Detailed Explanation of Key Technical Points for Feeding and Management of Laying Hens at Each Stage
Key Points for Feeding and Management of Laying Hens at Each Stage
There have been breakthroughs in many aspects of laying hen breed improvement technology. The trend in laying hen breed improvement is to advance the sexual maturity of hens, develop a smaller body size, achieve a higher egg production peak, and enhance disease resistance. The achievement of breed improvement performance depends on the strengthening of nutrition and the coordination of feeding methods. This is what is meant by excellent breeds, nutritionally balanced feed, and complete feeding management being the three essential requirements for operating a laying hen business, none of which can be omitted.
For example, the rearing period of laying hens has evolved from reaching initial egg production at 20 weeks of age in the past to starting initial egg production at 18 weeks of age today. This is entirely due to genetic improvement, nutritional strengthening, and the coordination of management techniques, which have shortened the rearing period of laying hens and improved the economic benefits for operators.
In the first 12 weeks of laying hen rearing, skeletal growth reaches over 90%, and after 15 weeks of age the skeleton no longer grows. It can be seen that feeding during the first 12 weeks is extremely important.
In the feeding and management of laying hens from the growing period to the laying period, the basic needs of the chickens should be provided at all times - feed, light, air, drinking water, space, and sanitation. A deficiency in any one of these requirements will definitely have a negative impact on production performance.
I. Feeding and Management from 0-12 Weeks of Age
For pullets from 0-12 weeks of age, during the rearing stage, since skeletal development reaches 90%, in this stage, in addition to body weight gain, more attention should be paid to bone growth. Therefore, it is recommended to feed laying hen chick starter during the 0-12 week period to promote complete skeletal development.
(1) Feeding and Management of Chicks
1. One week before the chicks arrive, the chick house and brooder must be cleaned thoroughly and disinfected completely.
2. When starting brooding, spread paper on the brooder cage surface (old paper bags can be opened up for use), and the paper can only be removed after 7 days.
3. The chicken house should begin heating 1 day before the chicks arrive, and the brooder heater should be adjusted to the temperature required for brooding (29-30°C).
4. Place the drinker next to the heat source, and add 5% glucose or electrolytic multivitamins to the drinking water to prevent stress in the chicks caused by sex identification, Marek's disease vaccination, and long-distance transport.
5. Feeding: After the chicks arrive, give drinking water first, then give feed 3 hours later. Feed once every 3-4 hours, 6-8 times per day (small amounts, multiple times). On the first day, it is best to feed corn grits or millet soaked in boiled water. Within 3 days, mix the feed with water and feed it as wet mash.
6. Keep warm with the principle of keeping the chicks comfortable. Generally, observe the chicks' activity to determine temperature adjustments. If the temperature is too high, the chicks will leave the heat source and show restlessness, panting, dehydration, and weakness. If the temperature is too low, the chicks will huddle together at the heat source and chirp continuously. When stopping brooding heat, the temperature and time should be gradually reduced, starting from reducing at noon until no heating is provided all day.
7. Humidity: During brooding, the relative humidity in the early stage should be at least 65%. Water can be sprinkled on the floor, or a water tray can be placed on the brooder, to adjust humidity.
8. Culling: Chick mortality is relatively high in the first week. Managers should inspect frequently and cull unhealthy chicks (such as those with pullorum disease, lame legs, weak and small chicks, etc.) to reduce disease transmission.
9. Ventilation: During the heating period, the house is often kept poorly ventilated, which easily induces Marek's disease and respiratory diseases, and affects the growth and vitality of the chicks. As for ventilation, drafts must be strictly prevented. When necessary, adjust the heating system before opening windows to maintain the temperature inside the brooder.
