layer farming

COMMERCIAL LAYER BIRDS MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN INDIA

April 23, 2023

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COMMERCIAL LAYER BIRDS MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN INDIA

Layer poultry farming means raising egg-laying poultry birds for the purpose of commercial egg production. Layer chickens are such a special species of hens, which need to be raised from when they are one day old. They start laying eggs commercially from 18-19 weeks of age. They continue laying eggs continuously till their 72-78 weeks of age. They can produce about one kg of eggs by consuming about 2.25 kg of food during their egg laying period.
According to the nature and color of egg, layer hens are of two types. Short descriptions of these two types are listed below.

White Egg Laying Hens

This type of hens is comparatively smaller in size. they eat less food, and the color of the egg shell is white. Isa White, Lehman White, Nikchik, Bab Cock BV-300, Harvard White, Hi Sex White, Sever White, Hi line White, Bovanch White etc. are some popular white egg laying chickens.

Brown Egg Laying Hens

Brown egg laying hens are s larger in size. They eat more food, compared to white egg layers. Lay bigger eggs than other laying breeds. The egg shell is brown colored. There are many types of brown layer available. Among those Isa Brown, Hi Sex Brown, Sever 579, Lehman Brown, Hi Line Brown, Bab Cock BV-380, Gold Line, Bablona Tetro, Bablona Harko, Havard Brown etc. are very suitable for commercial layer.

In this case you have to select those breeds which are suitable for your layer poultry farming business and can produce well in your area.

The common breeds of chickens in Nigeria are Isa Brown, Arbor Acres, Marshall, Ross, Kuroilers, White Cockerel, and Black cockerel. Always ask about the breed you are buying as well as the peculiarity of the breed.

For commercial eggs production, read below before selecting your breed; *Choose highly productive laying hens correctly.

All type of hens do not produce equal numbers of eggs.
The chosen breeds must have good production capability.

Layers

The female poultry bird which is reared for an egg laying is known as layers. These are sexually mature birds producing an egg.

Laying Phase

The birds produce their eggs between 20 – 72/75wks of age. Means laying starts at 20 wks of age and will lay the eggs up to 72 – 75 wks of age after that the egg production will decrease and the bird will be culled. This laying period is also known as laying cycle or biological year when bird reaches 5% egg production. The birds which completed their whole 75 wks laying phase is termed as “spent Hen”. The grower birds transferred to a layer house at 18 weeks of age

Cages

Now a day’s mostly all the layer farmer they are using a California cage system of rearing instead of pen system of housing because the space requirement is less, less problem of ectoparasite, less chances of disease spreading, more clean eggs and we may get actual egg production of birds, when we followed cage system of rearing. If we compared Space requirement in pen system it should be 1950 cm2 per bird while in cage 900cm2 per bird space is required. Some disadvantage with cage systems are wet litter, fly problem and high initial investment so, for a small poultry farmer high initial investment is a big problem.

Site Selection

A good market for egg exists.
Land and labour are available easily at cheaper rates.
Electricity, water supply, roads and drainage are readily accessible.
The house should be 100m away from highways and no crowded areas.
Land is elevated to avoid problem of water lodging during rainy season.
Enough space is available for future extension.

BROODING MANAGEMENT OF BROILER BIRDS

What is Brooding

Brooding is a period immediately after the hatch when special care and attention is given to chicks to support their health and survival. A recently hatched chick has not yet developed their own mechanism to regulate its own body temperature hence, it cannot maintain its body temperature properly for the first weeks and It is subject to chilling in the winter season when extra heat is not provided from externally; therefore the chicks will not take required feeds and water and this will decrease the growth and improper development of internal organs, responsible for digestion, thus the chick will not be able to digest the yolk completely.

Brooding is classified into natural and artificial brooding. In today’s time, artificial brooding practices are the most prevalent which is only practiced by a farmer. Now a day for Broiler management during the first week of life the brooding operation is followed. Depending upon the season, brooding practices vary in tropical countries where large conventional open housing is normally practiced. Winter – Use 1/3 area of the house for brooding. Summer – Use 1/2 area of the house for brooding.

Characteristic of Brooder Guard

Make the guards from material, which can be properly sterilised or Plastic which is cheaper
Helps in preventing chilling and piling
Height of Guard should be approximately 16 inches to 18 inches
Guards will ensure chicks stay near the source of heat

Location & Direction of Brooder House:

The brooder house must be away from the all other poultry house. The minimum distance between brooder house and other poultry structure is minimum 100 meter, the construction of brooder house in such a direction that the fresh air should first enter in to the brooder house than it passes from other house. Farmer have to construct a poultry house in such a direction that sunlight directly not enter in to the poultry house so, house should be constructed in East to west direction so we may get the advantage of ventilation from north to south.

