AZUR

PRODUCT GUIDE
Achieving the full genetic potential of the Azur

AZUR
 THE HERITAGE OF AZUR

The origins of the Azur breed

can be traced back to Chile
where blue egg layers were first
observed there by a Spanish
aviculturist, Salvador Castelló, in
Chile in 1914.

Castelló thought he had discovered a new a new species,

which he duly put before First World’s Poultry Congress
in The Hague in 1921. At the time, these blue egg laying
birds were thought to be unique.

The modern Azur blue egg layer can be traced back to

birds rescued from a Chilean ship which foundered
off the Hebridean Islands close to Scotland, and
subsequently developed by George Malcolm in Scotland
in the 1930s.

Bred for its unique blue egg shell colour, shell strength
and unique plumage, the Azur is a robust and friendly
bird, ideal for small scale and backyard egg producers,
producing attractive and good quality eggs.

Under the direction of Hendrix Genetics in France, the

current Azur layer has the advantage of having 50%
of the genes coming from White Leghorns. Selection
parameters focus on the importance of uniformity of the
shell color, breaking strength of the shell and feather
cover during the whole cycle.

2 PRODUCT GUIDE
AZUR TODAY

In recent years, the selection base has been

enlarged to allow a better match with a
growing demand from small scale producers
and to increase the acceleration of constant
improvement of the selected parameters.

Hendrix Genetics continues the genetic

development of the Azur in its R&D units in
the Côtes d’Armor, France.

AZUR
• Distinct blue egg shell color

• Superb shell strength

• Excellent feather cover during

the whole cycle

• Robust and docile

• Ideal for small scale producers

AZUR 3
 AZUR
INTRODUCTION

Many years of investment in genetic research and

development have resulted in layers with excellent
performance traits such as livability, production and
egg quality.

These highly favourable genetic characteristics can only

be fully realized when layers are supported with good
management practices, which include, but are not limited
to, good quality feed, housing and constant attention to
the birds behaviour and welfare.

The purpose of this product guide is to help producers

to gain the best possible results from their investment.
This will be achieved by providing conditions in which
the layers can thrive. The information supplied in this
publication is based on the analysis of extensive research
and field results, produced over time and with many
years of experience.

We do recognize that many egg producers have

developed their own management programs, as a result
of their experience with specific housing types, climate,
feed, market conditions. Therefore do not hesitate to
use your own experience in conjunction with the
guidelines in this guide. And of course, do not hesitate
to consult our distributors who will be happy to help in
any way they can.

We are constantly seeking to develop our breeding

program and welcome feedback from the field. Please
send your technical results to layinghens@hendrix-
genetics.com. Excel files are available on request to help
you to follow the flock’s performance and record
information.

4 PRODUCT GUIDE
AZUR
PRODUCTION SUMMARY

18-100
Laying Period
Weeks
Livability 92 %
Age at 50% production 145 days
Peak of production 90 %
Average egg weight 61.2 g
Eggs hen housed 404
Egg mass hen housed 24.7 kg
Average feed intake 119 g/day
Cum. feed conversion 2.74 kg/kg
Body weight 1771g
Shell strength 3750 g/cm²

AZUR 5
 AZUR
REARING TABLE
Age in Age in Feed intake per Feed intake per Body weight
wks days bird per day (g) bird cum. (g) (g)
Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum

1 0-7 6 8 41 55 66 69

2 8-14 13 15 129 157 126 133

3 15-21 19 21 261 303 192 202

4 22-28 25 27 434 490 264 277

5 29-35 30 32 643 713 339 356

6 36-42 35 37 886 970 417 438

7 43-49 39 41 1,160 1,258 497 523

8 50-56 43 45 1,461 1,573 578 608

9 57-63 47 49 1,787 1,913 660 694

10 64-70 50 52 2,137 2,277 741 779

11 71-77 53 55 2,508 2,662 821 863

12 78-84 56 58 2,900 3,068 899 945

13 85-91 59 61 3,311 3,493 974 1,024

14 92-98 62 64 3,742 3,938 1,046 1,100

15 99-105 64 66 4,193 4,403 1,115 1,172

16 106-112 67 69 4,665 4,889 1,178 1,239

17 113-119 73 75 5,173 5,411 1,237 1,300

18 120-126 79 81 5,728 5,980 1,290 1,356

The information supplied in this guide is based on many

actual flock results obtained under good environment and
managing conditions. It is presented as a service to our
customers and should be used as a guide only. It does not
constitute a guarantee or warranty of performance in any
way.