(2) Beak Trimming Methods
Beak trimming is an important task in laying hen production and should be carried out carefully. Excessive beak trimming will cause cull birds, while insufficient beak trimming will cause vent pecking and feather pecking, increased mortality, and lifelong feed waste. For pullets, it is recommended to perform beak trimming at 7-10 days of age. The reasons are: 1. Less stress. 2. Easy to stop bleeding. 3. Saves labor. There are two methods:
1. Cauterization beak trimming method: The cauterizer is simple in construction, similar to a soldering torch, and can be operated by hand. Hold the chicken with the left hand and the cauterizer with the right hand (the hole diameter is divided into 6 holes, suitable for chickens of all sizes). After cauterization, the beak is not cut off, but after several days, because the nerves and blood vessels are burned dead, it gradually atrophies and falls off. This method is simple and reliable to operate, does not easily cause bleeding, and does not affect feed intake or chicken development.
2. Burning and cutting beak trimming method: This method directly cuts off the chick's beak with a high-temperature cutting blade. This method is commonly used both domestically and abroad.
(3) Moving
1. During the growth process of pullets, due to feeding and management needs, they must be moved and expanded to prevent overcrowding. After being raised to about 16 weeks of age, they are then moved to the laying hen house.
2. When moving pullets, due to environmental changes and the stress of catching chickens, diseases are easily induced. It is recommended to carry out the move at night, because chickens are less easily startled at night and easier to catch.
3. After moving, pay attention to wind protection and warmth.
4. Before moving, the chicken house should be cleaned and disinfected. After moving the chicks, use a warm and fine noon to carry out (iodine solution) spray disinfection.
5. For 2 days before and after moving, add electrolytic multivitamins or antibiotics to the feed or drinking water.
(4) Feed Transition
As pullets grow through different stages, their nutrient requirements differ. Therefore, feed should be changed in a timely manner to ensure that pullets complete 90% of skeletal development before 12 weeks of age. When changing feed, the transition should be gradual.
II. Feeding and Management from 13-18 Weeks of Age
During this rearing period, the pullets have entered the growing stage of intermediate and large chickens. Due to breed and technical improvements, the chickens have a smaller body size and earlier initial laying period, so feeding and management have also changed accordingly. In order to enable pullets to reach the standard body weight at 18 weeks of age, it is recommended to use grower feed until the start of laying. During the rearing period to initial laying, pullets must complete two important tasks: one is to inspect body weight and skeletal development. The other is the disease vaccination program.
(1) Inspecting Body Weight and Skeletal Development
In the rearing work of pullets, the main goal is to raise a batch of healthy, robust, and highly uniform pullets that meet the standard body weight and skeletal development targets. The purposes are: 1. Increase egg weight at initial laying. 2. Achieve a higher egg production peak. 3. Maintain a longer egg production peak.
1. Body weight measurement: In chicken rearing, in addition to reaching the standard body weight, attention should also be paid to body weight uniformity. After 4 weeks of age, pullets should be measured once every 2 weeks, in grams.
If the number of chickens within 10% above and below the flock average body weight reaches over 80%, it represents a batch of uniformly and well-developed chickens.
2. Skeletal development measurement: Starting from 4 weeks of age, skeletal development of pullets should be measured once every 2 weeks. Generally, the length of the shank is measured, from the foot pad to the ankle joint, in cm. At least 90% of the chickens' shank lengths should be within 5% above and below the standard length.
If the measurement results differ too greatly from the target body weight and skeletal standards, or if uniformity is poor, the causes should be identified, such as poor beak trimming, high density, excessive cold or heat, disease, internal and external parasite infection, insufficient nutrition or uneven feeding, poor ventilation, etc.
If chicks are underweight, nutrition should be increased until body weight reaches the standard. If overweight, nutrition can be reduced or a feed restriction program implemented.
(2) Disease Vaccination Program
Diseases can be classified into infectious diseases (bacterial, viral, parasitic, fungal, etc.), toxic diseases, or nutritional deficiency diseases, etc. The occurrence of each disease has its own characteristic signs. Therefore, managers should observe the flock condition at all times, detect the occurrence of chicken diseases early, and ask a veterinarian to provide appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
1. Signs of Disease Occurrence
(1) Listlessness and reduced feed intake.
(2) Chickens open-mouth breathing and making abnormal sounds (observe at night).
(3) Abnormal droppings.
(4) Decreased egg production and increased shell-less eggs. (Laying period)
(5) Abnormal increase in chicken mortality.
(6) Chickens standing unsteadily.
