UNIT 8

• Chicken Life Cycle: (BLIHBSG)

  Breeders

  Laying

  Incubation

  Hatching

  Booster

  Starter

  Grower
• Breeders - 5 to 6 months
• Hen lays 8-13 eggs before it incubates the clutch.
• Hen will incubate the egg for 21 days.
• Booster for chicks - 0 to 4 weeks
• Chicken starter - 4 to 8 weeks
• Grower - more than 8 weeks
• Layers Life Cycle: (LLICHHBSG)

  Layers

  Laying

  Incubation

  Culling

  Hatching

  Brooder Chick

  Starter

  Grower
• Laying eggs does not need rooster.
• Layer starter - 4 to 8 weeks
• Layer grower - 8 to 16 weeks
• Layers - 17 to 100 weeks
• Common Layer Breeds:

  Rhode Island Red

  Leghorn

  New Hampshire

  White Plymouth Rock
• Rhode Island Red - Brown eggs
• Leghorn - White eggs
• New Hampshire - Dual type
• White Plymouth Rock - Dual type
• Common Layer Strain:

  Lohmann

  ISA White

  Hyline

  Dekalb
• Criteria in selecting egg-type strains:

  Performance

  Availability of stocks and reliability of suppliers

  Consumer preference
• 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.
• Brooding Temperature:

  Day 1 to 2 - 34-36 C
• Brooding Temperature:

  Day 3 to 7 - 30-33 C
• Brooding Temperature:

  Week 2 - 28-29 C
• Brooding Temperature:

  Week 3 - 26-27 C
• Brooding Temperature:

  Week 4 - 20-25 C
• Face should be clean-cut, smooth and free from wrinkles.
• Comb should be large and bright red in color.
• Eyes should be large, bright and prominent.
• Pullet should be fully feathered with plumage of good quality.
• Shanks should show a good healthy color.
• Feet and toes should be completely normal and the bird should be well balanced on her legs.
• Body should be deep, broad and well-developed with a heart girth of ample circumference.
• Keel should be of good length and the back should be relatively long, broad and flat.
• Beak trimming - to prevent feather pulling and cannibalism.
• Beak trimming - to reduce feed wastage.