How to get the BEST from your Hens

Bulletin #1

Preparing for the Pullets

1. Site preparation and Hen house construction

• Orient Site clearing to allow for East to West house orientation
• Build or open drains to allow for the channelling of storm water away from the building.
• If land is flat raise floor base at least 12-18 inches (Marl layer) to prevent flooding.
• If dwelling house is on the same property build layer house downwind of dwelling house.
• If two houses are being built they should be at least 35 feet apart
• Plant shade trees to the east and west of the building site
• Building should not be more than 35 feet wide if naturally ventilated
• Building roof should angle between 35 and 45 degrees
• Only one block height above foundation is required
• Floor should be of concrete to allow for cleaning and sanitation
• Walls should be of 1 inch mesh wire to allow for ventilation
• Allow for an eave overhang of 5 feet

 

2. Breed And Strain Selection

1. Brown eggs are preferred therefore the pullet breed and strain selected must produce brown eggs e.g. ISA Brown, Bovan Brown or Hyline Brown.
2. Progress in breeding and selection practices have narrowed the gap between brown and white breeds of layers as it relates to:

• Feed efficiency
• Total eggs produced
• Days to 50% production
• Egg Weight
• Final body weight
• Hen house preparation
• Remove all remaining live or dead birds, floor eggs, litter
• Thoroughly sweep floors and mesh
• Disinfect entire house with approved insecticide / Viricide
• Thoroughly clean all water lines and waterers
• Repair or replace defective feed pans/Light fixtures/nest boxes
• Spread new litter (Rice hulls) 2 to 4 inches deep
• Treat litter with copper or Mertect
• Ensure adequate bedding in nest boxes
• Close house to all human traffic unless properly attired for entry for at least 14 days.

 

Bulletin #2

Growing Period Management

1. Health Management

1. Vaccination program essential as a number of the viruses can significantly affect future egg production.
2. Keep accurate records of disease occurrence, diagnosis and treatment
3. Test efficacy of the vaccine program with serological assessment (did the vaccines work in generating an immune response in the pullets?)
4. Implement Biosecurity procedures

2. Feeding and nutrition

1. Follow breed guidelines re the requirement for nutrients
2. These guidelines require the feeding of a Starter, Grower. Developer and a pre-lay feed.
3. Adopt a system of feed change based on pullet weight rather than age
4. Allow feed pans to be empty for 1 to 2 hours each day
5. Weigh and determine flock uniformity once weekly.

 

3. Aim of the Lighting program

1. Stimulate feed intake and growth
2. Influence the timing of sexual maturity
3. Maximize egg numbers
4. Optimize egg weight
5. Influence time of egg laying
6. Control undesirable behaviour

 

4. Cardinal rules of a light management program for pullets

1. Start pullets with a maximum of 48 Hours continuous light.
2. Never increase day length between 8 and 14 weeks.
3. Never increase day length when body weight is below the strain recommendations.
4. 1400 gm. For ISA Brown, 1500 gm for Hyline Brown.
5. Never decrease day length at start of lay.

 

Bulletin #3

Transition Management

Body weight and Uniformity:  Data collected from Hyline pullets are relevant to other strains as well (Miles, 1993). Approximately 34 percent of the pullet’s growth occurs during the first six weeks. Another 46 percent of the pullet’s growth takes place the next six weeks (6-12 weeks of age). This means that 80% of the pullet’s growth takes place the first 12 weeks with the majority occurring from 6 to 12 weeks of age. Stress during this period should be avoided and feeding a high quality grower diet is essential. The pullet’s growth rate should be carefully monitored during this period. If the pullet does not obtain her growth during the first 12 weeks, then she never will and her profit potential will be hurt drastically.

Feed Intake Monitoring:  As the young hen enters the laying period she must be capable of considerable increasing her feed intake in order to complete her growth and ensure a laying peak. Between 5% and peak production the increase in intake should be + 35 to + 40% within a few weeks. Any ‘under consumption’ at this time will penalise the immediate and later production. It is during rearing that one can ‘train’ the chick towards this objective. The increase in feed intake of birds coming into lay has been measured by Scott & Belnave (1987). After the first egg, birds quickly increase their intake to meet the needs of production and continued growth if they are properly managed.