(7) Swollen eyelids, runny nose, comb developing pox or atrophy or discoloration on appearance.
2. Vaccination Program
The purpose of vaccination is to inoculate healthy chickens with specific viruses or specific bacterial antigens to produce immune antibodies to resist external pathogens. Because the epidemic situation varies by region and by farm, the designed program should give priority to the local environment. Vaccination should be carried out at a time when the chickens are healthy and free of stressors. Vaccination is not suitable during climate changes, flock transfers, or disease outbreaks.
III. Feeding and Management During the Laying Period
Moving pullets from the rearing house to the laying house means that a group of high-quality pullets that have been raised will enter another new "production stage." Therefore, through feeding and management during the laying period, the hens' highest egg production performance is stimulated in order to achieve the economic benefits of raising. At this time, a comfortable living environment should be provided to meet their physiological requirements, just as the aforementioned basic requirements, including feed, light, drinking water, space, and sanitation.
(1) Moving to the Laying House
1. Pullets reach the standard body weight at 16-18 weeks of age and are about to enter initial laying. At this time, they can be moved into the laying hen house.
2. Before the pullets are moved in, the laying house must first be cleaned and disinfected.
3. For 3 days before and after the move, add electrolytic multivitamins or antibiotics to the drinking water or feed.
4. When moving, workers should catch chickens carefully to avoid bone fractures and damage to the developing reproductive system.
5. When body weight reaches the standard or egg production reaches 1%, begin feeding peak laying feed to prepare for the arrival of initial laying.
(2) Lighting Management Program
1. Effects of Light
Light affects the following results: a. Age at initial laying. b. Egg weight. c. Total egg weight. d. Mortality. e. Growth rate. f. Feed conversion rate. g. Behavior.
2. Principle of Light
When the eyeball receives light, it is transmitted through the optic nerve and acts on endocrine glands (hypothalamus, anterior pituitary) to secrete hormones (FSH follicle-stimulating hormone, LH ovulation hormone), which are transmitted through the blood and act on the ovaries and follicles, promoting ovarian development and follicular ovulation.
3. Lighting Methods
(1) One 40-watt bulb is suitable for 12 sq m of floor area. In currently traditional open cage-rearing chicken houses, installing 1 40-watt bulb at a height of 2 m above the ground and 4 m apart can achieve the lighting effect.
(2) During the rearing period of pullets, use the longest daylight period as the base point as the fixed lighting time. If daylight is insufficient, supplement it artificially. Only when pullets reach the standard body weight for initial laying should the lighting time begin to gradually increase; increase by 15-30 min per week until reaching 16 hours (daylight + artificial light). If the flock uniformity is inconsistent or there are many double-yolk eggs and prolapse cases, the lighting time should be increased slowly at 15 min per week.
(3) During the laying period, lighting time can be gradually increased or kept unchanged, but lighting time must not be reduced.
(4) Damaged bulbs should be replaced at any time, and bulbs should be cleaned to maintain bulb illumination.
(3) Culling Low-Producing Hens
During the laying period, managers should cull sick or low-producing hens that consume feed but do not lay eggs. Non-producing laying hens consume about 75% of the feed intake of laying hens. If feed averages 2 yuan per kg, each non-producing laying hen will waste more than 4.5 yuan in feed costs per month. Therefore, culling these non-producing laying hens from the flock can save a considerable amount of money.
1. Characteristics
(1) The chicken's comb is shrunken, dry, or discolored, appearing weak and sickly.
(2) The yellow pigmentation of the chicken's beak, shanks, and area around the vent is deeper than that of high-producing hens.
(3) The chicken's cloaca is tight, and the pubic bone width is narrow (in high-producing hens, the pubic bone spacing is about 3 fingers wide, and the spacing from the pubic bone to the sternum is about 4 fingers long).
2. Economic Benefits
(1) When laying hens do not produce or produce at a low rate due to disease, they still continue to consume feed, and these laying hens may produce poor-quality eggs.
(2) Culling these laying hens helps control and reduce the spread of disease.
Guigui supplemented the following content on 2009-12-18 14:36
Such good material, only people read it but nobody bumps it?
