Broiler breeder managment Flashcards
what is egg production like
- lighting preferably 21 weeks (23 max)
- age at 5% production - 25 weeks
- peak - 85.7% hen day production
- 64 weeks of age- 50% hen day production
- 182 total eggs per hen housed
- 175 hatching eggs - not really selected for reproduction( but lighting program should be for reproduction)
what are advantaged of 2/3 slat 1/3 litter
- increased housing density - more birds, because females can get away from the males
- less disturbance of birds - get space from the males
- fewer floor eggs of slats
- improved ventilation of slats
what are disadvantages to 2/3 slat, 1/3 litter housing systems
- difficult to adjust equipment
- difficult to control rodents or flies (manure scrappers)
- long time clean up
what equipment is used generally
- nests = automatic collection 1 nest per 4 to 5 hens or community nests (prevent floor eggs bacteria and dirt and prevent explosion in incubator)
- feed scales - needs to be weighed every singler day
- bird scales
why do we control feeding during the brooding and rearing period
- to prevent obesity (prolapse and get culled) and improve reproduction performance
what happens during a double yolk hierarchies from over weight
- number of eggs - number of settable eggs - can lead to double yolked eggs or abnormal shapes
how can obesity effect fertility
- males - low sperm count
- poor egg laying - late/dead embryos
why do we want to have weight control during brooding and rearing period
- improves feed efficiency
- reduce mortality - heart and skeletal problems reduced (growing and allows for proper development, prolapes and fatty liver syndrome
- delayed sexual maturity - larger initial egg size
what are disadvantages
- birds are hungry particular during brooding and rearing
- steriotipies are more prominant due to hunger = feeder pecking
- animal rights groups are unhappy with the need for food
what are some other feeding options
- spin feeders = spreads litter around over a large area
- they forage, take longer and they have somethign to do
- they eat slow
why is it important to fufill nutrient requirements
- moderate energy and protein levels temper growth
- poor uniformity and lack of success when attempting to use as sole growth regulator (birds wont get what they need)
- useful when in addition to quantataive restriction
- improving animal welfare (less stress) and extend feeding time
- rule of thumb - each 10% DILUTION of the diet results in about 30fi longer feed clean up
how do you know what to feed the birds and when
- ad libitum feeding until 2-3 weeks of age
- initiate weekly individual sample weighing by at least 2 weeks of age but perferably at hatch
what are the 2 calculations
- weigh birds at the same time each week - they eat more in the morning
- calculate average weight and uniformity (competition)
- record and plot using a bodyweight for age gap
- coefficient of variation or proportion of birds within a specific range of the mean
- feed allocation based on sample weight
when do you start to restrict feed
usually start restricting on a daily basis and then switch to feeding twice the restricted amount every other day basis= for improved flock uniformity
- every day ve everyother day feed = spin feeders and diet dilution
- return birds to everyday feeding at 18 weeks of age ( to get ready for egg laying )
what are requirements for feed restrictions
- use the primary breeder feeding programe as a guild
- adequate feeder space
- high speed feeders = move fast so big birds cant eat everything
- water intake control = too much water - larger amounts of fecal excretion - wet litter and ammonia and foot pad lesions
- accurate scales
when does feed levels increase again
- feed increasing levels of feed prior to sexual maturity
- coordinated with photo stimulation - light them
- start breeder ration by at least 22 weeks of age - higher in calcium for egg shells
- reduced feed intake when egg production starts to decline
what type of scratch feed should you use
- oats or other low energy grain
- large particle calcium source may benefit shell quality - sits in gut longer
what feed form should you feed them
- mash - keeps the weight down
how can you control coccidiosis (intestinal disease)
- chickens are susceptible to at least 11 specicies of coccidia
- ubiquitous to the poultry industry
- vaccination
- anti-coccidial medication
what happens to fertility as a bird ages
- fertiltiy declines with age
- decreased egg shell quality with flock age ( cracks and contamination - increased omphalitis
- more late embryonic mortality late in breeding cycle
what is dubbing
- at the hatchery cut the top og comb off AB males to identify them
- only on day of hatch chicks
- only on tip of the comb
what is vent sexing
- squeeze penis out
- only want AB males
why removal of the dew clae and inner toe nails
- infered removal
- prevents female injury during mating
what is beak tratment
- infered light
- male beak is left larger for mating process, he will not grab flap of skin = no mating
why would you separate males and females
- to keep uniformity, to avoid the males eating all the females food
what are the males to females rations in hatcher
13-15 males to 100 females
what are the males to females ratios in breeding
8-10 males per 100 females
what happens if there is to many males
they fight
not enough males
- they dont breed as much
why should you separate males
- controlling male weight
- male nutrition requirements (taller male feeders)
- results in better fertility late in breeding cycle
- methods of feeding males and females separately
- physical differences between males and females - males have fatter heads and cant access female feeders
what are nose bones
- keep males from eating female food - no longer used / allowed
what happens if a male is underweight
- reduced semen output and fertility
what are nutritional effects on reproduction
- fertility
- hatchability and chick quality (egg composition)
- size of eggs
- egg shell quality
- timing of feeding - turn lights on to have them feed - increase calcium during initial egg development
- energy and protein
what happens if there is to much protein
- affects metabolism
- increases requirements for B vitmains ( vitamins b12 and biotin
- reduced hatchability
what happens if there is too little protein
- focused on growing and not hatching