 

Bulletin #4

Laying Period Management

1. Managing the production phase

The transition from pullet to hen is a very stressful period for the bird. During this period of early production her appetite should have already be developed to allow for a 35% increase in consumption and a 300 gram increase in body weight. This is critical if she is to maintain a positive energy balance and also be able to continue the process of calcium accretion in her bones both skeletal and medullary. Medullary bones are a major source of transient calcium storage and provide the shell glands with a quick source of calcium. The possibility of low calcium intake due to poor feed intake is an ever present possibility if the birds were not grown properly during the pullet stage. The dietary calcium level of 4.5% can result in poor feed palatability if all the calcium carbonate is in the powdered form therefore it is recommended that approximately 50% of the calcium carbonate should be available in a granular form to avoid feed refusal. The presentation in this section outlines the inter-relationship between feed energy and protein, vitamin D and calcium metabolism and the importance of light management in sustaining the egg production cycle.

1. The feeding program: The current state of how hens are fed in Jamaica is compared to that of the USA and it is apparent that we are 58 years behind in the technology of feeding management. Jamaican table egg producers are still feeding one ration (18% layer mash) from 18 to 72 weeks of age. Producing hens however requirements for protein at a constant energy level fall over time while feed intake increases. This provides the opportunity to introduce different rations with decreasing protein levels to match the requirements of the hen. A reduction in cost of feed accompanies the reduction in protein level by approximately $1000 per 1 percent reduction in protein. This so called “Phase Feeding” of hens therefore can result in significant saving to the producer. It would appear however that the adoption of the feeding program would depend on the acquisition of new feed bins to allow for two or three different feeds to be available; currently most farmers do not have one feed bin per house.

2. Culling

2. Procedures for the removal of poor producing hens from the flock is discussed. The important point here is that there will always be a few non performing hens in every flock and the astute manager will seek them out and remove them thereby saving in feed cost. The non-producing hen exhibits certain pigmentation characteristics of the feet, comb and vent that can be used in combination with pubic bone displacement to aid in the decision to cull or keep.

 

Bulletin #5

Common problems affecting Laying Hen Production

1. Flock Health Management

The emphasis here is the old adage “Prevention is better than cure” the prevention aspect of flock health management starts with a well-planned and implemented Biosecurity program.

2. Biosecurity critical success factors

1. Hen house cleaned and disinfected at least two weeks before the pullets arrive
2. Hen house repaired to prevent the entry of wild birds
3. Hen house foot bath, clean footwear and coverall station in place
4. Feed bins and hoppers, water lines and founts cleaned and disinfected with approved chemicals.
5. Bait stations replenished and rodent control measures in place
6. Surrounding areas cleared of all debris and grassed areas cut
7. Bathroom and toilet facilities for farm workers in place and functional
8. Property properly fenced to keep out stray animals
9. Signs warning unauthorized entry prohibited in place and fully visible
10. Dead bird disposal compost area in place
11. Motor vehicles (feed trucks, pullet delivery truck etc) undercarriage disinfected
12. Mosquito and fly breeding sites eliminated and regular fogging using approved insecticides implemented.

The purchase of pullets from a reputable source provides some level confidence that the birds would have been subject to the requisite vaccines to ensure immunity to New Castle disease, Infectious Bronchitis, Infectious Bursal Disease (Gumboro) and fowl pox all of which affect both egg production and egg quality negatively. A number of slides are presented to show the impact of these diseases on the function of the oviduct and other organs that are important for the health and well-being of the hen. Other topics discussed in this section includes:

1. Disease recognition
2. Inter-relationship among factors causing disease
3. Diseases affecting internal and external egg quality

 

Bulletin #6

1. Monitor water Quality (Chemical & biological)
2. Cleaning Water Storage and delivery Systems

1. Between flocks

1. Flush the lines with high-pressure water to dislodge heavy organic matter
2. Fill the lines with the cleaning solution and leave it in the lines for 3 to 6 hours
3. Flush the water lines with clean water
4. All plassons, cups and other open drinkers must be cleaned as well

2. When birds are present

1. Dilute the indicated concentrations to provide the level needed for cleaning
2. Cleaning should be stopped 2 days prior to vaccination and water medication
3. When starting this program, monitor the birds behaviour to make sure they are drinking water.