---------------------
Very good material
yooboo supplemented the following content on 2009-12-18 14:40
You are too handsome
I won't say anything else, this is a gem
When I become a moderator, I'll mark it as a gem for you~~
For example, the rearing period of laying hens has evolved from reaching initial egg production at 20 weeks of age in the past to starting initial egg production at 18 weeks of age today. This is entirely due to genetic improvement, nutritional strengthening, and the coordination of management techniques, which have shortened the rearing period of laying hens and improved the economic benefits for operators.
In the first 12 weeks of laying hen rearing, skeletal growth reaches over 90%, and after 15 weeks of age the skeleton no longer grows. It can be seen that feeding during the first 12 weeks is extremely important.
In the feeding and management of laying hens from the growing period to the laying period, the basic needs of the chickens should be provided at all times - feed, light, air, drinking water, space, and sanitation. A deficiency in any one of these requirements will definitely have a negative impact on production performance.
I. Feeding and Management from 0-12 Weeks of Age
For pullets from 0-12 weeks of age, during the rearing stage, since skeletal development reaches 90%, in this stage, in addition to body weight gain, more attention should be paid to bone growth. Therefore, it is recommended to feed laying hen chick starter during the 0-12 week period to promote complete skeletal development.
(1) Feeding and Management of Chicks
1. One week before the chicks arrive, the chick house and brooder must be cleaned thoroughly and disinfected completely.
2. When starting brooding, spread paper on the brooder cage surface (old paper bags can be opened up for use), and the paper can only be removed after 7 days.
3. The chicken house should begin heating 1 day before the chicks arrive, and the brooder heater should be adjusted to the temperature required for brooding (29-30°C).
4. Place the drinker next to the heat source, and add 5% glucose or electrolytic multivitamins to the drinking water to prevent stress in the chicks caused by sex identification, Marek's disease vaccination, and long-distance transport.
5. Feeding: After the chicks arrive, give drinking water first, then give feed 3 hours later. Feed once every 3-4 hours, 6-8 times per day (small amounts, multiple times). On the first day, it is best to feed corn grits or millet soaked in boiled water. Within 3 days, mix the feed with water and feed it as wet mash.
6. Keep warm with the principle of keeping the chicks comfortable. Generally, observe the chicks' activity to determine temperature adjustments. If the temperature is too high, the chicks will leave the heat source and show restlessness, panting, dehydration, and weakness. If the temperature is too low, the chicks will huddle together at the heat source and chirp continuously. When stopping brooding heat, the temperature and time should be gradually reduced, starting from reducing at noon until no heating is provided all day.
7. Humidity: During brooding, the relative humidity in the early stage should be at least 65%. Water can be sprinkled on the floor, or a water tray can be placed on the brooder, to adjust humidity.
8. Culling: Chick mortality is relatively high in the first week. Managers should inspect frequently and cull unhealthy chicks (such as those with pullorum disease, lame legs, weak and small chicks, etc.) to reduce disease transmission.
9. Ventilation: During the heating period, the house is often kept poorly ventilated, which easily induces Marek's disease and respiratory diseases, and affects the growth and vitality of the chicks. As for ventilation, drafts must be strictly prevented. When necessary, adjust the heating system before opening windows to maintain the temperature inside the brooder.
(2) Beak Trimming Methods
Beak trimming is an important task in laying hen production and should be carried out carefully. Excessive beak trimming will cause cull birds, while insufficient beak trimming will cause vent pecking and feather pecking, increased mortality, and lifelong feed waste. For pullets, it is recommended to perform beak trimming at 7-10 days of age. The reasons are: 1. Less stress. 2. Easy to stop bleeding. 3. Saves labor. There are two methods:
1. Cauterization beak trimming method: The cauterizer is simple in construction, similar to a soldering torch, and can be operated by hand. Hold the chicken with the left hand and the cauterizer with the right hand (the hole diameter is divided into 6 holes, suitable for chickens of all sizes). After cauterization, the beak is not cut off, but after several days, because the nerves and blood vessels are burned dead, it gradually atrophies and falls off. This method is simple and reliable to operate, does not easily cause bleeding, and does not affect feed intake or chicken development.
