Discover the Benefits of Novogen Brown Chickens for Homesteading
For homesteaders seeking a chicken breed that reliably converts feed into eggs without complication, few compete with the productivity of the Novogen brown. Developed specifically for free-range commercial farms needing flocks to thrive outdoors with minimal intervention, their genetics propels them to the top of the list for low-maintenance, high output backyard flocks as well.
In this comprehensive guide, we will explore what sets Novogen apart from other common dual purpose breeds – namely their standout egg laying performance, feed efficiency, docile temperament, heat tolerant genetics and more. You will discover real world insight into the Novogen’s advantages and limitations, comparison data helping match their strengths to your farm goals, and all the critical information needed to decide if Novogen browns deserve a spot in your homestead flock.
Benefits Overview
Key advantages of the Novogen brown chicken include:
- Extremely high egg production – 250-380 annually
- Superior feed to egg conversion ratio
- Calm, docile temperament for easy handling
- Good heat and cold tolerance
- Sex-linked for easy chick gender identification
- Low noise levels compared to heritage breeds
- Thrives confined or free-ranging
Let’s start by tackling the main reason homesteaders seek out Novogen brown chickens – their incredible egg laying productivity…
Unmatched Egg Production
As the main claim to fame for the Novogen brown, their exceptionally high egg production forms the cornerstone of their popularity on homesteads.
Under ideal backyard conditions, average annual egg yields for a Novogen brown hen reaches:
- First year – 250-340 eggs
- Second year – 300-380 eggs
- Third year – 260-320 eggs
To put this in perspective against other common dual purpose breeds:
| Breed | Annual Eggs/Hen |
|---|---|
| Novogen Brown | 250-380 |
| Rhode Island Red | 200-300 |
| Buff Orpington | 120-180 |
| Australorp | 250+ |
| Plymouth Rock | 280+ |
These figures demonstrate the significant advantage Novogen browns maintain over breeds like Orpingtons and Rhode Island Reds by upwards of 100 more eggs annually at their peak.
The numbers also showcase how Novogens eclipse the already impressive production of Plymouth Rocks and Australorps. For homesteaders prioritizing egg yields first and foremost, Novogen browns set themselves apart as hard to beat.
High Early Egg Production
In addition to exceptional total annual egg production, Novogen hens also reach sexual maturity and begin laying earlier than many heritage breeds more prized for meat production.
While the occasional precocious pullet commences laying at 16 weeks, expect reliable egg production kicking off at 18-20 weeks on average for young Novogen hens. Achieving 50% weekly flock production takes right around 20-22 weeks once pullets reach proper maturity feathering and weight.
This compares extremely favorably against slower developing heritage breeds like Orpingtons that may not commence laying until 6-7 months and peak around a year old. Having homegrown eggs reliably hitting the kitchen several months sooner makes an enormous difference in return on investment calculations for homesteads with limited housing space.
Seasonal Consistency
Where some heritage breeds only shine during spring/summer months, Novogen browns maintain more consistent output across seasons without dramatic drops. This adds to their reliability for homestead families prioritizing a steady household egg supply.
Admittedly, shortening daylight intervals and temperature declines slow production over winter months same as any chicken. However anecdotal reports from experience backyard keepers confirm Novogens fare better than average based on seasonal laying percentage declines:
| Season | Laying Rate |
|---|---|
| Spring | 95-100% |
| Summer | 90-100% |
| Fall | 70-80% |
| Winter | 30-50% |
So while winter dips do occur, Novogen brown egg production appears on par or better than heritage breeds prone to going completely broody through cold months. This helps explain their commercial popularity in hot climates where delicate purebreds would cease production under heat stress.
Persistent Production Years 2-3
Novogen brown‘s standout production holds relatively steady through years 2 and 3 of active laying following their explosive start.
As with any aging hen, egg numbers gradually decline across year 3 as reproductive health fades. However Novogen brown hybrid vigor ensures robust production levels stay quite high early into maturity.
This prolongs their usefulness on small farms where rapid turnover of spent hens proves impractical. Novogen hens easily produce at commercially viable rates for the typical 3 year useful production lifespan.
Maximizing Egg Size
Novogen brown egg size spans a range from large to extra large. Average weights range between 2.0-2.5 ounces per egg once pullets fully mature.
Factors influencing egg size include:
- Genetics – some bloodlines predisposed to larger eggs
- Diet – sufficient protein for egg assembly
- Age – egg size increases as hens mature
- Daylength – spring/summer lighting triggers hormone release
As a commercial crossbred producing generously sized eggs straight away, Novogen browns hit large egg benchmarks faster than slow growing breeds focused more on meat qualities. This makes Novogens a great breed to start with for homesteaders impatient for those first jumbo eggs to show up!
Double Yolks
Thanks to their large egg size, Novogen browns lay more than their share of bonus double yolkers. While double yolks occur randomly across all breeds, hens prone to oversized eggs see higher frequency.
Anecdotally, homestead flocks report 1 double yolker for every 10-30 eggs – much higher than the 1 in 1000 rarity touted for industrial egg laying flocks. Chalk this up as yet another way Novogen browns overdeliver value thanks to their hybrid vigor.
Feed Efficiency
For homesteaders balancing egg income against feed costs, the amount required to produce a dozen eggs becomes significant. By extracting more nutrition from consumed feed towards egg assembly instead of body tissue, Novogen browns retain higher net energy.
