Proper lighting preparation for breeding hens is critical to the success of a breeder flock. The process begins when the breeding chickens are put into the breeding farm and continues until they are fed out at 21 to 22 weeks.
Management guidelines often do not include the condition of chickens in the lighting factor. For example, lighting is generally based on week age and the availability of the laying house, regardless of weight, body type and fat deposition. It is essential that the pullets are raised in an excellent manner, ensuring that they meet all the required standards before they are added. The main points to consider are:
Basic animal husbandry methods
Lighting control during the growing period
evenness
Growth stage and weight management of pullets
Stage 1:0-8 weeks
Stage 2:8-12 weeks
Stage 3:12-16 weeks
Stage 4:16-20 weeks
burnishing
Basic farming methods
The needs of the flock must be met 24 hours a day and continue to be met throughout the lifetime of the flock. As farm managers, we control every aspect of the chickens' lives. We decide when the chickens are fed and watered and how warm the environment is. Consistency is key.
Guidelines and standards are developed to achieve results. Within these basic requirements, feeds may vary. Water, ventilation, and lighting should be kept constant and supervised by an integrated controller. The farm manager is responsible for weighing and distributing the feed and deciding how much feed to provide each week to ensure that the pullets reach the desired weight standard. Feed transport must be monitored daily. Note that automatic feeding equipment is not automatic; Daily "hands-on" management is required to ensure the proper functioning of the feeding system.
Lighting control during growing
During the breeding period, the light program of the pullets generally starts from 14-21 days and is carefully managed to promote growth and normal activity to control the sexual development of the chickens (light stimulation). To achieve this, we recommend that pullets suppress light stimulation with low intensity (5-7 lux) and for short periods (8 hours per day). In general, 8 hours of light per day can be started after the pullets have eaten their daily limited amount of feed in 4 hours. The breeder coop should have 100% light control and no light leakage.
There must be a distinction between day and night. Light leakage during the growing period may confuse the "biological clock" of the chickens, resulting in uneven light-adding responses in the laying house. This unbalanced response can lead to weaker peaks and poor persistence after egg production drags.
Flock uniformity
Uniformity is critical to ensure a uniform response of the flock to light addition. Uniformity starts at the hatchery; Chicks should be separated according to weight in hatcheries and released according to weight on farms. Chicks that are younger or younger in their laying weeks should have a chance to catch up within 4 weeks. These chicks have the same egg-laying potential as larger chicks, but can be at a disadvantage if not properly managed.
Many factors can reduce evenness, especially feed. Unreasonable feeding space and poor feed distribution are the two main reasons leading to poor uniformity. Every chicken should have a fair chance to eat at feeding time. Other feeding schemes may be beneficial for increasing feed supply, such as four to three feeds, five to two feeds or other day feeding programs.
A good evenness at the growing stage is generally 70-80% of chickens between +/-10% of standard body weight. If it is lower than 70%, this may have an impact on the laying period. Generally more than 80% of flocks are good at laying eggs.
Pullet growing link
Weight management is important in every period.
Period 1 - until week 8. The first four weeks of a flock can have an impact on the whole life of the flock. The first seven days of brooding should not be restricted. The chicks should feed freely. Cockerels and pullets should be bred just like broilers. The pullets should aim to reach four times their release in seven days.
A Cobo internal trial measured the early protein intake of raised hens during the first 4 weeks and found that flocks that consumed more than 170 grams of protein had better egg production and mortality. Chickens that ate 130 grams of protein had three times less bone density.
Early protein intake (160-180 grams in the first 4 weeks) is very important for the development of bone trabeculae (stores calcium). Be sure to reach your 4-week weight goal. By 8 weeks, 78% of bone development is complete. Good skeleton uniformity is very important for stage 1.
Stage 2 - starts at week 8 and goes through to week 12. This stage controls growth and deepens bone development. By 12 weeks, 90% of bone development is complete. The opportunity to continue developing the skeleton is gone. In stage 2, most chickens have a breast type score of "2". This stage is about developing the skeleton - not the chest.
In stage 2 it is very easy to see that the pullets are overweight. Chickens that are already overweight at this stage and already have good breast shape generally do not perform very well during the laying cycle. While they carry a lot of extra muscle and weight, fat storage is not as good. Body weight is controlled by feed intake. A feeding routine must be developed to achieve the desired weight curve.
Stage 3 - From weeks 12 to 16, the pullets begin to build their shape. 12 weeks is the beginning of puberty. The muscles should be developing, and the breasts are getting bigger. By 14 weeks, 95% of the skeleton is formed. By 16 weeks, about 60% of chickens should have a "3" breast shape, and some chickens should still have a "2" breast shape. The feed increases more dramatically from 14-16 weeks. This is the beginning of Stage 4, or the "rising period" from 16-20 weeks.
Stage 4 - The body weight of the chicken should be increased by 33% to 36% to shape the body and prepare for fat storage before adding light. This was measured by measuring chest shape and pubic fat. It is important to note that the "rising period" needs to occur when the chickens are still exposed to low light intensity (5-7 lux) and 8 hours of light per day. If chickens are exposed to light before their body size and fat are ready, they will not perform well during the laying cycle. A chicken's body is not ready for the development of its reproductive system.