2. Burning and cutting beak trimming method: This method directly cuts off the chick's beak with a high-temperature cutting blade. This method is commonly used both domestically and abroad.
(3) Moving
1. During the growth process of pullets, due to feeding and management needs, they must be moved and expanded to prevent overcrowding. After being raised to about 16 weeks of age, they are then moved to the laying hen house.
2. When moving pullets, due to environmental changes and the stress of catching chickens, diseases are easily induced. It is recommended to carry out the move at night, because chickens are less easily startled at night and easier to catch.
3. After moving, pay attention to wind protection and warmth.
4. Before moving, the chicken house should be cleaned and disinfected. After moving the chicks, use a warm and fine noon to carry out (iodine solution) spray disinfection.
5. For 2 days before and after moving, add electrolytic multivitamins or antibiotics to the feed or drinking water.
(4) Feed Transition
As pullets grow through different stages, their nutrient requirements differ. Therefore, feed should be changed in a timely manner to ensure that pullets complete 90% of skeletal development before 12 weeks of age. When changing feed, the transition should be gradual.
II. Feeding and Management from 13-18 Weeks of Age
During this rearing period, the pullets have entered the growing stage of intermediate and large chickens. Due to breed and technical improvements, the chickens have a smaller body size and earlier initial laying period, so feeding and management have also changed accordingly. In order to enable pullets to reach the standard body weight at 18 weeks of age, it is recommended to use grower feed until the start of laying. During the rearing period to initial laying, pullets must complete two important tasks: one is to inspect body weight and skeletal development. The other is the disease vaccination program.
(1) Inspecting Body Weight and Skeletal Development
In the rearing work of pullets, the main goal is to raise a batch of healthy, robust, and highly uniform pullets that meet the standard body weight and skeletal development targets. The purposes are: 1. Increase egg weight at initial laying. 2. Achieve a higher egg production peak. 3. Maintain a longer egg production peak.
1. Body weight measurement: In chicken rearing, in addition to reaching the standard body weight, attention should also be paid to body weight uniformity. After 4 weeks of age, pullets should be measured once every 2 weeks, in grams.
If the number of chickens within 10% above and below the flock average body weight reaches over 80%, it represents a batch of uniformly and well-developed chickens.
2. Skeletal development measurement: Starting from 4 weeks of age, skeletal development of pullets should be measured once every 2 weeks. Generally, the length of the shank is measured, from the foot pad to the ankle joint, in cm. At least 90% of the chickens' shank lengths should be within 5% above and below the standard length.
If the measurement results differ too greatly from the target body weight and skeletal standards, or if uniformity is poor, the causes should be identified, such as poor beak trimming, high density, excessive cold or heat, disease, internal and external parasite infection, insufficient nutrition or uneven feeding, poor ventilation, etc.
If chicks are underweight, nutrition should be increased until body weight reaches the standard. If overweight, nutrition can be reduced or a feed restriction program implemented.
(2) Disease Vaccination Program
Diseases can be classified into infectious diseases (bacterial, viral, parasitic, fungal, etc.), toxic diseases, or nutritional deficiency diseases, etc. The occurrence of each disease has its own characteristic signs. Therefore, managers should observe the flock condition at all times, detect the occurrence of chicken diseases early, and ask a veterinarian to provide appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
1. Signs of Disease Occurrence
(1) Listlessness and reduced feed intake.
(2) Chickens open-mouth breathing and making abnormal sounds (observe at night).
(3) Abnormal droppings.
(4) Decreased egg production and increased shell-less eggs. (Laying period)
(5) Abnormal increase in chicken mortality.
(6) Chickens standing unsteadily.
(7) Swollen eyelids, runny nose, comb developing pox or atrophy or discoloration on appearance.
2. Vaccination Program
The purpose of vaccination is to inoculate healthy chickens with specific viruses or specific bacterial antigens to produce immune antibodies to resist external pathogens. Because the epidemic situation varies by region and by farm, the designed program should give priority to the local environment. Vaccination should be carried out at a time when the chickens are healthy and free of stressors. Vaccination is not suitable during climate changes, flock transfers, or disease outbreaks.
