What should be noted before laying hens start laying?
The weeks before the start of laying are the transition period when hens move from the growing stage to the laying stage. During this stage, a series of tasks such as cage placement and vaccination, as well as lighting, must be carried out. At this time, the hens' physiological changes and farming conditions mean their adaptability is weak and disease resistance is poor. If management is improper, it is very likely to affect laying performance. So what should be noted before laying hens start laying? Let's find out together.
1. Make good preparations for cage placement
The chicken house and equipment have a great impact on the health and production of laying hens. Before transferring the flock to cages, the chicken house and equipment must be checked, with particular attention to the feeding system, drinking water system, power supply and lighting system, ventilation system, drainage system and cages. Once abnormalities are found, they should be repaired promptly. The chicken house and equipment should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. First, sweep clean the manure and dust on the floor, roof and walls of the chicken house and the dirt on the equipment, then rinse the chicken house and equipment with a high-pressure water gun, and after drying, spray disinfectant for disinfection.
2. Transferring the flock to cages
Modern high-yield hybrid laying hens can generally start laying when they grow to 17 weeks, so the cage placement time must be before 16-17 days of age, so that the new hens have time to adapt to the new environment before starting to lay and have enough time for vaccination and other work. If cage placement is too late, it will not only delay the start of laying but also affect the laying rate. For hens that have already started laying, the stress from flock transfer may cause them to stop laying, and may even cause yolk peritonitis, increasing the number of deaths and culls. Therefore, when putting them into cages, cull according to breed requirements the chickens that are too small, thin and weak, or have no rearing value, and retain high-quality chickens that are lively, robust and of suitable weight. When putting them into cages, classify them by size, and at the same time, according to the number of chickens each cage can hold, put enough into each single cage at one time to prevent those placed first from bullying those placed later.
3. Immunization and deworming
Vaccination must be carried out before the start of laying. This is crucial for preventing disease outbreaks during the laying period. Immunization should be reasonable and consistent with actual conditions, and the vaccine source should also be reliable with quality assurance. During vaccination, the operation must be correct and the dose accurate. After vaccination, checks should be carried out, and antibody testing should be done when necessary to ensure the effectiveness of immunization. Deworming should also be done well before the start of laying. Commonly used drugs include levamisole or piperazine, which should be fed reasonably according to the instructions for proper deworming.
4. Lighting
Lighting has a great impact on the reproductive function of chickens. Increasing light can promote laying, while shortening light can inhibit laying. Therefore, for laying hens, light control is used to stimulate and maintain laying balance. At 16-17 weeks of age, the photoperiod can be increased to 13 hours, and thereafter increased by 20 minutes each week until the photoperiod reaches 16 hours. For flocks with lower body weight, light stimulation should begin at 18-20 weeks of age.
The above is an introduction to the precautions before laying hens start laying. We hope it can help you. To learn more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.