Poultry 4 Flashcards
What is brooding?
Period of early life characterized by the requirement for supplemental heat
What is rearing?
Period of time from the end of brooding to the onset of sexual maturity
What is reproduction?
Onset of sexual maturity until end or reproduction cycle
Type of floor for brooding and rearing of broilers?
Litter floor
Qualities of a good litter floor?
eg.
Absorbent
Soft
Non irritant
ie., Straw, wood shavings
Type of floor for reproduction broiler breeder?
Slat/litter floor
Pros and Cons of slat/litter floor?
Pros - Slats allow for separation of males and females,
higher density,
fewer floor eggs
Cons
Difficult to clean
Rodent problems are worse
Why do we control body weight of broiler breeders?
Prevent obesity
Improve reproduction
Control sexual maturity
Why is body weight control controversial?
Birds are hungry
Sterotypes
How do we control feed of brooding and rearing stages?
Ad lib until 2-3 weeks
Feed allocation based on weight
Start restricting feed
Return birds to every day feed at 20weeks
How de we control feed intake at laying and breeding cycle?
Start breeder ration by 22 weeks (increased Ca and increased Protein)
Reduce feed intake when egg production starts to decline
5 methods of disease control
Isolation All in all out management Clean out and disinfection Source of stock Vaccination
Male management at hatchery
Dubbling - trim comb (allows for ID)
Removal of dew claw and inner toe nails - prevents injury during mating
Sex Ratios
- At hatching
- At breeding
- Order 13-15 males/100 females
2. House 8-10 males/100 females
Why and how do we separate male feeding during breeding?
Why
Control male weight
Different nutrient requirements
Results in better fertility late in breeding cycle
How
Metal grates over female feed to prevent male from eating
Raise male feeding above reach of female