6 PRODUCT GUIDE
 1500 150

1400 140

1300 130

1200 120
AZUR

1100 110

1000 100

900 90

800 80

700 70

AZUR
REARING GRAPH

600 60

500 50

Body weight in g
Feed consumption in g

400 40

300 30

200 20

100 10

0 0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

7
Age in weeks
 REARING
AZUR
TABLE
PRODUCTION TABLE 1
PER HEN DAY
Age in % Egg Egg mass Feed intake Feed
weeks Lay weight per day per day conversion
(g) (g) (g) per week
18 1.0 36.1 0.4 80 222.35
19 6.5 39.5 2.6 88 34.28
20 33.6 42.5 14.3 98 6.86
21 61.7 45.2 27.9 108 3.86
22 79.8 47.5 37.9 115 3.04
23 85.9 49.6 42.6 118 2.77
24 87.5 51.4 44.9 118 2.63
25 88.2 52.9 46.7 119 2.55
26 88.7 54.2 48.1 119 2.48
27 89.1 55.4 49.3 120 2.43
28 89.5 56.3 50.4 120 2.38
29 89.7 57.1 51.3 120 2.35
30 89.9 57.8 52.0 121 2.32
31 90.0 58.4 52.5 121 2.30
32 90.1 58.8 53.0 121 2.29
33 90.0 59.2 53.3 122 2.28
34 89.9 59.5 53.5 122 2.28
35 89.8 59.8 53.7 122 2.27
36 89.6 60.0 53.7 122 2.27
37 89.4 60.1 53.7 122 2.28
38 89.1 60.3 53.7 123 2.28
39 88.7 60.4 53.6 123 2.29
40 88.4 60.5 53.5 123 2.30
41 88.0 60.6 53.3 123 2.30
42 87.6 60.8 53.2 123 2.31
43 87.1 60.9 53.1 123 2.32
44 86.7 61.0 52.9 123 2.33
45 86.2 61.1 52.7 123 2.34
46 85.7 61.2 52.5 123 2.35
47 85.3 61.3 52.2 123 2.36
48 84.8 61.4 52.0 123 2.37
49 84.3 61.5 51.8 123 2.38
50 83.8 61.6 51.6 123 2.39
51 83.3 61.7 51.4 123 2.40
52 82.7 61.8 51.1 124 2.42
53 82.2 61.9 50.8 124 2.43
54 81.6 62.0 50.6 124 2.44
55 81.0 62.1 50.3 124 2.46
56 80.4 62.2 50.0 124 2.47
57 79.7 62.3 49.7 124 2.49
58 79.1 62.4 49.3 124 2.50
59 78.5 62.5 49.0 124 2.52

