Dekalb White layers respond well to consistency and routine - so everyone at Cross Farm will always wear the same colour overalls to walk the birds, and stick to the same times, with 5 walks daily. Music is played in the shed to aid calmness.
Unsurprisingly, after their initial success they decided to stay with Dekalb White. Their meticulous approach to management and husbandry has paid off, with their current flock achieving a truly remarkable 500 eggs per hen housed - with another six weeks to go!
“This puts us on target for 530 to 540 eggs per bird” John predicts, “Egg size is 66-67g on average, with 83-84% production and 2.4% mortality.”
The Dekalb White is one of the globally successful layer breeds from Hendrix Genetics, a global multi species breeding company. With parent stock farms in the UK, and results demonstrated by years of commercial flock data, the Dekalb White is hatched and distributed in the UK - by Joice and Hill.
Easy to manage, feed efficient and with a very controllable egg size and flat profile, the Dekalb White can lay more than 500 eggs over a 100-week cycle. It is the UK market leader and widely regarded as the most productive layer in the world.