Preparation of Brooder House: Brooder house should be ready for the chicks before they are put in house. First the brooder house should be scrubbed and cleaned at least one week before the chicks arrive in brooder house. If old litter present in brooder house than first removed and clean all the required equipment with disinfected solution. When house and equipment are properly cleaned, the house should be allowed to dry out thoroughly. If house is air tight than better to fumigate brooder house and equipment using a three times higher concentration of formaldehyde gas. Normally for the fumigation take a two part of Formalin and one part of potassium permanganate. When two compound mixed together the fume will be generated and that fume will destroy the microbes present in brooder house e.g. 35 ml of formalin and 17.5 gm potassium permanganate is sufficient to disinfect 2.83m³ space which is known as 1X fumigation, but for fumigation we have to remember one thing in our mind that always add potassium permanganate in formalin.

If we are using deep litter system of rearing litter materials like paddy husk, wood savings, ground maize cob, chopped straw, saw dust, groundnut shell, dried crushed sugar can pulp etc. Mostly the litter materials are selected based on the locally availability and cost. Spread the litter materials to a depth of 6 – 9 cm in winter season and 3 – 4 cm in summer season for better insulation. For the first few day spread a simple paper or news paper on litter materials along with sprinkle feed or ground maize grit. This will help to avoid the chicks eating the litter materials. After 3 days removed the paper and evenly distribute feeder and waterers around the brooder. The brooder switched on at least 24 hours before the chicks arrive. If we are using the hanging feeder in the brooder houses than provide three hanging feeder of 36 cm diameter with 12 kg capacity are enough to rear 100 chicks in brooder house.

Brooder House Temperature:

Adjust the electric brooder for 24 hours before the arrival of chicks and adjust the temperature to 95°F (35°C) at the edge of the brooder 2 inches (5cm) above the litter during the first week. Lower the temperature by 5°F (2.8°C) each week until it reaches 70°F. A temperature of 21°C appears to be ideal during growing period. Too low or too high temperature will cause poor growth rate and ultimately poor performance of birds. The pattern of bedding down of chicks under electric hovers is shown in Fig. A (Ideal). At low temperature, chicks will try to huddle below the light source in Fig. B. At high temperature the chicks will try to huddle around the chick guard in Fig. C.

Right Temperature B. Less Temperature C. More Temperature

Ventilation: Fresh air is required for well being and good health of chicks. Poor ventilation results in accumulation of carbon monoxide, ammonia and wet litter condition in brooder house. If concentration of carbon monoxide higher than 0.01 percent it will poisonous to chicks. Ammonia irritates the eyes of chicks and retards growth. The level of ammonia should be less than 10 PPM. Coccidiosis is result from high amount of moisture in litter

Space: 45 – 60 sq cm space is enough per chicks in electric brooder for first week than for broiler birds 1 sq foot space/bird is enough to rear but if space is not a problem than we may provide 1.5 sq foot space/bird is better to get more growth in broiler birds.

Lighting: Majority of Broiler farmer provide a 23 hour photoperiod and one hour darkness in young stock is advantageous over the continues lighting as the former allows maximum growth while giving the birds some experience of darkness so that they are less apt to panic during electricity failure. Light effect on growth rate is mainly due to the type of chick activity which has a bearing on their food intake induced by the period of lighting

Vaccination: Only three vaccines are required in for broiler rearing. Vaccination against Marek’s Disease, New Castle Disease (Ranikhet) and Gumboro Disease are done.

Debeaking: It is help in preventing pecking injuries and cannibalism among chicks. It is carried out during the one day and 6 weeks of age but mostly broiler farmer never cut the beak of birds. Whenever incidence of cannibalism is occur in flock than debeaking operation should carried out with electric debeaking equipment.

Problems occur during brooding operation:

Coccidiosis control– It is the most common disease of poultry at young age. coccidiostats are added to feed in sufficient quantity to suppress the multiplication of oocytes
Stress – Majority of stress is occur when birds are handling during the vaccination and due to that bird are huddle together. To overcome the problem we may increase the brooder temperature to fill birds comfortable or we may add anti stressor compound in water/feed to overcome stress
Inclement Weather – Environmental heat mat create a severe stress although young chicks can tolerate higher temperatures than older birds. When the temperature is more the birds will eat less and drink more water. To overcome this problem increase the feed and water along with an increase in the floor space allowance.
Unabsorbed yolk – High temperature of chicks during the first two days under the brooder also lowers the yolk absorption. Diseases that raise the body temperature prevent utilization of the yolk material in young chicks. Feeding chicks soon after hatching also causes a slower absorption of yolk materials in young chicks.
Mortality Standards – Chick mortality during the first week in the brooder house is higher than any week. Losses during the second week should be slightly less.

