Husbandry

Question 1

Broiler production

Answer 1

Broiler stock primarily selected for growth rate and feed conversion

Growth rate
○ 45g chick
○ 1900g at 34 days

Mortality rates 3%

Feed conversion rate: <1.5kg feed to 1kg meat - at farm gate

Drinks about 2x how much food it has (about 3L)

Question 2

Broiler breeding stock

Answer 2

Broiler breeder stock are primarily selected for growth rate and feed conversion

Voracious appetite

Weight gain has to be controlled or will impact on egg production

Feed restricted through life

Fed to growth curve

They are usually reared to 18/19 weeks on rearing farm after which they are moved to laying accommodation
○ Better use of capital
○ Different equipment required for laying

Question 3

Broiler breeders rearing

Answer 3

The birds are reared to a profile

Certain periods are important for development of organs of the body

Most breeders in UK reared on spin feeders

Daily allocation of feed is spun once a day and birds then pick the feed off the floor

Allows for more even and rapid distribution of the food

Question 4

Broiler breeders laying

Answer 4

Laying accommodation consists of slatted area with drinkers and adjacent nest boxes and litter area where the bird feeders are usually located

Two tier nest boxes maximises nest space to ensure they dont lay eggs on the floor

Closed water systems are easier to keep clean

Males and females feed separately to manage bodyweight

Birds fed in morning, eggs collected mid to late morning

No natural lighting
○ Need to control it to get laying right
○ Better for insulation

Question 5

Egg collection

Answer 5

Most UK farms now have automated nest boxes

Egg is laid and rolls away onto egg belt

Egg belts run at least once a day

Egg collected into setter trays

Marked as required by law

Stored on farm in temperature controlled store at between 15-17 degrees

Question 6

Layer breeders

Answer 6

Housing similar to broiler breeders

Since they are layer strains it is less critical to control their bodyweight

Question 7

Turkey husbandry

Answer 7

Birds reared to 20 weeks on a rearing farm

Moved to laying farms where stags and hens are separately housed

AI practiced, no naturally mated strains

Feeding controlled

A lot of housing still manual nests collected by hand

Some automated nests have been developed

Question 8

Pheasant husbandry

Answer 8

Breeding pheasant may be caught up at the end of the shooting season and then housed for laying

Reared and held on rearing site for use in future breeding

Cocks mated at 1:10 hens

Either in communal pens or small pens

No feed restriction

Eggs are laid in the floor or scratch nests under brush and collected by hand on a daily basis

Question 9

Partridge husbandry

Answer 9

Usually stock birds are kept over from previous seasons rearing birds

Birds are usually housed in pair boxes (1 male, 1 female) on wire with nest area

Eggs collected daily

Question 10

Gamebird problems in adults

Answer 10

• Production
  ○ Increasingly plain of nutrition
  ○ BW increase
  
  • Records
    ○ Egg number and size
    ○ Usable eggs
  • Fertility
    ○ Male has the greatest influence
    ○ Mating ratios
    ○ Pens v communal
  • Monitoring fertility

Question 11

Hatchery design

Answer 11

Obviously will depend on size of the operation

Commercial broiler hatchery v gamebird organisation

Same principal
○ Egg store
○ Setters (higher positive pressure than hatchers to keep area clean)
○ Transfer (can do in ova vaccinations at this point)
○ Hatchers
○ Chick processing and dispatch

Question 12

Hatchery design

Answer 12

Design is based on a one way flow from eggs through to chicks

Air flow is designed to follow this flow to prevent retrograde movement of air

Air filtered into and out of the hatchery

Air is conditioned, temperature and humidity in all compartments of the hatchery

Washable surfaces throughout usually to food grade standard

Bonded corners. Need to prevent accumulation of biofilm

Question 13

Setters

Answer 13

Eggs placed into setter for the first 18 days of incubation

Single stage or multistage

Temperature, humidity, CO2 levels managed

Setter trays angled at 45 degrees, automatically turned every hour, if wrong can effect level of hatchability

Question 14

Transfer

Answer 14

At 18 days egg transferred to hatchers

Modern systems highly automated, eggs are also candled (light will go through if not embryo) and infertiles and dead in shell removed

Eggs then placed in hatchery trolleys

If in ovo vaccination to be performed this will be done

Question 15

Hatchers

Answer 15

A lot of embryo heat

So main function is to remove heat, probably the most critical part for the long term viability of those chicks

Humidity increases as chicks hatch so manage the air flow to remove humidity

No turning required at this stage

Really important to manage temperature and humidity

Question 16

Chick processing

Answer 16

• Chicks at 21 days removed from hatch boxes
  
  • Graded to remove weak and defective chicks
  • Counted into baskets
  • Vaccinated if not vaccinated in ovo
  • Treated with probiotics

Question 17

In house hatching

Answer 17

Move to in house hatching

At transfer move eggs to broiler house

Laid out chicks hatch when ready

Drop into feed and have immediate access to feed and water

Has advantages and disadvantages
- Farmer has to able to manage those conditions properly to get the maximum hatchability
- All the unhatched eggs need to be picked up
- When chick hatches immediately has feed and water
- Tend to be quieter- less stress

Question 18

Causes of infertility in hens

Answer 18

Male management (BW prolife, foot and leg health)

Female management

Cock rations

Lighting program

Question 19

Causes of early dead embryo (2-5 days)

Answer 19

Nest management

Egg handling

Egg storage (on farm, transport, at hatchery) - often temperature interruption, should be at 25 degrees

Question 20

Causes of mid term dead embryos

Answer 20

□ Breeder nutrition
□ Vitamins especially
□ Egg contamination
□ Shell weakness