III. Feeding and Management During the Laying Period
Moving pullets from the rearing house to the laying house means that a group of high-quality pullets that have been raised will enter another new "production stage." Therefore, through feeding and management during the laying period, the hens' highest egg production performance is stimulated in order to achieve the economic benefits of raising. At this time, a comfortable living environment should be provided to meet their physiological requirements, just as the aforementioned basic requirements, including feed, light, drinking water, space, and sanitation.
(1) Moving to the Laying House
1. Pullets reach the standard body weight at 16-18 weeks of age and are about to enter initial laying. At this time, they can be moved into the laying hen house.
2. Before the pullets are moved in, the laying house must first be cleaned and disinfected.
3. For 3 days before and after the move, add electrolytic multivitamins or antibiotics to the drinking water or feed.
4. When moving, workers should catch chickens carefully to avoid bone fractures and damage to the developing reproductive system.
5. When body weight reaches the standard or egg production reaches 1%, begin feeding peak laying feed to prepare for the arrival of initial laying.
(2) Lighting Management Program
1. Effects of Light
Light affects the following results: a. Age at initial laying. b. Egg weight. c. Total egg weight. d. Mortality. e. Growth rate. f. Feed conversion rate. g. Behavior.
2. Principle of Light
When the eyeball receives light, it is transmitted through the optic nerve and acts on endocrine glands (hypothalamus, anterior pituitary) to secrete hormones (FSH follicle-stimulating hormone, LH ovulation hormone), which are transmitted through the blood and act on the ovaries and follicles, promoting ovarian development and follicular ovulation.
3. Lighting Methods
(1) One 40-watt bulb is suitable for 12 sq m of floor area. In currently traditional open cage-rearing chicken houses, installing 1 40-watt bulb at a height of 2 m above the ground and 4 m apart can achieve the lighting effect.
(2) During the rearing period of pullets, use the longest daylight period as the base point as the fixed lighting time. If daylight is insufficient, supplement it artificially. Only when pullets reach the standard body weight for initial laying should the lighting time begin to gradually increase; increase by 15-30 min per week until reaching 16 hours (daylight + artificial light). If the flock uniformity is inconsistent or there are many double-yolk eggs and prolapse cases, the lighting time should be increased slowly at 15 min per week.
(3) During the laying period, lighting time can be gradually increased or kept unchanged, but lighting time must not be reduced.
(4) Damaged bulbs should be replaced at any time, and bulbs should be cleaned to maintain bulb illumination.
(3) Culling Low-Producing Hens
During the laying period, managers should cull sick or low-producing hens that consume feed but do not lay eggs. Non-producing laying hens consume about 75% of the feed intake of laying hens. If feed averages 2 yuan per kg, each non-producing laying hen will waste more than 4.5 yuan in feed costs per month. Therefore, culling these non-producing laying hens from the flock can save a considerable amount of money.
1. Characteristics
(1) The chicken's comb is shrunken, dry, or discolored, appearing weak and sickly.
(2) The yellow pigmentation of the chicken's beak, shanks, and area around the vent is deeper than that of high-producing hens.
(3) The chicken's cloaca is tight, and the pubic bone width is narrow (in high-producing hens, the pubic bone spacing is about 3 fingers wide, and the spacing from the pubic bone to the sternum is about 4 fingers long).
2. Economic Benefits
(1) When laying hens do not produce or produce at a low rate due to disease, they still continue to consume feed, and these laying hens may produce poor-quality eggs.
(2) Culling these laying hens helps control and reduce the spread of disease.
Guigui supplemented the following content on 2009-12-18 14:36
Such good material, only people read it but nobody bumps it?
---------------------
Very good material
yooboo supplemented the following content on 2009-12-18 14:40
There have been breakthroughs in many aspects of laying hen breed improvement technology. The trend in laying hen breed improvement is to advance the sexual maturity of hens, develop a smaller body size, and achieve a higher egg production...
Guigui posted on 2009-12-18 14:09
You are too handsome
I won't say anything else, this is a gem
When I become a moderator, I'll mark it as a gem for you~~