8 PRODUCT GUIDE
AZUR
PRODUCTION TABLE 1
PER HEN HOUSED
Age Eggs Egg mass Feed Feed % Body
in per bird cum intake cum conversion Livability weight
weeks cum. (kg) (kg) cum (g)
18 0.1 0.0 0.6 222.35 99.9 1,323
19 0.5 0.0 1.2 57.50 99.8 1,372
20 2.9 0.1 1.9 15.48 99.7 1,414
21 7.2 0.3 2.6 8.30 99.6 1,449
22 12.7 0.6 3.4 5.90 99.5 1,485
23 18.7 0.9 4.2 4.84 99.4 1,514
24 24.8 1.2 5.1 4.26 99.3 1,541
25 30.9 1.5 5.9 3.89 99.2 1,564
26 37.1 1.8 6.7 3.64 99.1 1,585
27 43.3 2.2 7.5 3.45 99.0 1,603
28 49.4 2.5 8.4 3.30 98.9 1,620
29 55.7 2.9 9.2 3.18 98.8 1,635
30 61.9 3.3 10.0 3.09 98.8 1,648
31 68.1 3.6 10.9 3.01 98.7 1,660
32 74.3 4.0 11.7 2.94 98.6 1,671
33 80.5 4.3 12.5 2.89 98.5 1,681
34 86.7 4.7 13.4 2.84 98.4 1,690
35 92.9 5.1 14.2 2.80 98.3 1,698
36 99.0 5.5 15.1 2.76 98.2 1,705
37 105.2 5.8 15.9 2.73 98.1 1,710
38 111.3 6.2 16.7 2.71 98.0 1,714
39 117.4 6.6 17.6 2.68 97.9 1,718
40 123.4 6.9 18.4 2.66 97.8 1,721
41 129.4 7.3 19.3 2.64 97.7 1,725
42 135.4 7.7 20.1 2.63 97.6 1,727
43 141.4 8.0 20.9 2.61 97.5 1,730
44 147.3 8.4 21.8 2.60 97.4 1,733
45 153.1 8.7 22.6 2.59 97.3 1,735
46 159.0 9.1 23.5 2.58 97.2 1,737
47 164.8 9.4 24.3 2.57 97.1 1,739
48 170.5 9.8 25.1 2.57 97.0 1,741
49 176.2 10.2 26.0 2.56 96.9 1,743
50 181.9 10.5 26.8 2.55 96.8 1,744
51 187.6 10.8 27.7 2.55 96.7 1,746
52 193.2 11.2 28.5 2.55 96.6 1,747
53 198.7 11.5 29.3 2.54 96.5 1,748
54 204.2 11.9 30.2 2.54 96.5 1,749
55 209.7 12.2 31.0 2.54 96.4 1,750
56 215.1 12.6 31.8 2.53 96.3 1,751
57 220.5 12.9 32.7 2.53 96.2 1,752
58 225.8 13.2 33.5 2.53 96.1 1,753
59 231.1 13.5 34.3 2.53 96.0 1,754

AZUR 9
 REARING
AZUR
TABLE
PRODUCTION TABLE 2
PER HEN DAY
Age in % Egg Egg mass Feed intake Feed
weeks Lay weight per day per day conversion
(g) (g) (g) per week
60 77.8 62.6 48.7 123 2.54
61 77.1 62.7 48.3 123 2.55
62 76.5 62.8 48.0 124 2.57
63 75.8 62.9 47.7 124 2.59
64 75.1 63.0 47.3 124 2.61
65 74.4 63.1 46.9 124 2.63
66 73.7 63.2 46.6 124 2.65
67 73.0 63.3 46.2 124 2.67
68 72.3 63.4 45.8 124 2.70
69 71.6 63.5 45.5 124 2.72
70 70.9 63.6 45.1 124 2.74
71 70.2 63.7 44.7 124 2.76
72 69.5 63.8 44.3 124 2.79
73 68.8 63.9 43.9 124 2.81
74 68.1 64.0 43.6 124 2.84
75 67.4 64.1 43.2 124 2.86
76 66.7 64.2 42.8 124 2.89
77 66.0 64.3 42.4 124 2.92
78 65.3 64.4 42.0 124 2.94
79 64.5 64.5 41.6 124 2.97
80 63.8 64.6 41.2 124 3.00
81 63.1 64.7 40.8 124 3.03
82 62.4 64.8 40.4 124 3.06
83 61.7 64.9 40.0 124 3.09
84 61.0 65.0 39.6 124 3.12
85 60.3 65.1 39.2 124 3.15
86 59.6 65.2 38.8 124 3.19
87 58.9 65.2 38.4 124 3.22
88 58.2 65.3 38.0 124 3.25
89 57.5 65.4 37.6 124 3.29
90 56.8 65.5 37.2 124 3.33
91 56.1 65.6 36.8 124 3.36
92 55.4 65.7 36.4 124 3.40
93 54.7 65.8 36.0 124 3.44
94 54.0 65.9 35.6 124 3.47
95 53.4 66.0 35.2 124 3.51
96 52.7 66.1 34.8 124 3.55
97 52.0 66.2 34.4 124 3.60
98 51.3 66.3 34.0 124 3.64
99 50.6 66.4 33.6 124 3.68
100 50.0 66.5 33.2 124 3.73

