Lohmann Brown chicks in Ghana: quoted on request, with a buying guide

Lohmann Brown price: the honest answer

We do not publish a starting price for Lohmann Brown chicks. You ask us for a quote for your exact number of chicks, town and date, and we reply with that figure in writing before you pay. Anyone who gives you a Lohmann Brown price without a quantity and a date is guessing, so ask for the figure on the day you want to order.

That may feel less convenient than a price list, but it keeps the number honest. The quote is the price you pay, and it includes the delivery cost to your town, which we also confirm before payment. You will not find a made-up figure on this page, and you should not accept one from anyone else either.

The rest of the page gives you what you need to request the quote well, read it fairly and compare it with the other brown lines we sell. Our price list shows the starting prices for the lines that are published.

What Lohmann Brown is, in plain terms

Lohmann Brown is a brown-egg commercial layer, developed by a German breeding company and widely used in many countries. It is one of the best-known brown lines, which is why many farmers ask for it by name. Like the other brown lines, it is kept for eggs, and its chicks are reared as pullets for a laying flock rather than as table birds.

A line name tells you the genetics, not the farm. How the pullets are reared, how they are housed and how they are fed will decide most of what happens to the eggs. Treat Lohmann Brown as a strong starting point, and then build the management around it with your vet and your feed supplier.

If you want a broader view of how the three brown lines we sell differ in practice, our Bovans Brown guide and the layer buying guide give the same approach from different angles.

Lohmann Brown against Hy-Line Brown and Bovans Brown

The three brown lines are close enough that the right choice depends on your conditions more than on any single feature. Use the table to sort out what matters most for your farm, then ask us and your vet which line has the best local record.

For a yardstick, our Hy-Line Brown chick starts from GH₵ 23 and is sold in boxes of 50 at GH₵ 1,150. Bovans Brown starts from GH₵ 25.50, or GH₵ 1,275 a box. Use those figures as reference points only. Your Lohmann quote is the one that counts.

Asking for a Lohmann Brown quote: what to send us

A quick, complete request gets a quick, complete quote. Use a single WhatsApp message on +233 24 915 1503 and include these items: If you leave something out, we will ask for it, which slows the reply down.

• The line you want: Lohmann Brown, or Lohmann Brown alongside a second brown line for comparison.
• The number of chicks, and whether you want them in boxes of 50.
• Your town, so we can confirm the station and the delivery cost.
• When you need the birds on your farm, and whether that day can move.
• Pick-up at our Opeikuma farm or a delivery to your station.

Ask for the reply in writing. We confirm breed, quantity, price per chick, total, delivery cost and the date we expect to dispatch. Once the figures match your request, settle by mobile money, bank transfer or cash.

Reading the quote: a yardstick sum you can check

Before you accept any Lohmann Brown quote, do the sum yourself. A box holds 50 birds, so multiply the per-chick figure by 50 to reach the box price. The total is the number of chicks multiplied by the per-chick price. If the two numbers do not agree, ask us to correct the quote before you pay.

The sum below uses our Hy-Line Brown price, so you can see the working. Replace the Lohmann figure with the quote you receive.

Compare the two totals only after you have checked that both quotes cover the same things: the number of chicks, the delivery to your station, the vaccination record and the dead-on-arrival policy. A cheaper quote that leaves out delivery is not cheaper in the end.

If your Lohmann stock is imported: the timetable

A share of our stock arrives from European hatcheries in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Overseas stock carries a vet's health certificate and clears Kotoka on a permit issued by Ghana's Veterinary Services. Allow three to four weeks of notice for that route.

Ask us early whether the Lohmann stock you want on your date is local or imported. If it is imported, plan the house, the brooder and the feed to the arrival date that we confirm in writing. If your date is firm, tell us so, and we will say honestly whether it can be met.

For a plain-language account of how imported and local chicks differ, read our guide to imported and local day-old chicks, and see the imported chicks page for the paperwork in more detail.

Checking uniformity through the first ten weeks

A good Lohmann flock is an even flock. In the first ten weeks, the aim is for most birds to be close to the same weight and size, with feathering coming in at a similar pace. Large differences in the group usually point to feeding access, crowding or a health problem that has been missed.

Once a week, weigh a sample and note the lightest and heaviest birds separately. A widening gap means something in the management needs attention. Check that the feeders are not monopolised by the bold birds, that every bird can reach water and that there are no pockets of cold or damp in the house.

Keep notes beside the weights, including the feed batch and any change in the house. Those notes are what your vet will ask for when the flock gives trouble.

Signs that pullets are close to lay

Rather than trusting the calendar alone, look at the birds. Pullets close to lay usually show a redder, fuller comb, a wider vent and a body that has filled out in the right places without carrying too much fat. The feathers, the eyes and the way they move all give clues about the flock's development.

Handle a few birds each week, and feel their keel and body condition. A bird that is too thin will struggle, and a bird that is too fat can have trouble laying. Ask your vet or an experienced keeper to show you the difference, because hands-on practice is worth more than any description.

When the flock is close to lay, make the switch to the layer ration on the plan you agreed with your feed supplier, and watch the egg count closely over the first two weeks.

Vaccines, the batch record and what your vet needs

A batch record travels with the chicks, and the hatchery's standard vaccines are Newcastle, Marek's, Gumboro (IBD), infectious bronchitis and coccidiosis. For any Lohmann quote, ask us to confirm the vaccines and dates for that specific batch in writing, because imported and local stock may follow different records.

Take the batch record to your vet at the start of the rearing period. Your vet builds the booster plan from that sheet and will ask about every treatment given since arrival. Follow your vet's schedule for timing, and ask about biosecurity for the house.

Our frequently asked questions answer the common vaccine and batch questions, and the delivery page explains how boxes travel from the hatchery to your station.

Common mistakes when buying Lohmann pullets

• Ordering on a figure from a conversation rather than a written quote. Ask for the quote in writing for your exact quantity and date.
• Forgetting delivery in the comparison. A low chick price with a high delivery cost can cost more in the end.
• Booking imported stock too late. Three to four weeks is the minimum notice for imported chicks.
• Rearing to the calendar instead of to weight. Weigh the flock and adjust the feed to what you see.
• Buying one box too few. Losses happen, so order the number of pullets you need plus a margin.

Each of these mistakes is common, and each is easy to avoid if you ask for the details early. Our where to buy guide sets out what to look for from any supplier.

How to order Lohmann Brown chicks from Halaal Farms

Put the details above into one WhatsApp message to +233 24 915 1503, and we reply from there. We reply with the quote in writing, including the per-chick price, the total, the delivery cost and the dispatch date. Once the figures check out, settle through whichever of our three payment routes suits you. The hatch gets booked, and the batch details follow before the birds leave.

Lohmann Brown is quoted for each order, but the minimum order is still one box of 50. Orders of 1,000 chicks or more are also quoted individually. Use the order form when the quantity is settled, or check the price list for the published lines to compare.

If you are still choosing between lines, our breeds guide is a good place to start. If you are in or near Kasoa, you can also visit the farm by appointment, which is the easiest way to see how we handle the chicks before you commit.

Questions farmers ask