Layer Farm Management

LFM is all about egg-laying poultry birds to produce commercial eggs. Actually, layer chickens are a special breed of hens. These chickens must be raised from the day-1 of their age. As a result, you’ll start getting eggs from their 18-19 weeks of age on a commercial basis.

House Preparation

Prior to delivery of the chicks
• Clean and disinfect cages or floor brooding area and equipment, the building interior and attached service areas and equipment.
• Check to make sure equipment is working properly and is adjusted to the right height.
• Remove all old feed from bins, hoppers, and troughs. Disinfect and allow to dry before new feed is delivered.
• Place rodenticide where it will not be consumed by the chicks.

One day before delivery
• Place heating system to get the correct brooding temperature.
• Check water system and adjust to proper height for chicks.
• Clean and disinfect the water system.
• Place rodenticide where it will not be consumed by the chicks.

On delivery day
• Have waterers full or water system in operation.
• Add water-soluable vitamins and electrolytes to encourage drinking.
• Check brooder temperatures.
• As chicks are placed, trigger water cups or nipples to encourage drinking.
• When nipple drinkers are used, reduce the water pressure so birds can see the drop of water hanging on the drinker.
• Feed should be placed on paper in cage.
• Operate feeders at highest feed level.

Pullet Management

Check-list
• Grow pullets in strict isolation from older birds. Maintain good sanitation. Plan work routines so that disease-causing agents cannot be carried from older birds to the growing pullets.
• During the first 6 weeks, operate feeders to provide feed at least twice daily. Starting at 2 to 3 weeks of age, check feed consumption and body weights against the body weight standards for the specific Hy-Line variety.
• Weigh at least 100 pullets weekly during the growing period, beginning at 2 to 3 weeks of age.
• Check water availability in each cage row daily. Check for and repair bleaks. Raise waterers as the birds grow (nipples higher than the birds’ heads; cups or troughs level with their backs).

•Plan and follow a vaccination schedule to fit the location. Remove mortality daily and dispose of properly. Examine for causes of excessive mortality.
• Three days before moving pullets to the laying house, begin using water-soluble vitamins and electrolytes in the drinking water. Continue for 3 days after housing. This helps minimize the stress of moving. Handle birds gently during transfer to avoid injuries.
• Pullets should be housed at 17 weeks of age, before the onset of sexual maturity.

Monitoring Body Weight

• Start monitoring body weight at 2 weeks of age.
• Continue monitoring until at least after the peak.
• Weigh at least 100 birds weekly, and compare with the standard curve of the breed.
• Influences:
• Nutrition
• Beak treatment
• Vaccination schedule
• Disease
• Crowding

Beak Treatment

• In the hatchery with infra-red, or at the farm between 7-10 days.
• If necessary, retrim between 12 to 14 weeks.

• Only use well-trained crews for beak trimming.
• Do not hurry, and don’t trim sick birds.
• Use electrolytes and vitamins (containing vitamin K) in the water 2 days before and 2 days after beak trimming.
• Keep feed at the highest level for several days after beak trimming. If a coccidiostat is used in the feed, supplement it with water-soluble coccidiostats until feed consumption returns to normal.
• If a second beak trimming is performed, the starter feed can be re-introduced for 1 to 3 weeks afterwards to account for the lower feed intake and ensure body weight gains.

Nest Training

• To avoid as many floor eggs as possible.
• After the transfer, encourage the chicks to explore the nests. Open the nest curtains, add some extra lighting, …
• Try not to have shadows in the lay house, as dark areas outside the nest will encourage floor eggs.
• Collect the eggs twice a day, and keep the nests clean and private.

Biosecurity

• Workers and visitors
• All workers and visitors entering the farm, should do so at a central location. Visitors should use a logbook to document their visits.
• Anyone having been on another poultry facility within 96 hours should not be permitted access.
• Clean boots, clothing, and head cover should be provided for everyone working or visiting the farm. Ideally, workers should be limited to a single house, and have dedicated clothing. Per person and per house.
• Clean footbaths containing disinfectant should be placed outside the entries to all poultry houses.
• The removal of old hens from the farm is a time when disease can be introduced. The trucks and crews used to transport old hens have often been on other farms.

Rodents
• Rodents are known carriers of many poultry diseases and they are the most common reason for re-contamination of a cleaned and disinfected poultry facility.
• They are also responsible for house-to-house spread of disease on a farm.
• The farm should be free of debris and tall grass that might provide cover for rodents.
• Feed and eggs should be stored in rodent-proof areas.
• Bait stations should be placed throughout the house and maintained with fresh rodenticide. Check and rebait them regularly!

General rules of thumb
• Try to prevent exposure of the flock to wild birds.
• Quickly and properly dispose of dead chicks.
• Cleaning and disinfection of the house between flocks serves to reduce the infection pressure for a new incoming flock.
• Flush and sanitize the water lines/system. All feed and manure should be removed from the housing before cleaning.

Mycoplasmosis

• Vertically transmitted disease.
• All BHV² PS flocks are free of Mycoplasmosis. Incubel guarantees the delivery of Mycoplasmosis-free chicks.
• Biosecurity
• Vaccination
• Egg yolk & equipment
• Company veterinary