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Pointers for higher egg production
1. Quality Birds
Choose the strain that will perform best and is known to have good livability under reasonable environmental
conditions. Good chicks may cost more but they will perform better and pay more too.
2. Housing
There should be ample fresh air, free from drafts. Air must be circulating. High levels of non-desirable gases
decrease growth rate and increase flock's susceptibility to respiratory disease. Ensure that the litter is dry. A
well managed litter helps the birds in putting on feathers and improve feed conversion. It also reduces
coccidiosis problem.
3. CrowdingOvercrowding increases mortality, stress, as well as production cost.
4. Feeding
Always ensure adequate fresh feed. Birds that are without feed for six hours will record a drop in production
and a 12 hour starvation will result in moult of wing feathers. There should be adequate feeder space for the
birds. Guard against feed wastage. Maintain records of daily feed consumption. It will enable to determine
feed utilisation and bird's performance.
5. Watering
Provide plentiful and clean disinfected water. This management factor, although obvious, is commonly
violated. Water restriction is a quick way to accidentally force the flock to moult. Ensure that the waterers are
so placed that they are easily accessible to birds.
6. Lighting
The duration of light should be 16 hours per day, but not beyond 17 hours. No advantage is obtained by
exceeding this limit. The amount of light given to the flock in one day should never be less than that given
the day before. A decreasing day length can prematurely cause hens to go out to production. One 40 watt
electric bulb is sufficient for 200 sq.ft. area.
7. Vaccination
Ensure that all birds are vaccinated for Marek's Disease and Ranikhet Disease. Birds not vaccinated are
highly susceptible to these disease.
8. Debeaking
Follow correct debeaking programme. Poor debeaking can adversely affect egg production.
9. Culling
Unsuitable and uneconomic birds should be timely culled.
10. Health
Watch for early signs of disease for its timely treatment before it flares up in a big way. Some of the
symptoms that indicate the onset of disease problems are : Drop in egg production and feed consumption:
increased morbidity and mortality: inactivity and lack of vigour: droopy ruffled appearance and respiratory
distress. Look for any sudden change in egg quality.
11. Sanitation
Sanitary measures are of vital importance in poultry operation. Keep roundworms, tapeworms and caecal
worms under control. External parasites are a serious farm hazard, and can reduce production if unchecked.
Deworming at regular intervals should be practised.
12. Egg Quality
Respiratory and intestinal diseases should be kept under control for the maintenance of quality of egg shells.
Indiscriminate use of sulpha drugs can affect the egg shell quality. The use of tetracycline can, however,
improve it. 13. Records
A daily record of feed consumption, egg production, mortality, income and expenditure is essential to help
improve farming efficiency and pinpoint troubles and their solutions.
14. Routine Checking
Critical items of management should be listed on a daily, weekly or seasonal check list. Every item must be
checked. It helps to locate the cause of trouble when it occurs. Routine checks are: Cleaning and refilling of
waterers and feeders: cleaning the house and spraying insecticide; stirring the litter; dusting; culling of birds;
egg collection, etc.
21 май 2015
