Evaluation of Factors Affecting Productivity and Profitability of Lohmann Brown Layers in A Semi-Arid Environment

Abstract

A prospective 27-week study investigated the effect of age, ambient temperature, humidity and photoperiod on egg weight and production in Lohmann Brown layers, and thus the profitability of the egg-producing enterprise at a farm in central Namibia, designated Farm A. Overall, age of birds, average temperature, humidity and photoperiod were strongly correlated with mean egg weight (r=0.84, 0.7,-0.51 and 0.7, respectively; p<0.001) but there was a weaker correlation of age, temperature, humidity and photoperiod to the number of eggs/bird (r=0.49, 0.41,-0.43 and 0.34, respectively). Increase in the age of birds, temperature and photoperiod resulted in a significant increase in mean egg weight. A decrease in humidity, however, resulted in a significant increase in mean egg weight. Labour and feed costs contributed 51% and 14%, respectively, to the overall costs of the enterprise. Egg sales contributed the bulk of the income at 88%, which was followed by the sale of spent layers at 12%.The study concluded that Lohmann Brown layers performed well in the semiarid conditions of central Namibia provided that extreme environmental conditions are avoided. The high input costs, especially labour and feed, were the main constraints to profitability and finding ways to reducing these costs is key to increasing profitability. Increasing the size of the flock is one practical way of offsetting the high labour costs.