The Novogen is a French commercial layer line bred for high sustained output — 250 to 300 brown eggs a year — with the calm disposition cage-free production demands. It comes in brown and white feathered variants and ranks among the most feed-efficient layers available. Being a production line rather than a heritage breed, it gives a strong two years and then declines earlier than a dual-purpose bird. Availability in the US backyard market is thin next to the older sex-link names, and the parentage is proprietary.
Good with kids
Cold hardy
Heat tolerant
Egg colorBrown
Egg production250–300 / year
TemperamentDocile
BroodinessRare
ClimateCold hardy, Heat tolerant
PurposeEggs
Weight
Hen5 lb
Rooster6 lb
How to spot it
Comb
Single
Plumage
Brown or white, depending on the variant
Look for
Little to go on visually — the white variant in particular reads as any other commercial layer
Single
