Published on Dec. 1, 2025
Ongoing trial insights of the 41st North Carolina Random Sample Test
After a few years of inactivity, the North Carolina Random Sample Test (RST) is back with its 41st edition. The test is still in production, but in April 2025 the first interim results have been published. This long-standing test is a valuable benchmark for comparing the performance of commercial layer breeds under standardized conditions. This year’s test covers the production cycle from 17 to 69 weeks and includes both white and brown breeds tested in cage and cage-free systems. Performance summary tables are available for each strain and system, offering a comprehensive view of key metrics such as egg production, feed efficiency, mortality, and body weight. In this article, we’ll highlight some results.
Promising Results of the White egg layer breeds of Hendrix Genetics in the cage test
So far, the 41st Test brought impressive results for the white egg layer breeds of Hendrix Genetics. The Shaver White, Babcock White and the Dekalb White stood out in terms of both egg production and egg quality, confirming their strong genetic potential and consistent field performance. When it comes to productivity, the HG white breeds clearly lead the way. Shaver White is topping the chart with 336 eggs per hen housed, followed closely by Babcock White and Dekalb White, both above 327 eggs. These results are significantly higher than the overall average of 318 eggs, and far ahead of the lowestperforming competitor at 295 eggs. Hen-day egg production percentages tell a similar story. All three HG breeds maintain high laying rates throughout the cycle: Shaver White: 93.83%, Babcock White: 92.01%, Dekalb White: 91.85%.
“Whether white or brown, Hendrix Genetics layers prove that more eggs, longer cycles, and sharper feed conversion all start with the right genetics”
Another area where Hendrix Genetics white breeds stood out is feed conversion efficiency, measured as grams of egg produced per gram of feed consumed. This metric is crucial for producers aiming to optimize input costs while maintaining high output. The results show that Shaver White leads with a feed conversion of 0.561 g egg/g feed, followed by Babcock White at 0.551 and Dekalb White at 0.544. These values are all above the all-strains average of 0.538, confirming the superior efficiency of HG breeds. Better feed conversion means more eggs produced with less feed—translating into economic and environmental benefits for egg producers.
Great performance of the Bovans brown among the cage free brown comparison
Performance of the Brown egg Layers - 69 weeks
In the cage-free brown breed comparison, the Bovans Brown laying hens demonstrate a solid and well-rounded performance, standing out among the tested strains. While overall production levels in cage-free systems tend to be slightly lower than in cages, Bovans Brown shows its strength in both egg output and egg mass, confirming her Robustness and her suitability for alternative housing systems. With 295 eggs per hen housed, Bovans Brown outperforms all her competitors and the overall average of 287 eggs. This result reflects consistent laying performance across the full cycle. The Bovans Brown egg layers also excels in egg mass, achieving 49.43 g/HD, the highest among the cage-free brown strains!