This superior ability converting feedstuffs into saleable eggs gives Novogen browns an advantage for profitable backyard flocks.
To demonstrate how efficient Novogens utilize feed, let‘s examine the amount required to generate one dozen eggs across 4 common dual purpose breeds.
| Breed | Feed:Dozen Eggs |
|---|---|
| Novogen Brown | 2.5-4.0 lbs |
| Rhode Island Red | 4.5-5.5 lbs |
| Australorp | 4.0-5.0 lbs |
| Orpington | 6.5-8.0 lbs |
Clearly, no breed matches Novogen efficiency at transforming feed nutrients into delicious eggs for the family table!
Beyond impressive production metrics, Novogen temperament plays a huge role in their success as backyard chickens.
Calm & Docile Nature
A well deserved reputation for remarkably calm dispositions means Novogen browns tolerate confinement or hands-on interaction better than average. This docile nature offers clear advantages for homesteads, including:
Ease of Care & Handling
- Simplifies health examinations
- Allows hand feeding treats
- Enable low stress egg gathering
Reduced Risk of Predation
- Less likely to panic when threatened
- Will not scatter apart from flockmates
- Tolerates proximity to guard animals
Ideal for Young Children
- Pleasant nature when held
- Rarely frightened by loud noises
- Safe for child interaction
Minimal Flightiness
- Readily trains to coop and run
- Will not fly over enclosures when startled
- Peacefully free ranges without scattering
Novogen calmness in the face of chaos makes them delightful to raise and interact with. This pays dividends for homesteads needing a family friendly breed suitable for suburban life.
Extreme Heat Tolerance
Hailing from temperate climates, Novogen browns handle heat waves better than cold hardy breeds prone to stressed based production losses.
As backyard summers continue trending hotter, choosing a breed capable of maintaining normal laying activity despite temperatures exceeding 90-100°F grows in importance. Novogen heat resistance gives them an advantage.
With a breed as popular on homesteads as Novogen browns, several hatchery strains exist with minor variations to suit different needs:
Hendrix Genetics – The original Novogen brown strain focused on balanced egg and meat production. Heat tolerant genetics.
Hubbard Novogen – Slightly larger framed bird prized more for red feathering than egg output. Better setter/maternal instincts.
INOA – Highly efficient commercial layers producing smaller eggs on less feed.
Shaver Novogen – All around performer showing excellent productivity, size, and temperament.
No single variety proves necessarily "superior", just oriented more towards specific qualities that better match given farm purposes. Those focused strictly on maximum eggs may lean towards INOA, while homesteaders wanting a bit more meat or broodiness might prefer Hubbard.
Managing Novogen browns differs little from general best practices for all backyard chickens. However their hybrid makeup does impact specific considerations like:
Feeding Novogens
As prolific producers, Novogens require quality feed to reach genetic potential. Focus on feeds with at least 16% protein, ideally reaching 20% protein content.
Nutrients supporting high egg production include:
- Amino acids – building blocks for egg protein synthesis
- Calcium – strengthens shells, aids egg assembly
- Phosphorus – facilitates calcium metabolism
- Vitamin D – improves calcium and phosphorus absorption
Free choice oyster shell supplements further support shell development.
Space Requirements
In terms of coop and run square footage, each Novogen hen requires 4-5 square feet inside housing, and about 8-10 square feet in the external run.
As medium bodied birds weighing 5-7 pounds, overcrowding spaces leads to feather pecking, disease transmission, and unwanted behaviors. Allow enough area for free movement and species typical behaviors.
Optimal Light Exposure
As prolific layers, ensure Novogen housing allows 16 hours light exposure necessary to trigger hormone cascades supporting maximum egg production.
If confined during short winter days, provide supplemental lighting from 5 am until 9 pm daily to simulate natural spring/summer photoperiods.
Preventing Issues
Common health issues include:
- Egg bound hens – Dietary deficiencies or system calcification
- Prolapse – Weakened muscle tone near vent
- Respiratory illness – Inadequate ventilation
- Bumblefoot – Lack of abrasive surfaces in runs
Catching issues early and culling genetically inferior specimens minimizes complications. Maintain biosecurity against illness transfer from outside birds.
Success Stories from Real Homesteaders
Nothing provides better insight into real-world breed performance than firsthand testimonials from homesteaders actually working with Novogen flocks.
Alice from Cedar Creek Homestead shares:
"Ours don‘t even seem to slow down much over winter here in Tennessee. Our hens easily produce 6-12 eggs daily from our small flock of just 11 hens. Novogens are perfect for anyone wanting a steady supply without a demanding breed."
And Mike of Hobby Farm Home contrasts Novogens with Rhodie Reds:
"Novogens start laying a good month earlier than our other pullets. By 7 months old most reach full size and lay jumbo sized eggs almost every day. I wish I had done Novogens since the beginning!"
For homesteads seeking prolific egg production from friendly, low maintenance backyard chickens, Novogen browns check all the boxes and then some.
By bringing together the strengths of two heritage production breeds into a heat hardy, resilient package perfected for free range systems, Novogen browns entered the world optimized for homesteads.
Their standout egg laying talents even in small numbers, combined with good dispositions and marketable meat make them ideal starter fowl for first-timers or veterans alike. When the measure of success counts eggs as currency, Novogens pay their way many times over.
So if you seek a trusty hen to stock your nests full while freeing you to focus on other homestead happenings, look no further than the Novogen brown chicken.