Published on Dec. 11, 2024
The Veterinarian's Perspective on Why White Layers Are Increasingly Popular with Producers
We asked Crowshall Veterinary Services to give us an insight into the feedback they are getting in the field. This is what they told us:
“Commercial white egg laying birds are efficient, docile, and capable of laying up to 500 eggs in 100 weeks. They have demonstrated very good production persistency and shell quality in extended production cycles and the ability to thrive in alternative housing systems.
Their temperament and docile behaviour make them an easily managed breed for today’s animal welfare standards. By way of an example one strain of white egg laying bird participated in the 16th Random Sample Test of layer hybrids in cage-free housing systems in Germany and showed the best ranking on all four welfare parameters with better feather coverage, lower prevalence of toe conditions and lesions and less keel bone damage, while also had the lowest cumulative mortality levels.
Their liveability is approximately 94% at 80 weeks and 93% at 100 weeks. Producers who have experience with other breeds or keep various breeds on their farms have reported that white egg laying hens appear to show better disease resistance and are described as “a more robust bird”.
Another great advantage is that when it comes to grading of their white eggs, they cannot go pale in the event of “sunshine syndrome” seen in brown laying hens, while they are less susceptible to shell quality and appearance changes due to diseases such worm infection, MS, ORT, IBV and TRT”.
Philip Hammond and Katerina Theakou - Crowshall Veterinary Services
