Key Technical Points and Practical Experience of Artificial Forced Molting in Breeding Chickens
I、Purpose of Artificial Forced Molting
To extend the economic lifespan of breeding chickens, give full play to their genetic potential, and better regulate market demand, especially when culled chickens and chicks are in tight supply, implementing artificial forced molting to reduce feeding costs and increase returns is an important feeding management technique and business management strategy for extending the effective utilization period of breeding chickens.
II、Implementation Methods and Steps of Artificial Forced Molting
1. Strictly select healthy chickens
Remove chickens that are too heavy, too light, out of production, or sickly and weak.
2. Carry out immunization and medication prevention in advance
Administer intestinal infection medication for 3 days before molting to control E. coli infection. At 45 days into the molting period, spray once more with the Newcastle disease and infectious bronchitis bivalent live vaccine.
3. Weighing
Select three points in each chicken house for regular weighing, 60 chickens per point, on the day of molting, on the morning of the 10th day, and then once daily thereafter, until body weight drops by 25%-30%.
4. Disinfection
Strictly implement all specific biosecurity measures, and disinfect with chickens present 2-3 times per week.
5. Water deprivation
Deprive water from the 1st day to the 2nd day of molting, supply water on the 3rd day, and from the 3rd day to the 2nd day after feeding resumption, give each chicken 25-30 milliliters of 0.9% saline solution daily to prevent cloacal pecking, feather pecking, and other pica behaviors.
6. Feed deprivation
Generally 12-14 days, with the degree measured by a 25%-30% loss of body weight. During the first 5 days after feed deprivation, the chickens are still laying eggs; to prevent broken eggs and soft-shelled eggs, give each chicken a one-time dose of 80 grams of limestone powder or shell powder on the 1st day.
7. Stop artificial supplemental lighting
Stop artificial supplemental lighting during the molting period and shade the windows. At 25 days into the molting period, provide 15 hours of light; when the laying rate reaches 50%, increase by 0.5 hours per week until total light reaches 16-17 hours.
8. Resumption of feeding
When feeding is resumed, feed peak-laying ration; on the 1st day give 30 grams per chicken, then increase by 15 grams each time until reaching about 120-125 grams. Weak chickens (body weight below 1250 grams) should be separated out and can be fed earlier.
9. Record-keeping
Keep daily feeding management and production records throughout the entire process, and conduct economic benefit analysis.
III Economic Value of Artificial Forced Molting and Expected Results Achieved
The mortality rate during the molting period is controlled between 1.5% and 3%.
After implementing molting, the laying rate gradually decreases on the 2nd-3rd day, stops completely on the 5th-7th day, reaches 50% laying rate at around 42 days, and the peak laying rate reaches 88%-92%, which is 2%-4% lower than the first laying year or reaches the peak laying rate of the first laying year.
During the molting period, feed is withheld for 12-14 days, and the chickens eat 1.5 kilograms less feed than normal chickens. Raising new chickens to a 50% laying rate (at the end of the 20th week) costs up to 32.3 yuan, while old chickens undergoing artificial molting reach a 50% laying rate in about 20 days, requiring only feed and feeding management costs (including 12.3 yuan for vaccines), and shortening the brooding time by 100 days.
After forced molting of breeding chickens, all weak and sick chickens are culled. Some chickens that appear healthy often cannot withstand the harsh stress factors of molting and die one after another, playing a role of natural selection, and this can serve as one of the effective measures for purifying avian leukosis, Marek's disease, and pullorum disease in the flock. Those that remain are all robust, high-producing chickens, and their offspring have stronger vitality than the chickens of the first year.
At the same time, the disadvantages of forced molting: the laying rate of hens in the second laying period is about 15% lower than in the first laying period; after molting, the chickens' body weight increases, feed consumption rises slightly (3-4 grams more per day), stocking density decreases, and after 6-7 months of laying, the laying rate declines relatively quickly, the incidence of fatty liver is high, and the culling and mortality rate also increases accordingly.