ANSCI 2

Week 13th and 14th

Layer Management
Pullet
about to
mature
Layer
• After growing or rearing period the birds will be
transferred to layer or breeder house.
• Growing pullets reach maturity at about 16-22 weeks of
age.
• When does the laying period starts?
• As soon as the first egg is laid
• At 10% egg production
• When the hens are 22 weeks old
• Normally, the age of 22 weeks is assumed as the start
of the laying period.
Factors Affecting the Performance

BREED
FEED & WATER
ENVIRONMENT

MANAGEMENT

DISEASE
CONTROL
Some important points to look at
before buying pullets from a rearing
farm:
• Age of the birds
• Is the flock uniform?
• Average body weight
• Whether the birds are properly vaccinated or properly
debeaked?
• Lighting program is practice properly or not?
Age at first egg depend on:
• Breed and strain
• Type of feed used as grower ration
• Type of housing
• The presence or absence of stress factors. E.g disease,
high ambient temperature
• Too early maturity is not favored as a result of a greater
number of small eggs.
• Small eggs get less price. Small hatching eggs (<50 g)
is not good quality hatching eggs. It will affect the size
of the day-old chick.
• Late maturity is also not good.
• Birds, which are not in production by the time they are
24 weeks old, should be checked for diseases and poor
management.
Principles of layer management
• Cleaning and sanitation of the layer house
• Provide enough floor space, feeding space and drinking space per
bird
• Change from grower ration to layer ration
• Normal feed consumption per bird
• Provision of nests and prevention of floor eggs
• Lighting program
• Control the broodiness
• Culling and grading of the bird
• Problems during the laying period
• Production and health control
• Control of Cannibalism and practice debeaking
Cleaning and Sanitation of the Layer
House
• Clean and disinfect the layer house two weeks before the birds
are transferred to layer house.
• Remove old litter and all loose debris
• Thoroughly wash the interior of the house, use the most
powerful concentration of disinfectant according to label
(recommended)
• Allow the house to dry
• Clean the equipment and feed bin
• Treat the dirt floor
• Less stress as much as possible during the shipment of the
birds from grower house to layer house
Floor space requirement for layers
Mini Leghorn Standard Medium size
Leghorn
Type of floor ft2 m2 Birds/ ft2 m2 Birds/ ft2 m2 Birds/
m2 m2 m2
All-litter1 1.25 0.11 8.6 1.50 0.14 7.2 1.75 0.16 6.2
Slat-and- 1.00 0.09 10.8 1.25 0.12 9.0 1.50 0.14 7.2
litter2
Wire-and- 1.00 0.09 10.8 1.25 0.12 9.0 1.50 0.14 7.2
litter3
All-slat
1 0.75prevention
For maximum egg, 0.07 14.4
of wet1.00
litter 0.09poor10.8
and 1.25 0.12
ventilation 9.0
All-wire
2 0.75 litter,
Approximately 40% 0.0760%14.4
slat 1.00 0.09 10.8 1.25 0.12 9.0
3
Approximately 40% litter, 60% wire
All litter
Slatted floor system
Slat-litter floor
system (1/2
slat-1/2 litter)
Feeding space requirement for
layers
Mini Leghorn
Standard Medium-size
Leghorn
Item in cm in cm in cm
Trough 1 3.0 7.5 3.5 8.75 4.0 10.5
Number of pullets per pen or tube feeder
Pans 2 16 14 12
Tube feeder3 21 18 15

1
Space on one side of trough only
2
Approximately 12 in (0.3 m) in diameter. Usually found on certain automatic
feeder
3
A pan with a circumference of 50 in (1.27 m) or a diameter of 16 in. (40.6 cm)
Waterer space requirement for
layers
Mini Leghorn Standard Medium-size
Leghorn
Item in cm in cm in cm
Trough space 1 1.0 2.5 1.0 2.5 1.25 3.1
Number of pullets per pen, cup or drip valve
Pans 2 25 25 20
Automatic cups 8 8 6
Drip valve 8 8 6
1
Space on one side of trough only
2
A pan approximately 10 in. (25.4 cm) in diameter.
Tube Feeder
Pan Feeder
Recommended Nutrient Level
• Layer ration (19 weeks)
• ME (Metabolized Energy) kcal/kg = 2700-2800
• Crude protein = 16-17%
• Energy:Protein (ME/CP) = 170-175
• Crude Fat = 3-5%
• Crude fiber = 5-6%
• Calcium = 2.5-3.5%
• Total Phosphorus = 0.8%
• Lysine = 0.7%
• Methionine = 0.3%
• Salt (NaCl) = 0.25%
• Form of the feed: mash or pellet
Feed consumption
• For body maintenance ---- 70 g/b/d
• The management system
• Battery housing system (Cage system) – reduced feed intake (-5 g/b/d)

