Here is some useful information from our guides.
Lighting programmes and other management techniques for our laying hens
The lighting programme should be suitable for your production goals, production system, condition of the flock and time of housing. In general, the step down should be slow enough to allow good early body weight development for the hens. The timing and amount of the first step up in day length is critical, and it should be judged on a flock-by-flock basis, taking account of the flock’s health, body weight development, uniformity, age of movement to laying house, season, system of production and production goals.
The closer to 12 weeks, and the bigger the day length increase, the greater the effect on maturity. Egg size is influenced by the weight at first egg but can also be effectively controlled by nutrition.
Flocks of laying hens that are pushed in to lay too early will risk later production problems. We would recommend producers not to give a light increase before the following criteria are met:
- 1450g Body weight (UK Alternative/Free Range systems)
- 80% Uniformity.
Do not change the lights-off time once the flock is in lay. In practice, this means that we advise you to fix the lights-off time as soon as possible after housing, and to increase the day length by adding light in the morning.
Seasonal variation
Seasonal variation in a controlled environment house (lightproof) can cause seasonal fluctuations of day length to interfere with the hen laying performance. Therefore, for a windowless house, it is also necessary to adapt the standard lighting programme to the hatch season. Flocks hatched in the ‘off season’, with reduced day length, should be light stimulated earlier than birds reared in the increasing day length season. In houses where light control is not possible, the minimum day length should not be less than the natural day length, between 8 and 18 weeks of age.
Rearing chicks
Body weight development
Good early growth is critical, and by 5 weeks, chick body weight should be as high as possible, since frame and internal organ development take place in this period. The birds should be monitored for weekly growth from delivery, and any negative variation to standard should be looked in to.
In particular, the first few days of chick life are crucial to obtaining good development and later uniformity.
Brooding temperatures, provision of ample water, fresh feed, and good bio-security are all important for laying hens. If necessary, the stepping down of the day length should be slowed.
- 5 to 14 weeks – When the chick’s body weight is on or above the standard, try to obtain the same growth per week as the given standard. When their body weight on 5 weeks of age is lower than our standard, it is important to achieve standard body weight as quickly as possible.
- From 14 weeks onwards, try to achieve a body weight as high as possible.
Uniformity
Uniformity of pullet body weight (+/–10%) should be at least 75% at 10 weeks of age and at least 80% from 15 weeks onwards.
Feeding layer chicks
The best possible diets should be fed in the first few weeks of life – financial input here will be rewarded with better production later in life.
- Crumbs/pelleted feed can be useful in maximising early body weight for the hens. After 6 weeks, mash is the favourable feed presentation.
- Clean water should be available at all times to the hens and care should be taken, so there is provision for demand at peak times.
Thorough cleaning after flock depletion and continuous dosing/periodic cleansing, with a suitable product, to maintain water standard, are good practice to reduce bacterial challenge on the birds. After clean-out, any chemicals used to clean the water system must be thoroughly flushed through. Care should also be taken when vaccinating the hens, and no chemicals or residue should be present at this time.
The habit of cleaning up feed in the tracks or pans should be started in the latter half of the rear (by week 7). Ideally by week 7 in rear, the egg layer pullets are trained to ‘mealtimes’ with an eat-out period in the middle of their day. One third of the day’s feed intake should be distributed in the eat-out period and the balance during ‘mealtimes’.
Vaccination
This too is crucial to a successful flock. Consult with your veterinary surgeon as to what vaccinations will be necessary to protect your flock in rear and lay. Apply the vaccine with care to ensure that all birds receive a dose of active vaccine. Managers and staff should be given professional training. The use of proportioners and water buffers is advised.
Monitor the blood titre levels of important vaccines such as IB. If the priming levels are poor, birds should be re-vaccinated at least 14 days prior to receiving inactivated (injected) vaccines. It is a good idea to store sera taken 3 weeks after housing so base line titres can be obtained in case of a suspected challenge of field virus.
Transfer to the laying house
This is a stressful period for the birds due to handling and transport involved in movement from rearing to laying facilities, and the change from rearing to laying environment. This should be done 4 weeks (ideally) and certainly no later than 2 weeks before egg production starts. This will give the bird enough time to adapt to the situation in the new environment.
Preparation – rearing farm
Birds must always conform to the breed body weight.
Light intensity and rearing temperature should be adjusted, over a period of 2 to 4 weeks, and must be equal to the level in the laying house. 2 weeks prior to transfer the birds should not be handled, except for routine uniformity and body weight checks. Chicks must have every opportunity to grow, even during this critical period.
Insoluble grit (where appropriate) should have been provided for the flock, ideally during the entire rearing period, but at least 2 weeks prior to transfer.
Feed withdrawal before departure should not exceed 6 hours and should be adapted to transport duration and climatic conditions.
Preparation – laying farm
An appropriate terminal hygiene programme must be implemented to avoid disease transmission.