LIGHT SCHEDULE IN LAYER HOUSE

Role of Light in Layer Birds

This light source enter in to eyes of birds induces response in hypothalamus, which affects the secretion of gonadotropic hormones and these hormone affect the activity of gonads and will responsible for reproductive behaviour of birds. Rate of egg production and aged sexual maturity are affected by a pattern of lighting.

Mostly in grower period the light should not be increase but in layer phase 22nd week onwards the light should increase at 15-30 minutes per week and it reach 16 hrs of total light [Means Natural light + Artificial light] at 33 weeks of age. During the laying period light should not decrease but increase 17 hrs light/day when birds lay for about 6 months of laying phase, light should not increase more than 17 hrs because there is not any kind of advantage over 17 hrs of light.

Source of light

Mercury vapour light, Fluorescent and incandescent light may be used. The distance between 2 bulbs is 10 feet. The height of bulb 7 – 8 feet from floor wall and if we are using a tube light instead of bulb than between two tubes light the distance should be 15 feet.

FEEDING MANAGEMENT

The quality and quantity of feed with method of feeding has got major contribution in the environment component, controlling the productive performance. This feed accounts for 65 – 70% expenditure in production of poultry. Hence, the due care must be taken for correct feeding. Feed should be balanced, devoid of toxic principles, free from bacterial contamination and anti-nutritional factor. Both under and over feeding which leads to depletion of body reserves and excessive fat deposition respectively is harmful in the form of drop in egg production or stunted growth.

Adult birds should be feed at least twice in a day. Feed in the poultry shed should not stock more than a one day’s requirement to avoid spoilage by rates. Feeders should not fill more than ½ to 1/3 level to minimize feed wastage. The finished feed should not stock more than 1 to 1½ months because it may develop rancidity/fungus. The feed in feeders should be stirred at 4 – 5 times in a day to minimize formation of cakes.

Table 1: Feeds for layers and their scientific requirement

Age	Category	Type of feed	ME kcal/kg	Protein (%) min.	Crude fibre (%) max.	Ca %	P %	Salt %	Approx. Quantity required
21 & above	Layers	Layer mash	2650	18	6	3-3.5	0.5	0.6	40kg (110g/day/bird)

Layers are rather maintained on controlled feeding to avoid fat deposition, which may hamper further laying. Generally layer feeding is divided in 2 phases. 1st phase is from 18/20 to 42 weeks and 2nd phase 43-72/75 weeks/till culling. Energy content is increased by 50-100 kcal/kg of feed in second phase.

Table 2: Average daily feed consumption of layer (light breeds) depending on age and laying percentage

Age	Laying percentage	Daily feed / day / layer (g)
18	4	70
19	9	74
20	15	77
21	22	80
22	45	85
23	70	85
24	85	95
25	92	100
26	93	105
27-28	94	110
29-30	95	120
31-32	94	120
33-35	93	118
36-38	92	115
39-41	91	115
42-45	90	114
50-58	88-83	112
59-63	82-79	112
64-72	78-75	110

Note: Above figures are only guidelines of high producing breeds under standard conditions. The actual performance may vary depending on breed, climate, the health of birds, management and quality of feed.

Table 3: Vaccination Schedule (For Viral Diseases):

Sr. No.	Age of Birds	Name of Disease	Route of administration	Dose/bird
1	Day old	Marek’s disease	S/C, Neck/Wing Muscles	0.2ml
2	4-6^th day	Ranikhet disease F₁ Strain	I/Nasal or I/Ocular	1 drop
3	11^th day	Marek’s Disease (Booster dose)	S/C, Neck/Wing Muscles	0.2ml
4	14^th day, 2^nd week	IBD/Gumboro disease intermediate Strain	Drinking Water	As per Manufacture
5	21^st day,3^rd week	IBD, Booster dose	-Do-	-Do-
6	35^th day, 5^th week	Ranikhet disease Booster dose. F₁ Strain	I/Nasal or I/Ocular	1 drop
7	7^th week	Fowl Pox	Wing web	Prick Method
8	8^th week	Ranikhet disease, R₂B (Mukteshwar) Starin	I/M, Thigh Wing Muscles	0.5ml
9	16-18^th week	Killed Ranikhet & Gumboro disease vaccine	I/M in Breast or Thigh muscles	0.5ml