History of the automatic laying nests
When the automatic laying nests were first introduced to the market the vast majority of laying hens were still housed in cage systems. The automatic laying nest finds its origin in the broiler breeder sector: that link in the chain where egg quality is the most important because of the fragile eggshell. Every egg counts. A lost egg is also a lost chick, and in addition, the number of eggs that a broiler breeder produces is limited. So there is a need for a laying nest where as many first quality eggs as possible are guaranteed. This requires the following characteristics:
- A laying nest with a solid floor;
- An expel system with a very high technical reliability;
- No moving parts in the reach of the animals, so harm to the bird is excluded;
- A hygienic environment where the egg is protected to the maximum against bacterial penetration through the porous eggshell;
- The transfer from the nest to the egg belt must be completely smooth.
These features are built into our Premium+ laying nest and we perfected the nest down to the last detail. Our Premium+ laying nest has only one goal: ensure maximum number of eggs with the highest possible quality!
Introduction of the laying hens decree
With the introduction of the laying hen decree in the Netherlands, the demand for the Premium+ nest increased enormously. This had consequences for the nest, it had to meet certain dimensions and terms like the X(X)L nest were introduced. The principle of the nest remained the same, namely a fixed floor with the original expel system but adapted to suit the smaller laying hens.
Introduction of the LayMaxx® nest
Over the years, the size of the poultry farms has grown consistently. As a result, the number of laying nests increased and so did the time needed to inspect the nests. This generated a demand for a type of nest with excellent inspection facilities. Existing nests all had a limited view, even when closed. This had to change. In response to this demand from the market, we developed our LayMaxx® nest. This is the only nest where the nest flaps are rolled up completely when the nest is closed after the laying period and therefore the only nest that offers this ultimate inspection possibility. Because the back wall is rolls up simultaneously with the nest bottom, the hens cannot get stuck between the bottom and the back wall when the nest is closed. All this combined with the same very high technical reliability and low maintenance costs as the Premium+ nest, a new standard has been set in the egg production market.
Conclusion:
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question "what is the best laying nest?”. Both nests are the best of their kind, and provide the highest possible egg quality, but they both serve different purposes. As a result, the choice of a farm that sells ecological eggs from home and the choice of a large egg producing farm with a labor force may turn out differently. For a conventional poultry farm with an aviary where ease of labor is number one, the LayMaxx® is probably the best choice due to its higher nesting capacity, faster inspection capability and overview in the house. For poultry farms where the egg quality is most important, and for example a shorter inspection time is less important, a nest with a solid floor like our Premium+® nest is probably the best choice.
Thus, the choice of our Premium+ or our LayMaxx nest is primarily determined by the value of the final product in relation to the labor. It is important that in the design of the laying nest the basic principles are correct and that’s the case with both nests. These include the sitting position of the hen, the position of the egg belt, the incidence of light and the technical construction that must contribute to the reliability.