10 PRODUCT GUIDE
AZUR
PRODUCTION TABLE 2
PER HEN HOUSED
Age Eggs Egg mass Feed Feed % Body
in per bird cum intake cum conversion Livability weight
weeks cum. (kg) (kg) cum (g)
60 236.3 13.9 35.1 2.53 95.9 1,755
61 241.5 14.2 36.0 2.53 95.8 1,756
62 246.6 14.5 36.8 2.53 95.7 1,757
63 251.7 14.8 37.6 2.54 95.6 1,757
64 256.7 15.2 38.5 2.54 95.5 1,758
65 261.6 15.5 39.3 2.54 95.4 1,759
66 266.6 15.8 40.1 2.54 95.3 1,760
67 271.4 16.1 40.9 2.54 95.2 1,760
68 276.2 16.4 41.7 2.55 95.1 1,761
69 281.0 16.7 42.6 2.55 95.0 1,762
70 285.7 17.0 43.4 2.55 94.9 1,763
71 290.4 17.3 44.2 2.56 94.8 1,763
72 295.0 17.6 45.0 2.56 94.7 1,764
73 299.6 17.9 45.9 2.56 94.6 1,765
74 304.1 18.2 46.7 2.57 94.5 1,766
75 308.5 18.5 47.5 2.57 94.4 1,766
76 312.9 18.7 48.3 2.58 94.3 1,767
77 317.3 19.0 49.1 2.58 94.2 1,768
78 321.6 19.3 49.9 2.59 94.2 1,769
79 325.8 19.6 50.7 2.59 94.1 1,769
80 330.0 19.8 51.6 2.60 94.0 1,770
81 334.2 20.1 52.4 2.61 93.9 1,771
82 338.3 20.4 53.2 2.61 93.8 1,772
83 342.3 20.6 54.0 2.62 93.7 1,772
84 346.3 20.9 54.8 2.62 93.6 1,773
85 350.2 21.1 55.6 2.63 93.5 1,773
86 354.1 21.4 56.4 2.64 93.4 1,774
87 358.0 21.7 57.2 2.64 93.3 1,774
88 361.8 21.9 58.0 2.65 93.2 1,775
89 365.5 22.1 58.8 2.66 93.1 1,775
90 369.2 22.4 59.7 2.66 93.0 1,775
91 372.9 22.6 60.5 2.67 92.9 1,776
92 376.5 22.9 61.3 2.68 92.8 1,776
93 380.0 23.1 62.1 2.69 92.7 1,776
94 383.5 23.3 62.9 2.69 92.6 1,775
95 387.0 23.6 63.7 2.70 92.5 1,775
96 390.4 23.8 64.5 2.71 92.4 1,775
97 393.8 24.0 65.3 2.72 92.3 1,774
98 397.1 24.2 66.1 2.73 92.2 1,773
99 400.3 24.4 66.9 2.74 92.1 1,772
100 403.6 24.7 67.7 2.74 92.0 1,771

11
12
Livability 100 85 3400

90 80 3200

80 75 3000
AZUR

70 70 2800
Average
egg
60 2600
65 weight
Laying
REARING

rate
50 60 2400
Body
weight
40 55 2200

PRODUCT GUIDE
30 50 2000
PRODUCTION GRAPH

20 45 1800
TABLE

10 40 1600

0 35 1400

16
18
20
22
24
26
28
30
32
34
36
38
40
42
44
46
48
50
52
54
56
58
60
62
64
66
68
70
72
74
76
78
80
82
84
86
88
90
92
94
96
98
100

