Heard of a Bovan Brown?

[mpcardona]

I saved three girls from where my husband's cousin works and they are called Bovan Browns. These girls are funny and really eat their weight in food. They are about 20 weeks old and one is already laying.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

These are what the 4H Poultry Chain uses. They are one commercial corporation's hybrid sex-link brown egg layer. We are getting about 25 chicks this spring via our county 4H office.

Learn more about the 4H poultry chain at http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/PDF/O202.pdf or conatct your local Cooperative extension Service office.

Learn more about the Bovans Brown at http://www.centurionpoultry.com/products/bovans_brown

The females are brown and the males are white and thus may be sexed by color at hatch time. However, this is a "terminal" cross and will not reproduce the same in the next generation.


Quote:

The BOVANS BROWN is a brown feathered, brown egg layer which has the ability to meet the expectations of a variety of egg producers with different objectives. She is the bird of choice for today's egg farmers who expects high egg numbers and a forgiving bird, all essential ingredients to keep their business profitable. She not only performs well for the egg producer with traditional production facilities, being very docile is making her the perfect bird for alternative production methods as well.
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[mpcardona]

Thanks. I can see why they would use them for commercial use. These girls layed much earlier than my two australorps and welsummers.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Some of these actually start laying pullet eggs at about 4 1/2 to 5 months old. There only concern is Eat, Drink, Lay, Sleep and not neccessarily in that order. Our 4H chain birds have turned out to be quite good at free ranging. The males are definetly males. But have never heard of any going broody. Since all ancestors were caged birds in breeder houses, if a hen went broody it was culled for poor egg production. They only use breeders that have been successful in their pullet year to hatch from in the 2nd year.

 

[mpcardona]

That is some really cool information. I know these Bovan eat like there is no tomorrow. Is there something that I can do to keep these girls busy?

 

[syl20c]

I had a few of them this year in free range. They did OK but no matter how much green they ate, their yolk remained a pale yellow. The egg flavour just wasn't there.

More tasteless eggs yes but I still prefer the eggs I get from my heritage flock.

 

[EastmanEggs]

Are these the same as RedStar/SexLinked ?

 

[impalaclark]

I have 4 of these in my mixed flock of 66 birds. I am getting 10 more in the next week. I avg an egg a day from these four, and they are my friendliest birds. They at times can chase other hens out of the eating area. And once someone steps out the backdoor they take off in a sprint to greet you. They are really my favorites, and as I sit in the evening watchimg everyone go in to roost, 2 of them come and roost on my knees, almost nightly. They are my kids favorites as well. With what little knowledge I have, I would say if you get a chance to get some, do it! You will not be disappointed. And tyoically I see them around here for $5 a bird, this last group of ten I ordered are 8 months old and I got them for $3.50 a bird.

 

[impalaclark]

Forgot to add a pic of my 9 yr old son, he loves the bovans. As you can see with the cheesey smile

 

[aurumsage]

I have been trying to find these chicks anywhere and have had no success.
Where did you get yours?