• Health of the birds and activity

• Healthy and active > sick and not active

• Type (body weight) and age of the birds

• Broiler > Layer (higher body weight > Lower body weight)
• Broiler breeder (broiler parent stock) > broiler grower > broiler starter
• Provide feed ± 1.2g/b/d for 50g body weight difference from 2000g body weight

• ME content of the ration

• Higher ME < lower ME
• Provide feed ± 1g/b/d for 50 kcal ME difference from ME 2750 kcal/kg
Feed consumption
• Production level
• Higher egg production --- increased feed consumption
• Provide additional feed 7g/b/d for each 10% egg
production

• Environment and climate

• Lower house temperature > higher house temperature
• Provide additional feed 7 g/b/d for each 10% egg
production
• ± 1.4 g feed for each °C environmental temperature
higher than 20 °C
• Calculate feed consumption per layer per day (g/b/d) for a given flock:
• Average body weight = 2,100 g; ME = 2,850 kcal/kg;
• Egg production 80%; house temperature 25°C; rear in battery

• Amount of feed (g/b/d) given

• For body maintenance + 70.0
• For body weight difference (2,100-2,000) = 100 x 1.2/50 =+
2.4
• For 80% egg production (80/10 x 7) = + 56.0
• For environmental temperature (25°C-20°C) = 5 x 1.4 = 7.0
• For ME content of the ration (2850-2750) = 100 x 1/50 = 2.0
• For battery housing system = 5.0
114.4 g/b/d
• That layer flock should be provided 114.4 gram per bird per day. For
1000 layers it will be (114.4x1000)g = 114400 g = 114.4 kg
In general,
• 15-21°C (70°F) is the optimal range of
temperature for a layer known as thermo-neutral
zone.
• 25- 30°C and higher
• Decreased feed consumption
• Increased water consumption
Provision of nests
• Laying nests are indispensable part of the house
equipment for layers. Why?
• To prevent floor eggs
• The floor eggs have more chance to be cracked.
• Cracked eggs can lead to egg eating habit, proceed to
cannibalism.
• Floor eggs are not easy to collect
• Important to provide the nest before the first egg is laid.
• Laying nests are not housed in battery housing system.
Provision of Laying Nests
Laying nests are not housed in
battery housing system.
• Individual nest without litter or roll
away nest.
• The slope of the angle is very
important to prevent the eggs from
cracked (14-17%)
• [(X/Y)x100] = 14-17%
Types of nest

• Individual nest
• Community
nest
Individual nest
• Width – 25 – 30 cm
• Depth – 35 – 45 cm
• Height – 35 – 40 cm
• With litter material
• Capacity:
• 7 layers/nest
• 4-5 Broiler Parent Stock/nest
• Removable bottom for the nest is preferred for easier
cleaning
Individual laying nests
• Height – 35-40 cm
• Length – 2 meters
• Depth – 0.7 meter
Community
• Capacity – 50-60 layers/m2
nest
• 15-20 cm of litter material
• Ventilation inside the nest is
very important
Placement of the nest in the house
• Not to place the nest in the “long side” direction of the
house.
• This will disturb the ventilation
• Direct sunlight enters the nest, and it prevent enough
darkness, which is required for the nest.
• Poultry house should be east-west orientation.
• The nest arrangements should not prevent ventilation.
• The nests should be away from direct sunlight.
Measures to limit the numbers of
floor eggs
• Install the laying nests in time
• The laying nest should be easily accessible
• Enough laying nests must be available.
• Do not collect all the eggs from the nest in the beginning of the laying
period.
• Collect the floor eggs as often as possible.
• Avoid direct sunshine enters the nests
• Give the birds some grain (oats, rice) twice a day in the litter
• Manage to get enough ventilation inside the laying nests
• Supply the nests with enough good litters
• Place the nest about 50 cm above the litter, if too low, birds may lay under
the nests.
Egg collection
• Collect the eggs at least twice a day
• Eggs should be kept in cool condition
• Frequent egg collection will ensure good quality eggs
and reduces the number of cracked, broken and dirty
eggs.
• Use the suitable egg collecting container to reduce the
cracked and broken eggs.
• While collecting eggs, birds on nest should be carefully
handle.
• Record the number of collected eggs.
Lighting Program
• To stimulate egg production
• To obtain sufficient peak production
Increase the
production of FSH
Vision of (follicular
Pituitary
light to stimulating
gland
the eye hormone) and LH
(luteinizing
hormone
Responsible for the
growth of follicles and
ovulation
• During the rearing period (growing) 8-10 hours/day till
18-20 weeks of age
• Above 7 feet from the floor; 40 watt globe/200 square
feet floor area.
• After 20 weeks of age; provide 14 hours light per day. If
day-time is 12 hours, provide extra 2 hours light.
• Detrimental results occur if lighting is stopped at any
stage.
• Keep constant or increasing light, never decrease the
light hours.
Broodiness
• Broodiness is an inherited characteristic.
• Heavy breed > Light breed
• Brooding hen cease laying for one month or more;
occupy the nesting space; so it should be removed as
soon as noticed to special broody coop.
• Broody cop allow maximum ventilation
• After 4-5 days, the birds will no longer be broody and
can be return to the pen.
• Food and water must be provided to birds kept in
broody coop.
Broody Hen
Practice culling and grading
• Culling is removing of inferior birds.
• Practice culling continuously during the rearing and
laying period to reduce the production cost.
Illness

