Egg production Flashcards
Egg production steps
1.Primary breeding companies
2.Parent chicks
3.Multiplier breeding flocks
4.Hatching eggs
5.Multiplier Hatchery
6. Day old pullets
7. Pullet producers
8.Egg producers
9. Shell eggs
10. Egg processing company
Light components
-Light intensity
- Photoperiod length and distribution
-Light wavelength
Light- Photoperiod length and distribution
-important for long day vs short day breeders. Will manipulate lighting to match natural setting
Results:
-Helps to synchronize the flock and improve and maintain reproduction/control sexual maturity
Why do you want an intermediate age at sexual maturity?
Too early= small eggs, lower rate of lay, increased prolapse
Too late=fewer days to collect eggs
Constant vs changing photoperiod
Gradual changes= results in gradual increase in maturity
Abrupt changes= faster change in maturity levels
3 rules of thumb for lighting
- Never increase photoperiod length during brooding and rearing
**If you do will result in:
-induction of sexual maturity
-increase photoperiod beyond critical photoperiod - Min 12hrs of light needed for max stimulation
-Critical: 12l:12d - Never decrease photoperiod length during egg production
-maintenance of egg production and reproduction
Egg production by species
Lohmann LSL-LITE - high production of eggs even after aging (70% at 100wks)
Lohmann BROWN-CLASSIC have a larger decrease as they age (below 70% at 100weeks)
Egg shell quality
-increased incidence of cracked eggs with age of flock due to less calcium to deposit into eggs
*manipulate diet to try and prevent this
-also see a 0.5% increase in % cracks per month of production
Egg handling on farm
- Frequent gathering of Eggs
- Storage
- Clean conditions
Storage
-Stored for 4-7days
-Temperature: 5-10 degrees
-Relative humidity- 70=80%
Egg processing
1.washing
2.Egg candling
3.Ultrasound
4. Sizing
5. Cartoning
Egg washing
-high pH solution to eliminate bacteria; all eggs washed
-Once they are washed, cuticle is removed and eggs then need to be refrigerated as no longer protective layer
Egg candling
-Examine eggs to determine interior quality and eliminate blood spots, meat spots, double yolked eggs, abnormal shapes
-These eggs are still safe to eat but at graded as B eggs, often will go to a breaker plant for use in baking/production.
What are they looking for when egg candling?
-Air cell size
-Distinctiveness of yolk
-Shells
-Abnormal contents (blood spots, meat spots, double yolked)
Ultrasound eggs
Used to detect cracked eggs
*will be considered grade C eggs= breaker plant
