Page 14 - AWA Vol.42-No.5 issue

PoulTry

Broiler Breeders: Main Factors Affecting Egg Production

nutrition, which causes great difficulty in breeding management,
and is prone to a vicious circle in which uniformity changes from
poor to worse.
Poor uniformity is a key factor in reducing egg production, not
only affecting the peak of egg production, but also the persis-
tence of egg production. As shown in the figure below, as the
body weight uniformity of broiler breeders decreases, both the
peak egg production and the overall egg production rate have a
significant downward trend.

2.Light management
The light of the chicken house mainly includes the two aspects
of light time and light intensity, and can also be refined to the
wavelength of light and the uniformity of light.
Light can stimulate the secretion of gonadal hormones, so it has
a significant impact on the egg-laying performance of breed-
In the process of commercial breeding, the egg production ers. Sudden changes in the light program and light intensity
rate directly affects the economic benefits of broiler breeder will cause the egg production of chickens to decrease, such as
breeding. sudden delay of light time and increase of light intensity, which
The production performance of many flocks tends to fluctuate may easily cause breeders to prolapse and pecking. Therefore,
greatly and cannot meet the manual standards. The main mani- the lighting program should be stable and the intensity should
festations are: early or late start-up time of breeders; small egg be appropriate. What the lighting program does change is it’s a
weight, low pass rate of breeding eggs; low egg production gradual transition.
peak and short duration ; Eggs drop quickly after the peak of Different light stimulation days also affect the performance of
egg production.
broiler breeders, so choosing the right light age is also critical
The level of egg-laying performance of breeders directly af- to maximizing breeder performance.
fects the economic benefits of enterprises. Therefore, how to im-
prove the egg-laying performance of breeders has become the If the conditions are not ripe, the forced lightening procedure
most concerned issue for related enterprises. is adopted, which will cause a series of problems such as slow
egg production, more double yolks, yolk peritonitis, anus turn-
Management factor ing, high death rate, and delayed egg production peak.
1.Evenness 3.Chicken house environmental management
The uniformity of the flock refers to the percentage of chickens The closed chicken house must adjust the ventilation or heat-
with the same physiological standard or body weight reaching ing of the chicken house to make the temperature, humidity and
the target body weight (generally within the range of ±10%) in air quality of the chicken house meet the standard. The suitable
the entire flock. The higher the uniformity value, the better. If the temperature of the chicken house during the breeding and lay-
uniformity of broiler breeders is less than 80%, group manage- ing period is 18-22 °C, and the temperature difference between
ment need to require. day and night is less than 3 °C.
The uniformity of the flock during the rearing period has an im- Broiler breeders achieve their best production potential only
portant impact on the height of the egg production peak, the du- under good house environmental conditions. In winter, the con-
ration of the egg production peak and the egg weight of the hens tradiction between heat preservation and ventilation is often en-
in the future. Good body weight uniformity encourages breed- countered. Some breeders are afraid that the chickens will be
ers to start laying at the same time on the ideal date until the cold, so they completely seal the chicken house and do not open
peak of egg production and lasts for a long time, so the method the exhaust fan for ventilation. The content of harmful gases
of feeding restriction should be adopted during breeder rear- increases, and the body’s resistance decreases, and respira-
ing, combined with weekly weight monitoring, and continuous tory diseases are prone to occur, resulting in a decrease in egg
adjustment Body weight uniformity, so that the breeder flock can production. Therefore, keep the air in the house fresh and dry,
reach the ideal body weight uniformity at the appropriate age, pay attention to heat preservation in winter, and seriously solve
and the overweight or thin chickens should adjust the feeding the contradiction between ventilation and heat preservation;
method in time to make them reach the ideal weight. pay attention to heatstroke prevention and cooling in summer,
Chickens with poor uniformity cannot respond synchronously and provide a good environment for breeders to maximize the
to light, environmental control, vaccines, medication, and feed egg-laying performance of breeders.
Retech Farming-Multi-tier Floor Breeding Equipment for
Broiler Breeders
We have extensive experience in producing breeding equip-
ment and providing after-sales service. Tell us your farm size,
and our project manager will customize a farming plan for
10,000-50,000 chickens, taking into account your local climate
and environment to simplify your farming management.
Circle 14 on enquiry card
12 Vol. 42 No. 5