3. Sanitizing Water Storage and Delivery Systems

1. Between Flocks with

1. Citric Acid @ 800 to 1000 gm per 128 Gallons of water

                                       or

2. Chlorine Bleach (5%) 350 ml in 128 Gallons of Water

2. When Birds are present

1. Citric Acid @ 200 grams per 128 Gallon of water

                               or

2. Vinegar at 4 litres per 128 gallon of water

Litter Management

• Remove all litter from house before a new flock is placed
• Treat new litter with Copper Sulphate to control Fungi
• Maintain litter Depth (2- 4”)
• Fix all leaks promptly and remove wet spots
• Remove caked or crusted litter
• Adjust Bell Drinker height in line with the back of the hen
• Ensure Adequate Ventilation
• Store new litter away from vermin and cover to protect from rain.
• Consider using Deoderase® in the feed
• Treat old litter with Alum (Aluminum Sulphate)
• Do not re-use litter from a diseased flock
• For re-used litter; burn feathers prior to stocking
• Do not over stock

 

Bulletin #7

Common problems affecting Laying Hen Production

Managing Parasites on your farm

1. External Parasites

Significant problem affecting table egg production in Jamaica. The tropical fowl mite is a blood sucking arthropod (Ornithonyssus bursa) that can exist both on and off the host. It lays its eggs along the feather shaft and has a life cycle of 4 days. Detecting and monitoring the mite population level is an important factor for effective control. A minimum of 10 randomly selected birds should be examined for mites weekly. Infestation levels can be estimated by parting the bird's feathers to expose the skin and counting the mites that are immediately seen.

The following index can be used to estimate mite infestation levels:

 5 mites counted =       Bird may be carrying from 100 to 300 mites

 6 mites counted =      Bird may be carrying from 300 to 1,000 mites (light infestation)

7 mites counted =      Bird may be carrying from 1,000 to 3,000 mites - small clumps of mites       seen on skin and  feathers (moderate infestation).

8 mites counted =        Bird may be carrying from 3,000 to 10,000 mites - accumulation                                                                                                                                                                                                                    of mites  on skin and feathers (moderate to heavy infestation).

9 mites counted =         Bird may be carrying 10,000 to 32,000 or more mites – numerous large clumps of mites seen on skin and feathers; skin pocketed with scabs (heavy infestation).

2. Internal parasites,What to look for

• Body Weight Loss & Poor Flock Uniformity
• Diarrhoea (Enteritis) & Anaemia
• Increase in Cannibalism through vent pecking due to straining
• Reduction in egg production, egg Size and egg quality

3. Treatment Options

• Prevention (Biosecurity program)
• Medicate flocks once every 6 weeks
• Calculate dosage based on flock weight
• Rotate worm medicines to prevent worms acquiring resistance to them.
• Plan a treatment schedule and record treatment dates

4. Dosage calculation Example

• Flock Size : 1000 hens
• Average Hen Wt: 1900 Grams.
• Product: Parasitol ® (100 grams/Pack)
• Dosage: 100 grams per 3500 Kg
• Calculation: 1000 * 1.9 Kg = 1900 Kg
• Parasitol® Required = (1900/3500)*100 grams = 54 Grams or (1/2 Pack)
• Mix in amount of water consumed in 1 Day

Record Keeping

Keeping a record of all flock mortality and where possible the cause of death, medication used and treatment duration, observed symptoms, environmental conditions e.g. temperature and the result of veterinary intervention should be kept. These records will assist in troubleshooting flocks exhibiting poor performance.

Bulletin #8

Common problems affecting Laying Hen Production

Heat Distress

A significant amount of resources both practical and theoretical is utilized to reinforce the opinion of many poultry specialist that heat distress is a major direct cause of both reduced egg quality and number of eggs produced. It is important to point out however that because the pullets in Jamaica are reared in naturally ventilated houses and therefore subject to higher than normal temperature a certain amount of acclimatization occurs and hens produced under these conditions go on to produce eggs in environments that theoretically should result in significant performance down turn. That being said, there are still many reports by Jamaican table egg producers of reduced production (albeit at a higher temperature) and even mortality among many flocks especially from the month of May through to September.

