First published in the August issues of The Ranger, Commercial Manager Layers, Charles Macleod explains how bird weight is connected to production efficiency, and ultimately, profitability.
Efficiency: Key to sustainable egg production
With one eye on input costs, our eggs also need to be produced efficiently and sustainably. Our hens are bred to provide maximum output with minimal levels of nutrition for maintenance. Therefore, using the right feed at the right time and the right quantity is vital. This means checking that your birds are getting what they need from their feed. This is by no means a slight on the feed you might be using as ‘on paper’ it is no doubt the right ration for their age and stage of production. However, for many reasons your birds might not be getting the nutrition they need from it. You will only know whether they are in nutritional deficit or surplus through regular weighing.
As a reminder, nutritional deficit and surplus are equally problematic to laying flocks.
Nutritional deficit
- Reduced egg mass (the number of eggs multiplied by the average weight
- Reduced egg numbers
- Increased seconds
- Increased disease
- Mortality
Nutritional surplus
- Problematic egg size (too large)
- Egg size increase leads to shell quality and seconds issues
- Increased disease (Salpingitis)
- Reduced margin (feed wastage)
- house environment issues (excess protein/ammonia)
Feed components
A hen’s nutritional needs change significantly during the laying cycle and diets are formulated to match the development stage. Feed rations are designed in detail and consist of many components, often natural in origin.
The quality of these core ingredients can vary. However, it’s often due to environmental conditions during the growing and production process. An example would be the variable protein content in wheat.
In other cases, natural ingredients are by-products of an extraction process. As such the levels of protein and energy in sunflower meal can vary due to the different processes that are used to extract oil from the sunflower seeds.
Measure what you can measure
Monitoring feed/water input, egg output and flock weight together will help indicate how the flock are responding to the current ration formulation. This will provide valuable early warning of potential production and/or flock health issues and provide opportunities for timely intervention.
Step1: Input
- Work out how much feed is being eaten
- Feed formulation is based on standard intakes. Variations from these intakes must be accounted for in the formulation.
- What are the environmental conditions
- Laying hens “eat” to their energy requirements. If it is very cold, they will need more energy to keep warm and may eat more. Conversely when temperatures are high lower, “energy” is expended, and the flock may consume less feed.
- Flock health status
- Common ailments that can affect gut function and the GIT microbiome leading to sub optimal feed utilisation.
Step 2: Output
- Egg numbers
- How are they relative to breed standard for the flock age – stable, up or down?
- Egg weight
- What is the trend, and does it best suit the egg contract? Again, is it stable, up or down?
- Egg mass
- This is the key number for evaluating nutritional needs. If egg mass output is in line with breed standard, it is likely that, providing breed specific nutritional supply targets are being achieved and the flock’s nutrient requirements are in balance. Fluctuations in egg mass both positive and negative should be addressed with your nutritionist, and you keep a careful watch on hen’s weight.
Step 3: Weight change over time (note that bird weight will change before egg output changes)
- Weight increasing
- Could be caused by over feeding or reduced egg mass output, check the laying status of hens (pin bones).
- Weight decreasing could indicate
- Possible low feed intake
- Poor utilisation of feed components or sub clinical disease
- GIT dysbiosis, stress, RM components, grist profile
- Weight stable
- Combined with a stable Egg Mass output in post peak flocks should, be indication of nutritional balance.
For more information on weighing or flock health generally, get in touch: 01392 872932.