Many of the updates involve the move to light stimulate based on body weight, not age. Both the Hy-Line Brown and the Hy-Line W-80 now have 7-week step-down programmes to achieve peak production earlier and to maximise the number of saleable eggs in the most economic egg weight profile. Delayed onset of production can generate excessive body weight, making it more difficult to control egg weight in late production, and increasing the probability of higher
feed intake, as well as higher mortality.

Additionally, nutritional recommendations for both breeds have been updated. These include expressing the laying period energy requirement as Kcal/day and MJ/day. This is the energy required by the hen each day, independent of energy concentration in the feed. Amino acid recommended levels have also been lowered over phases, to avoid excessive egg weight gain late in lay. Choline is expressed as a nutrient in mg/day and not as a fixed ingredient on the vitamin tables, as higher incidences of fatty liver and mycotoxin were observed in the field. To support good egg shell quality in older flocks, the recommendations for coarse particle limestone have been updated.