Poultry Breeding Flock Flashcards
What does the environment inside the trucks transporting poultry have to be like
26-29 degrees
Humidity - 70%
How do you prepare before the arrival of chicks
House cleaned and disinfected
Allow 2 weeks downtime (without any chickens)
Prepare house - 33-36 degrees at chick level humidity 60%
All in place 48-72 hours before arrival of chicks
Feed in appropriate feeders
Water supply
Bright light 30-50 lux
What is brooding
Birds can’t regulate body temperature under 2 weeks old
Important duration dependent on type of birds, local climate
10-21 days
Thermoregulation of chicks
Allows birds to see and be active in looking for food and water
Variations in brooding can = decreased uniformity and infections
Have a look at the brooding pictures!
In power point
What feeder types can we use for chicks
Pan feeder
Flat chain / auger
Tube feeders
Why are we specific about feeders in chickens
Reduce spillage, allow access for all so performance isn’t hindered, to improve estimate for FCR
What does good nutrition provide for chickens
To provide balanced diet for all ages of parent stock for development and production and to optimise welfare, reproduction and chick quality.
Good uniformity
To maintain recommended LW - feed composition form and management
What is parent stock nutritional specification
Daily nutritional requirement of a bird by intake and nutrition concentration
Main components = energy, protein, macro minerals, phytase, trace minerals, vitamins
How to we use a feeding program
Use correct nutrition for specific stages of production
28 days = starter period
Grower period
Pre-lay or transitional to sexual maturity
Laying stages
Peak egg production
Peak production to depletion
How do you feed male chickens
Males have separate formulation and separate feeding line
Look at table in power point
Look!
What must we consider with chickens when providing water
Layers - type of drinker in rearing and laying should be same
Flush water line prior to arrival of birds
Flush water lines weekly
Record daily flock consumption
Ensure position of drinker level with chicks back or with chicks head
What are two types of water drinkers for chicks
Cup drinkers
Nipple drinkers
How should house temperature be designed for chickens
Monitor temperature at chick height
Maintain thermoneutral temperature
May vary with chicks age
How should ventilation be set in chicks house
Volume of air per bird per hour
Set ventilator based on weight
What problems can varying humidity cause
Less than 50% - dehydration at brooding
Less than 30% - uniformity can be worse
Above 80% - can cause litter problems
What are the benefits of good body condition
Good fertility and production
How many males do we need her number of females
Weeks 22-24 = 9.5-10 for every 100 females
Weeks 30-35 = 8.5-9.75 for every 100 females
Weeks 40-50 = 7.5-9.25 for every 100 females
Weeks 50 to depletion - 7-9 for every 100 females
How do we access body condition score for males
Alertness activity
Shape and softness of breast
Legs and feet - straight and no abrasions
Head - uniform and intense red around comb, wattle and eye area, beaks uniform
Feathering - good quality males may have some loss around shoulders and thighs
Vent - some feather wear be large and moist and good red colour
Body weight according to target
How do we access body condition of females
Weight 50 birds or 2% of flock per week
How do we access females body score
Pin bone spacing
Body score 1-3
1 = emaciated
2 = preferred
3 = too much fat/flesh
How do we actually weigh the birds
Weekly
Manual scales
Electronic weighing
In house automatic weighing
Why do we use a lighting program
Controlled lighting to achieve optimal egg production
Rearing period will promote early development encourage feed intake, promote growth rate, to control sexual maturity
Promote growth at start of laying
Control liveability
Increase egg size and ability to hatch
Promote egg shell quality
What does light intensity do for poultry
Encourages chick activity to discover environment - water feed ect.