Maintenance and repairs to complete before arrival of stock:
- Flush the water system and provide fresh water the day before arrival of new stock.
- Where nipple lines are used, ensure the height is slightly above the back of the birds (for the first 7 days), then raised to ensure birds “comfortably stretch” to use the nipples. Bell drinkers should be filled to double the normal depth, and lowered to a height of 20 cm above floor level, for the first 2 or 3 days.
The house should be dried prior to the arrival of the new flock and preheated in cold season.
Transfer
An ideal time for transfer laying hens is during the early morning. If the birds are unloaded by the time their day started on the rearing farm, disturbance to their routine of drinking and eating is minimised.
Transport vehicles and equipment must be clean and disinfected.
The flock should be transferred within the same day according to local legislation.
The whole procedure should be fast with the loading of the birds, transport and unloading all conforming to local regulations. Additionally, every effort should be made before and after transfer to maintain water and feed intake according to the normal routine of the stock.
Precautions should be taken to minimise undue exposure to wind and rain/sun during transfer procedure.
Fibre for egg layers
Egg layers have a specific requirement for fibre. Deficiency in fibre can lead to feather pecking. Poor feathering observed in a flock without feathers visible on the floor could be a sign of a lack of fibre. A good supply of fibre improves feathering, decreases mortality, improves gut health and digestion. Fibre provided to layer hens must be insoluble and as much as possible of a coarse presentation. Fibre could be provided through the feed by oilseed meal (sunflower/rapeseed), alfalfa (or lucerne) and oats. Cereal by-products could provide a good amount of fibre in the feed, but their presentation is usually too fine to have ‘structure effect’ on the digestive tract. In alternative systems, fibre could be provided directly in the building. We advise the use of a coarse fibre such as straw, alfalfa (or lucerne), wood shavings, rice/oat husk, silage etc. These materials must be available in the building through round feeders or directly as a ball on the scratching area. Hens must have a free and ad libitum access to fibre sources. We advise not to spread fibre directly on the floor. To prevent floor eggs, fibre supply must be introduced after peak production when the birds are well trained to use the nest.
Preparation for the rearing farm
Layer chicks must always conform to the breed body weight. Light intensity and rearing temperature should be adjusted, over a period of 2 to 4 weeks, and must be equal to the level in the laying house. Two weeks prior to transfer, the birds should not be handled, except for routine uniformity, and body weight checks.
The chicks must have every opportunity to grow, especially during this critical period. Insoluble grit (where appropriate), should have been provided for the flock, ideally during the entire rearing period, but at least two weeks prior to transfer. Feed withdrawal before departure should not exceed 6 hours, and should be adapted to transport duration and climatic conditions.
Preparation for the laying farm
An appropriate terminal hygiene programme must be implemented to avoid disease transmission between hens.
Maintenance and repairs to complete before arrival of stock:
- Flush the water system and provide fresh water the day before arrival of new stock. Where nipple lines are used, ensure the height is slightly above the back of the birds (for the first 7 days), then raised to ensure birds “comfortably stretch” to use the nipples.
- Bell drinkers should be filled to double the normal depth, and lowered to a height of 20 cm above floor level, for the first 2 or 3 days. The house should be dried prior to the arrival of the new flock and preheated in cold season.
Transfer
An ideal time for transfer is during the early morning. If the birds are unloaded by the time their day started on the rearing farm, disturbance to their routine of drinking and eating is minimised. Transport vehicles and equipment must be clean and disinfected. The flock should be transferred within the same day, according to local legislation.
The whole procedure should be fast with the loading of the birds, transport and unloading, all conforming to local regulations. Additionally, every effort should be made before and after transfer, to maintain water and feed intake according to the normal routine of the stock.
Precautions should be taken to minimise undue exposure to wind, rain, or sun, during transfer procedure.
After housing
The period of the first 48 hours after housing the egg layers is a critical period. Close supervision and observation are required to ensure the normal behaviour of the entire flock. The following points should be noted:
- Water consumption – normal drinking habits, within 6 hours after arrival.
- Temperature – ideally 15°C. 18°C is the maximum temperature. It is important that birds do not become chilled but they must have fresh air.
- Feed consumption – increasing appetite/intake.
- General attitude of the flock – at first it will be quiet, but should gradually become more active and ‘talkative’, but not frenetic or hyperactive.
- If slats are incorporated in the house, the egg layers have to be encouraged to perch during the dark night period. This may take 3 to 7 days to occur prior and during lights off.
- Keep nest boxes closed until 7 days prior to the expected onset of lay, or until you see the first egg.
- Open them almost 2 hours before the main house lights, and keep open until late afternoon.
- Light intensity must be high – please consult your breed representative on housing but it should be gradually reduced to the recommended levels shown.
- Dim the light gradually at light off – please consult your breed representative for advice.
- It is recommended egg layers are kept on the system for a few days if they are not reared on a partly slatted house (according to local regulations).