Contents
After reaching a good production peakAt the peak of the production most of the hens need to be producing one egg, H&N hens should enter a production plateau. Their genetic potential allows them to maintain a high productionThe target is to achieve the 100 weeks of age with good production and good egg shell. level and good eggshell qualityMade of calcium crystals on top a collagen base. for some weeks but to achieve this, pay close attention to certain aspects:
Detailed laying cycle records are necessary to evaluate performance and profitability. Daily figures for hen-day production, egg weightCheck that your egg weight follows the management guide standard., feed and waterThe water is as important as the feed consumption and mortalityMore than a 0.1 weekly mortality are necessary.
This information will allow you to calculate very important data including daily egg mass% lay x egg size, cumulative egg mass% lay x egg size and feed conversion. All results should be presented in graphs.Use of graphs will improve analyses of flock performance trends.
Growth recordsThe hen keeps growing significantly until week 30 of age, after it should have a minimum growth unless the diet is not well balanced., accurate cage and / or pen counts are also very important.This enables timely intervention in response to any irregularities and generates historical data for more in-depth analysis of production performance.
| Problem | Possible cause |
| Lay dropMore than 2% and stays 2 weeks in a row | Low feed intake, low waterThe water is as important as the feed intake, stressThe reduction of light intensity could be a good tool to reduce some of the stress in the birds. factors, feed quality, decreasing lightThe light is crucial for achieving the egg size that market requieres program, pathology |
| Low feed consumptionReduction of 2-3 grams and remains for 2 weeks | Temperature, waterThe water is as important as the feed supply, feed quality, inadequate feeder space2.5 cm / bird in linear feeding or 60 birds/pan, incorrect feed supply, pathology |
| Low egg weightReduction of 0.2 grams and remains for 2 weeks. | Temperature, low feed consumptionReduction of 2-3 grams and remains for 2 weeks, low body weightOnce the hen achieves the mature body weight, they shouldn’t grow much more until end of production. at lightThe light is crucial for achieving the egg size that market requieres stimulation, incorrect feed formulation |
| MortalityMore than a 0.1 weekly mortality | Flock uniformity, light intensityLight intensity is an important factor to look after control the behavior of the birds, stressThe reduction of light intensity could be a good tool to reduce some of the stress in the birds. factors, pathology |
| Low body weightOnce the hen achieves the mature body weight, they shouldn’t grow much more until end of production. | Incorrect feed formulation, low feed intake, high stocking densityThere are 3 parameters defining density, space, feeder space and water availability |
| High body weightOnce the hen achieves the mature body weight, they shouldn’t grow much more until end of production. | Incorrect feed formulation, overfeeding |
| Cracked eggsThey cracked eggs increase 0.1% in one week. | Ca/P ratio, Ca particle sizeWe have to provide coarse particle size for a good egg shell quality, temperature, waterThe water is as important as the feed quality, pathology, incorrect egg collection management, incorrect feed formulation, incorrect grading machine maintenance |
| Stained eggs | WaterThe water is as important as the feed quality, pathology, incorrect egg collection management, incorrect feed formulation, incorrect grading machine maintenance, high stocking densityThere are 3 parameters defining density, space, feeder space and water availability, pest/diseases |
Feather coverage is a key indicator of the hen’s body condition. If hens lose their feathersThe feather condition is considered a way to measure the welfare of the hens., their thermal insulationThere are specific materials that they increase the insulation of the farms. capacity will remain seriously impaired. This impacts directly on feed intake and maintenance energy needs. It therefore means an increase in the production feed costs. Poor featheringThere are different phases of feathering during the life of the layers can also be caused by stressThe reduction of light intensity could be a good tool to reduce some of the stress in the birds. or pecking. The condition of the feathersThe feather condition is considered a way to measure the welfare of the hens. is also a sign that indicates stressThe reduction of light intensity could be a good tool to reduce some of the stress in the birds. or pecking.
Excessive feather loss can be due to various factors including:
Monitoring featheringThere are different phases of feathering during the life of the layers can help signal potential problems caused by aggression, nutritional deficiencies or other problems.
Occasionally, aggression and cannibalismA behavior that can create many problems at the farm can occur in the flock. This can affect hen welfare and their production performance. Behaviour-related issues can have multiple causes, but certain management practices can be applied to help prevent aggression and cannibalismA behavior that can create many problems at the farm:
Layers do not consume equal amounts of feed during the whole day. 70 % of feed consumption occurs in the early hours of the morning and the last four hours in the afternoon. They also have a predilection for calciumLayer hens like coarse particles as calcium source. during the last hours of lightThe light is crucial for achieving the egg size that market requieres.
To mirror this behaviour better, feed times should be adapted to get a low level on the feeders for eight hours after switching on the lights. Under normal conditions 2/3 of the daily feed should be suppliedYou can learn more reading the technical tip about feeding management in the last eight hours. Ensure this afternoon feed is effectively distributed to the hens.
H&N “Brown Nicks” are not normally prone to put on fat with correctly formulated feeds. Therefore, feed restrictionThe layer hens eat what they need, therefore they will leave feed if they don’t need it. Having additional feed delivered is a good practice to avoid the risk of raw material variability. is not recommended. MonitorUse H&N excel sheet to collect the data or there are multiple programs available for it. It is key for the profitability of the flock. egg sizeEgg size depends on the breed, body weight, light program and nutrition, body weightOnce the hen achieves the mature body weight, they shouldn’t grow much more until end of production. and production percentage very closely. These traits will decrease first if birds are being under fed.
Normal level
Low Level
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This management technique is used to increase feed intakeIt is always important to have the correct feed intake. and allow calciumLayer hens like coarse particles as calcium source. availability in the hours when the eggshell is formed, and its absorption is increased. It consists of lighting in the dark period to allow hens to feed and refill the cropThe crop is part of the gut of the birds. It is were the first part of the digestion starts before moving to the proventriculum.
The following guidelines should be followed for correct application:
MidnightThe might night feeding is better to do it with automatic systems. lighting can be used with different objectives:
Egg formation is a complex process that occurs in the oviductThe health of the oviduct can be affected by several diseases. Check the vaccination chapter. of the hen. The whole process takes around 24 hours, but forming the eggshell takes most of the time (18– 21 hours). Lay is a critical moment for hens. If possible, they prefer a protected and dark area. The cloaca could be reversed during the lay process which can encourage cannibalismA behavior that can create many problems at the farm. If hens retain eggs due to stressThe reduction of light intensity could be a good tool to reduce some of the stress in the birds., shell defectsThere is a chapter about possible causes for several egg shell problems. may occur. Therefore, avoid disturbing hens during maximum laying hours to reduce this kind of defect. This means not disturbing them by removing dead birds, feed distribution, inspecting cages . . .
The laying window is defined as the time in hours since the lay of the first egg to the last one. Its range varies between breeds of hens. 50 % of the lay takes place around 4–5 hours after switching on lighting or after the sunset. It is useful to know when most of the eggs have been laid.This information can also be used to advance or delay the time of sunset, although periods of 16 hours of lightThe light is crucial for achieving the egg size that market requieres are used routinely.
Egg collection impacts the external and internal quality of the produced eggs. It must therefore be performed correctly in order not to degrade the value of the eggs: