Robust and Productive Bovans Brown Pave the Way for Success at Painsbrook Farm

Looking to diversify and develop the business, whilst maximising the return on the available land, four flocks of brown free-range birds were added to the heifer rearing, livery stables and saddlery businesses already running at the farm.

The initial four flocks were made up of three flocks of Bovans Brown birds and one flock of Shaver Brown, all hatched by Joice and Hill, and chosen for their hardy reputation, high egg numbers and persistency. As Andy Brisbourne explains “We chose to go free-range from the beginning. We had looked before at layers, but in 2020 we decided the timing was right and it would fit with our other activities.

Robust layers

“Lloyds supply our feed, with pullets coming from Country Fresh Pullets, and the eggs are destined for Morrisons. Before ordering the first four flocks of 32,000 birds, we spoke to Lloyds, the bank and local producers, about breed selection. The consensus was that the Bovans Brown and Shaver Brown breeds would be a good choice for an inexperienced team like us. It turns out to be the right decision as the Bovans Brown layers were really reliable and we have been depleting flocks at up to 80 weeks.”

In 2025, Andy added another two flocks, including a further flock of Shaver Brown, bringing the total number of birds to 96,000, in single age sheds. “It took 2 years for the first planning permission to be granted but another 5 years to get planning permission for expansion.”

A streamlined setup

All equipment is from Danish manufacturer LANDMECO. The system integrates essential functions - nests, perches, feeding, and watering - into a streamlined setup that optimises bird welfare and operational efficiency.

With staggered tiers, the system allows hens maximum movement vertically and horizontally, and its central nest design provides easy access for natural behaviours. The layout also gives farmers an unobstructed view of all tiers, making management tasks simpler. Built for easy cleaning, the open-profile design minimises joints and includes automatic manure belts with durable drive units. This makes maintenance quick and thorough, reducing time spent on system upkeep.

“There weren’t any systems in the UK yet, so we visited LANDMECO in Denmark with Drapers and were impressed by the system. As a producer I liked that it was easily accessible for us, with less climbing and bending. I had some ideas for improvement and LANDMECO were keen to hear them, ultimately building the mods into the next system, so the new sheds have egg belts on top. The system is well built compared to others and we get excellent support.

Self-service “Egg Shack” with innovative honesty system

“Most of our eggs go to Chippendales who supply Morrisons, but we also have a self-service 'Egg Shack' selling our own eggs. We looked at vending machines but, in the end, we opted for a kind of computerised honesty box hybrid. Basically, it’s a touch screen computer similar to that you would find at a fast-food restaurant, with contactless payment. Alongside the eggs we also sell locally produced cakes and pies. The shop opens at 6.00 AM and closes automatically at 10.00 PM on a magnetic system. With no staff costs, it gives longer hours than a traditional shop and more scope than a vending machine.”

Looking to the future

Asked about the future, Andy says “We are always looking for new ways to diversify and spread risk and one idea we have under consideration is the use of exhaust from the chicken sheds to heat a greenhouse. We would also like to do some trial work, using different troughs, to experiment with feed conversion. Having three virtually identical sheds means we can isolate variables and make valuable comparisons.”