1. Symptoms of heat distress

1. Decreased Feed Intake
2. Increased Water Consumption
3. Change in body posture
4. Sensible heat loss (Conduction, convection, radiation)
5. Evaporative heat loss (Gullar flutter & Panting)
6. Decrease in egg weight, production and Shell quality
7. Increase susceptibility to disease
8. Rise in body temperature
9. Death

 

2. Heat stress management

1. Increasing water availability
2. Reducing water temperature (Flush Lines)
3. Postpone husbandry that requires bird handling
4. Feed birds early morning and late evening
5. Increase air movement in the house (Provide Fans)
6. Avoid overstocking cages/floor based production systems during the summer months.
7. Increase feed nutrient density by adding fat (Feed Mill) viii. Implement Mid Night Feeding procedure
8. House design

• Paint roof white
• Site house at least 36 feet from adjacent house
• Orientate east to west
• Design to allow for unencumbered air flow

 

Bulletin #9

Common problems affecting Laying Hen Production

Behavioural Problems

Laying hen behaviour has been studied by animal behaviour scientist and our experience in Jamaica supports their findings. In general hens respond to nutritional, health, poor management and environmental stressors by deviating from their normal behaviour patterns and exhibiting varying levels of anti-social behaviour, these include the following:

1. Egg Eating

1. Inadequate nesting space
2. Infrequent Egg Collection
3. Insufficient nesting material

 

2. Cannibalism & feather pulling

1. Blowouts
2. overcrowding
3. Poor beak trimming
4. High light intensity

 

3. Pile ups

1. Poor feed distribution
2. Coccidiosis
3. Sudden noise
4. Poor light management

 

Bulletin #10

Waste Disposal

1. Poultry Litter

The disposal of poultry litter is accomplished by sales of the by-product to coffee farmers, Bauxite companies for use in land reclamation and organic fertilizer producers one of whom is a member of the egg industry cluster. Used Poultry litter removed from poultry houses and stored outdoors provides an ideal breeding ground for flies and a haven for rodents. The odour emanating from the wet litter is offensive and if the farm is located close to residential areas severe discomfort for those residents is possible. Poultry litter should be stored in bags or bulk under cover and kept dry and disposed of as quickly as possible.

2. Dead Birds

On most farms dead birds are either cremated or buried. Farmers however should be encouraged to establish simple composting facilities to produce and organic manure from both dead birds and litter thereby creating a supplemental income source.

3. Spent Hens

A real problem for the local producer is the disposal of spent hens. Unfortunately there is no market for the meat of spent hens locally. A fair quantity is donated to organisations that feed the poor and destitute and some are sold as recycled hens to individuals in the inner city.

4. Packaging

Egg boxes are to some extent recycled but this practice is a clear breach of Biosecurity. Damaged egg boxes are usually burnt on the farm compound a practice that is to discouraged.

 

Bulletin #11

Grading Eggs

The importance of the grading of eggs and consumer acceptance and confidence in the product is emphasized in this section of the presentation. A Video is shown to outline the process as one that includes both the external and internal quality attributes of the egg. The point is made that merely placing eggs in a weight category does not result in a graded product if the other aspects of the exercise are not in place. The following is the grade specification for a grade “A” egg:

1. The Eggs shows on candling

1. A reasonable firm albumin
2. An indistinct yolk outline
3. A round yolk that is reasonable well centred
4. An air cell that is not in excess of 5 mm (1/8th inch) in depth

 

2. The Shell

1. Has not more than 3 stain spots, the aggregate area of which does not exceed an area equivalent to 25 mm2 and the shell is otherwise free of dirt and stain.
2. Is normal or nearly normal in shape
3. Has no cracks

 

3. Egg collection

The following procedure is recommended in order to maintain egg quality and food safety:

1. Collect Eggs at least twice per day
2. Collect floor eggs after nest eggs
3. Wash hands before collecting eggs
4. Avoid picking up dead or sick hens while collecting eggs
5. Place eggs in a cool room prior to processing
6. Sanitize eggs ASAP after collection
7. Wash eggs in warm water at approx.120 degrees F
8. Store eggs large end up
9. Store eggs in a cold room at 45 to 50 degrees F

4. Troubleshooting production drops

One of the most common questions poultry production specialists receive frequently is “Why have my hens stopped laying?” The answer to this question that resolves the issue is sometimes much more complex than at first perceived. The following are just a sample of the myriad of things that can cause this problem:

1. Are the hens consistently receiving 16 hours of light?
2. Is the light intensity acceptable?
3. Are the hens consuming the correct amount of feed?
4. Are the hens consuming the correct amount of water?
5. Is all equipment present in the correct ratios?
6. Is there a water quality assurance program in place?
7. Is there an internal and external parasite schedule in place?
8. Are birds protected from high ambient temperature?
9. Is the flock showing symptoms of disease?
10. Are records of production consistently maintained?
11. Are the eggs and birds secure from theft