Age in weeks
 Cum Feed
eggs conversion
per HH g/egg
Egg mass
3.20 70 500 150
in g/day
140
3.05 65 450 130
120
2.90 60 400 110
100
AZUR

Feed
conversion
2.75 55 350 90
kg/kg
80
2.60 50 300 70
60
2.45 45 250 50
40

AZUR
2.30 40 200 30
20
2.15 35 150 10
0
2.00 30 100 -10
PRODUCTION GRAPH

-20
1.85 25 50 -30
-40
1.70 20 0 -50

16
18
20
22
24
26
28
30
32
34
36
38
40
42
44
46
48
50
52
54
56
58
60
62
64
66
68
70
72
74
76
78
80
82
84
86
88
90
92
94
96
98
100

Age in weeks

13
 NOTES

14 PRODUCT GUIDE
CONVERSION TABLE
1 mtr. =3,282 feet 1 foot =0,305 mtr.
1 sq. mtr. =10,76 sq. feet 1 sq. foot =0,093 sq.
mtr.
1 cub. mtr. =35,316 cub. feet 1 cub. foot =0,028317
cub. m.
1 cm. =0,394 inches 1 inch =2,54 cm.
1 sq. cm. =0,155 sq. inch 1 sq. inch =6,45 sq.cm.
1 kg. =2,205 lbs. 1 lb. =0,454 kg.
1 g. =0,035 ozs. 1 oz. =28,35 g.
1 ltr. =0,22 gallons 1 gallon =4,54 ltr.

1 bird per square metre =10,76 square feet per bird

3 birds per square metre =3,59 square feet per bird
4 birds per square metre =2,69 square feet per bird
5 birds per square metre =2,15 square feet per bird
7 birds per square metre =1,54 square feet per bird
11 birds per square metre =0,98 square feet per bird
13 birds per square metre =0,83 square feet per bird

1 cubic meter/kilogram/hour =16,016 cubic feet/lb./hour

1 cubic foot/lb./hour =0,0624 cubic meter/kilogram/
hour

F ° =9/5 °C+32 °C =5/9 (°F-32)

45 °C =113 °F 22 °C =72 °F 10 °C =50 °F
40 °C =104 °F 20 °C =68 °F 8 °C =46 °F
35 °C =95 °F 18 °C =64 °F 6 °C =43 °F
30 °C =86 °F 16 °C =61 °F 4 °C =39 °F
27 °C =81 °F 14 °C =57 °F 2 °C =36 °F
24 °C =75 °F 12 °C =54 °F 0 °C =32 °F

1 Joule per second = 1 Watt = Volt x Ampere

1 KJ =1000J
1 MJ =1000KJ
1 MJ =239 Kcal
1 Kcal =4.2 KJ
1 KWh =3.6MJ - 860 Kcal
1 BTU =1055J

Warranty Disclaimer
This product guide for layers has been prepared by Institut de Sélection
Animale B.V. and its affiliates (“ISA”) with the greatest possible care and
dedication to inform and assist ISA’s customers on the various manners
of production to improve their production results while using ISA products.
However, specific circumstances at the farm of the customer may impact
the usability and reliability of the statements and information mentioned
in this product guide. No implied or explicit guarantees are given by ISA as
to the accuracy and completeness of the provided information in this
product guide. Applying the information as stated in this product guide in
the customers’ production environment remains a decision of the customer,
to be taken at its sole discretion. ISA will not be liable for any losses or
L1230-1

damages whatsoever, whether in contract, tort or otherwise arising from

reliance on information contained in this product guide.

AZUR 15
Backed by a strong portfolio of leading brands, Hendrix
Genetics provides expertise and resources to producers
globally, with operations and joint ventures in 24 countries.

Better Breeding Today – Brighter Life Tomorrow

PO BOX 114
5830 AC Boxmeer +31 485 319 111
The Netherlands-EU layinghens@hendrix-genetics.com

PRODUCT GUIDE