Dutch poultry farmer Tim van Gestel shares his experience with the NOVOgen White Light . Around 97% laying rate and only 2.7% cumulative mortality at 65 weeks: at Een Heerlijk Ei in the Netherlands, the NOVOgen White Light is demonstrating strong performance.
At Een Heerlijk Ei (“A Delicious Egg”), the poultry farm run by Tim van Gestel in Diessen, the NOVOgen White Light is already delivering encouraging results. With 55,000 laying hens across three houses, Tim is well placed to assess the performance of the breed under commercial conditions.
Tim van Gestel has worked closely with Tijn Somers of Ter Heerdt-Verbeek, NOVOgen’s distributor in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, for many years. Having gained experience with NOVOgen White Light, he agreed to take part in the breed’s ongoing development.
“ We were naturally curious to see how this flock would perform in practice,” says Tim. “So far, the results are promising. High production, feed intake is stable, feed intake is more stable, and at 65 weeks of age, the hens are still maintaining a laying rate of around 97%.”
Strong production, stable feed intake and controlled egg weight
Building on a strong genetic foundation, NOVOgen White Light is the result of continuous selection to achieve an optimal balance between feed intake, egg weight control and laying persistency throughout the production cycle, while maintaining the calm behaviour appreciated by producers. For Tim, egg weight management is a particularly important advantage.
“ It is now easier to control egg weight. The hens reach 60 grams quickly and then level off, without producing too many eggs above 64 grams.”
At Een Heerlijk Ei, maintaining the right egg size and achieving consistent sorting results are essential to day-to-day performance. Feed intake is another area where Tim has noticed a difference. Although the farm has not changed its feed formulation, intake has increased and become more consistent.
“ Previously, feed intake was on the low side. That worked well for a while, but towards the end of the cycle, laying performance and body condition started to decline.”
The current flock consumes around 120 grams of feed per hen per day, helping the birds maintain better reserves as the cycle progresses. At 65 weeks, cumulative mortality stands at just 2.7% — an encouraging result alongside the flock’s sustained laying performance.
Calm birds, easier day-to-day management
Production figures are only part of the picture. Behaviour and ease of management also contribute to a successful flock. NOVOgen hens are known for their calm temperament, and Tim sees the same qualities in the White Light. The birds are composed without being sluggish, move well throughout the house and remain easy to manage.
“ You can walk right through them without them getting skittish,” he says. “They aren’t even bothered by low-flying aeroplanes.”
For poultry farmers, this calm behaviour is a valuable complement to production performance, helping make daily flock management more straightforward.
Management makes the difference
Even with strong genetic potential, flock preparation and management remain essential to achieving the best results.
For Tim, the foundations are laid from the moment the pullets arrive: the right body weight, good uniformity and good feather condition. He considers the period up to 30 weeks particularly important for the performance of the flock throughout the remainder of the laying cycle. With the current flock, the hens arrived at the correct body weight and feed intake increased quickly, allowing feed-phase changes to be introduced earlier than planned.
However, no two flocks are exactly alike. Close observation and timely adjustments remain central to Tim’s approach.e lot ayant ses particularités, l’observation reste toutefois indispensable pour adapter les pratiques aux besoins réels des animaux.
“ We have a general plan, but you have to keep monitoring what is happening,” he explains. “A chicken never lies. It’s up to us to figure out what’s going on.”
The results achieved at Een Heerlijk Ei illustrate the potential of the NOVOgen White Light: sustained laying performance, controlled egg weight, consistent feed intake, low mortality and calm behaviour. Combined with attentive management and close technical collaboration between the poultry farmer, the sales representative, the feed supplier and the veterinarian, these qualities help the flock express its full genetic potential.
As Tijn Somers puts it: “The potential is there, but realising that potential always takes teamwork.”