Broody Deformiti
hens es

Inferior
Early birds Poor
moulting growth
layers Poor egg rate
productio
n
Characters Productive layer Non-productive layer
Comb and Red, strong, big depend on breed Pale, small, wrinkled and
wattle shrunk
Eyes Bright and alert Sunken eyes, blindness
Eye ring Pale Yellow
Beak Short, Pale Too long, cross beak, yellow
Crop Preferably filled Too hard, hanging crop
Breast Breast bone is straight and well covered Wrong shaped, sharp and
with muscle poor muscle
Abdomen Feels elastic, full, wide. Distance between Stiff, too hard, tumors, egg-
pelvic bones and keel bone is about 4 concrement, water belly
fingers
Pelvic bones Distance between the bones, 2-3 fingers, Between pelvic bones, only
bones easy to move one finger
Cloaca Large, moist, oval, pink Small, dry, round, yellow
Legs (shank) Straight, strong, pale, shiny shanks with Yellow, cripple
well-closed scales
Feathers Young birds – thick and bright Early moulting is a sign of
Mortality
• Light breed (e.g. White Leghorn) 0.7-0.8% per 4
week period; i.e. 9-10% per year
• Medium to heavy breed 0.5-0.6% per 4 week
period; i.e. 6.5-9.0% per year
Problems during the laying period
• The start of the laying period is delayed
• No high top production
• High mortality
• High feed consumption
• Many second grade eggs
The start of the laying period is
delayed
• Rearing is poorly managed
• Disease
• Number of hours of light is decreasing
• Hens are not well-developed
No high top production
• No uniform flock
• Start of lay is very slow
• Disease
• Poor quality of feed
High mortality
• Poor debeaking
• High stocking density per m2
• Disease
High feed consumption
• Poor quality of feed
• Too much feed wastage
• The balance is not weighing properly
Many second grades eggs
• Poor construction of laying nests
• Not frequently enough collected the eggs per day
• No supply of oystershells
• Age of the birds
• High temperature
The production control during the laying period is
important to become a highly productive laying
flock.

• Important points for production control:

• Mortality
• Average body weight
• Feed consumption
• Egg production (laying %)
• Egg weight
• % of 2nd class egg
• Feed conversion ratio
• Compare the results of the flock on a ready-made graph provided
by breeding organization with printed standard performance of
their breed.
Nutrition for Commercial Layer &
Broiler Chicken
• There are 4 main nutrient components that go together
to make up a poultry diet: Protein, Energy, Vitamin &
Minerals.
• While protein, vitamins, and minerals are referred to as
nutrients, energy the 4th and the costliest part of the
diet is not a nutrient.
• Dietary nutrients that yield energy are protein, fat, and
carbohydrates.
Energy
• Gross energy (GE)
• Digestible energy (DE)
• Metabolizable energy (ME)
• Net energy (NE)

• Relationships:
• DE = GE – energy lost in feces
• ME = DE – energy lost in urine and gases
• NE = ME – heat loss (heat increment)
Sources of Energy
Cereals: Fats and Oils:
i. Barley i. Tallow
ii. Maize ii. Lard or choice white
grease
iii. Sorghum iii. Poultry fat
iv. Wheat iv. Feed-grade animal fat
v. Yellow grease
vi. Blended animal-
vegetable fat
Protein
• Dietary protein is a source of amino acids which are the building
blocks for body, hence growth, and the production of products-
meat and egg.

• Sources of Protein:
• Canola
• Fish meal
• Field peas
• Meat and bone meal
• Soybeans
• Cereal by-products, etc.
Minimum nutrient requirements of
chicken under Philippine condition
Minimum nutrient requirements of
chicken under Philippine condition
Protein Requirement for Laying Hen
Nutrients 32 weeks 32-44 44-55 >55
weeks weeks weeks
Crude 19.80 17.50 17.00 16.00
Protein %
Lysine % 1.09 0.93 0.89 0.81
Methionine 0.51 0.46 0.41 0.38
%
Linoleic 1.10 1.60 1.60 1.60
acid %
THANK YOU…?