UNIT 8 Poultry Layer Production

• Chicken Life Cycle

  
• Chicken Layer Life Cycle

  
• Common Chicken Layer Breeds

  • Rhode Island Red (brown eggs)
  • Leghorns (white eggs)
  • New Hampshires (Dual type)
  • White Plymouth Rock (Dual type)
• Common Chicken Layer Strains in the Philippines

  • Lohmann
  • ISA White
  • Hyline
  • Dekalb
• Criteria in Selecting Egg-type Strain 1. Performance 2. Availability of stocks and reliability of suppliers 3. Consumer Preference
• Chick Quality

  •Health flocks start from healthy stocks

  •Do not acquire chicks that have wet vents and dull eyes

  •Healthy chicks have dry, fluffy feathers, bright eyes and alert and active appearance.
• Brooding

  •Sufficient heat should be provided to keep day-old chicks warm during the day or night

  •At 6-8 weeks, chicks are transferred from the brooding house to the grower pens

  •At 14-16 weeks old or three weeks before they lay eggs, birds are transferred to the laying house.
• Guide of Successful

  Brooding

  1.Start with healthy and good quality chicks

  2.Provide Proper Temperature

  3.Good Quality Feed

  4.Fresh and Clean Drinking Water

  5.Proper Ventilation

  6.Adequate Lighting Facilities

  7.Proper Sanitation

  8.Adequate Protection
• Selection of healthy birds to be placed at the laying house

  1. Remove deformed, unhealthy and grossly underdeveloped birds

  2. Face should be clean-cut, smooth and free from wrinkles

  3. Comb should be large and bright red in color

  4. Eyes should be large, bright and prominent

  5. Pullet should be fully feathered with plumage of good quality

  6. Shanks should show a good healthy color

  7. Feet and toes should be completely normal and the bird should be well balanced on her legs

  8. Body should be deep, broad and well-developed with a heart girth of ample circumference

  9. Keel should be of good length and the back should be relatively long, broad and flat
• • to prevent feather pulling and

  cannibalism

  • to reduce feed wastage

  Beak Trimming
• Problems related to poor beak trimming

  • Difficulties in feed cunsumption and drinking

  • Mortality

  • Uneven Flock
• Age of Trimming

  Dark house:

  Open sided:

  Dark house: at day old/ 10 days old

  Open sided: 10 days old and 8-10 weeks old
• Pre- Lay

  • 2 weeks before egg is laid, feed with pre-lay diet

  • Switch to layer diet if production reaches 2-5% egg production
• Lighting Progrm

  • Lighting at rearing encourages growth

  and to control bird's sexual maturity

  • Lighting at laying improves

  production and to have enough

  feeding time

  • Light duration at 15 hrs at 50%

  production

  • Give supplementary light to correct

  bodyweight (midnight feeding)

  • When layers are tranferred to the

  cages give 22 hours lighting for the
• Start of Lay

  • Pullets may start laying eggs at age 17 weeks

  • Optimum body weight during the laying period should

  be at around 1.5 kg
• Transfer and Start of Lay

  • Gut should be empty at transfer

  • Best time to transport at cool time of the day

  • Trucks and equipment should be clean and

  disinfected

  • Do not overcrowd birds in crates

  • As much as possible, avoid stop over until

  final destination

  • Age of Transfer: 15-16 weeks

  • Last vaccination should be a week prior to

  transfer

  • Deworm flock 3 days before transfer
• Factors affecting egg size

  1. Genetics
  2. Body weight at sexual maturity
  3. Feed consumption and growth from 1st egg until achieving adult bodyweight
  4. Nutrition
• Egg Collection

  • Collection of eggs four times a day to prevent egg

  soiling and breakage

  • Store eggs in cool, clean and dry place

  • Temperature: < 25 C

  • Humidity: 80-85%