How a free-range egg producer is achieving an 86-week lay

Extending lay to 90 weeks is remarkable in any system, and all the more so when it is achieved in just the fifth flock cycle.

Arable farmer Michael Wilson diversified into poultry in 2018, establishing a flock of 32,000 free-range layers in a multi-tier system on his 324ha (801-acre) farm at Abernethy, near Perth.

See also: Advice on using water vaccination for broilers and layers

Although Michael and his wife, Michelle, came to egg production with no previous experience of poultry, by focusing on the key factors which support flock profitability, that investment has paid off.

They have averaged 76-week cycles, producing 354 eggs a hen housed, which are supplied to Aberdeenshire-based packer Farmlay.

Farm facts: Cordon Farm, Abernethy, Perth and Kinross

Michael Wilson © Angus Findlay

• 324ha growing cereals and potatoes
• Potters Poultry multi-tier aviary system
• Brown H&N hens
• Eggs supplied by Farmlay to Aldi and Lidl for sale in Scottish stores

Extended lay

However, in the flock that depopulated in February 2025, lay was extended to 90 weeks.

By 76 weeks, that flock had averaged 362 eggs a hen housed; at 90 weeks, production stood at 67% a hen day, with an egg total of 426 eggs a hen housed.

Extending that lay was not without its challenges, though, Michael concedes.

“Financially it worked out, but feed consumption rises as the birds get older, there are more floor eggs and mortalities, packing takes longer… all those increase the pressure on staff.”

In the current cycle, he is dialling down his ambition to 86 weeks.

“As an industry, we are pushing towards extending lay, but I won’t be pushing it to 90 weeks again – 86 weeks will mean we depopulate before those bigger performance challenges start to creep in.”

Vaccination policy

For the Wilsons, one of the big advantages of establishing a poultry unit at Cordon Farm was the absence of other commercial flocks locally.

Michael thinks this is one reason why they have not experienced disease challenges since they set it up, and why the business is the only Farmlay supplier that does not use the firm’s farm-specific autogenous vaccines.

Another reason is that Cordon Farm is a single-aged site.

“When you have birds at different stages in their life cycle, the older birds can sometimes pass diseases on to the younger birds, and an autogenous vaccine cleans up all of that.

“But we just don’t have that issue on our farm,” Michael explains.

Other factors include thorough end-of-flock cleaning and disinfection, no history of pigs occupying the land, and no co-grazing with sheep or cattle on the range – that grass is only harvested for silage.

The Wilsons instead use a standard “five-in-one” vaccination programme at transfer of the pullets from the rearing unit to Cordon Farm, inoculating for salmonella, E coli and infectious bronchitis.

“This works out cheaper than an autogenous vaccine.

While cost is a reason for not opting for the autogenous vaccine, protecting bird growth and performance are factors too.

“Any vaccination will slow up growth and development. I wouldn’t choose an autogenous vaccine lightly,” says Michael.

“I would need to have had a challenge on the farm because we want to get the weight on the birds as quickly as we can – birds are stronger if the vaccination burden is lower.”

The inflammation effect from injecting is another consideration, he adds, as the autogenous vaccine is an extra jab at transfer, so the birds take slightly longer to recover.

Excellent biosecurity involves mandatory vehicle washing © Angus Findlay

Biosecurity and hygiene

Strict biosecurity and site hygiene from the start have helped keep diseases at bay too: observing the controllables such as strict foot-dipping and hand washing, limiting access to the sheds, and washing down all visiting vehicles.

“It is down to the care of our staff that we keep strict biosecurity,” Michael says.

“That standard is high, and we keep it high. What we have been implementing over the years has crept into the BEIC [British Egg Industry Council] standards, but we were doing it a long time ago.”

Ration changes

The ration had been milled on-site, but the business recently switched to compound feeds.

“It was taking up a lot of my management time to do the milling on the farm, and we were tying up arable labour on it too,” says Michael.

While a compound feed is more expensive, the ration is bespoke and is formulated by the same nutritionist who devised the farm-milled ration, ensuring continuity.

He believes the balance of the diet is better, too. It is adapted to suit the stage of production, providing birds with what they need at specific times in their life cycle.

“Early on, there are products in there that promote intake to get the weight onto the birds and get them off to a great start, and towards the end of lay, there are eggshell strength promoters,” he says.

Michael has not found a carbon calculator nuanced enough to make the distinction between home-produced and compound feed, but he reckons the carbon footprint would be similar.

“The only difference will be the extra road miles for the compound feed, but this can easily be negated by the extra output I’ve achieved.”

Gut health is crucial, he adds, with clean water in the sheds a non-negotiable, and attentional to detail paramount.

“The birds are pushed quite hard, so you have got to be absolutely on it every day, otherwise you see the consequences the next day.”

Pushing lay cycles to 90 weeks puts pressure on staff © Angus Findlay

Learning from the best

Eggs have been supplied to Farmlay since the first day of lay, a partnership Michael says works well for both parties.

“Starting as a new producer in 2018, Farmlay was the easiest company to work with in the whole process. They have a very good setup, and I can pick up the phone and speak to a decision maker at any time.”

While he is not obliged to, he buys pullets supplied by Farmlay but handles his own feed purchases.

Getting started in the egg business with no prior knowledge could be seen as a disadvantage, but Michael reckons it can be beneficial.

“No previous experience can be an advantage, as you can learn from the best and start with a fresh set of ideas and not be held back by previous ways.

“I enjoy learning about the technical side of nutrition and bird health, gaining knowledge through an excellent bird rep, with vet and nutritionist advice, and by seeking independent advice when needed.”

Time management

Poultry sits well with the arable side of the business, the only challenge being the demand it places on Michael’s management time.

“It has got its own team of staff, it doesn’t interfere with the arable business at all, it is just my management time that has to get divided up between the two businesses,” he says.

The Wilsons are constantly driving their business forward. A 40ha (99-acre) solar array is being developed on some of their least productive land, which they are leasing to a third party.

Next year, they are introducing flax into the rotation to supply a local co-operative of growers, with the crop processed into fibres for linen.