Preparing Replacement Layers
Everything that you can do to establish a settled routine at this stage will pay dividends in terms of creating a manageable and profitable system.
In the Rearing House
- Weigh birds at the rearing farm between 10 and 12 weeks. If underweight, consider feeding a high protein, medium energy ration, as this will help them to regain lost bodyweight.
- As they are handled for transfer to the laying house, birds can be vaccinated. Remove any that are too light as these birds will be under severe stress, often the cause of feather loss starting within the flock.
In the Laying House
- Make sure the lighting in the laying house is brighter than in the rearing house. This helps birds get used to the new surroundings and prevent floor eggs.
- In the early days, a light sprinkling of sand covering the scratching area will discourage birds from laying eggs on the floor. Replace this with litter when the birds are consistently using the nest boxes.
- Familiarise birds with the raised, slatted areas and nest boxes by penning them into this area for 3 to 5 days.
- Before birds come into lay, get them used to all the different sounds that could occur in the house, including fans, scrapers, feeders, even unfamiliar people.
- Once laying has started, sudden, startling noises can disrupt production.
- Weigh birds weekly until after peak, using the breeder’s guide to determine the target weight. The idea is to get at least 80% of birds to reach this weight, with a 10% tolerance either way.
- Wide variations in weight could indicate diseases such as worms, cocciodiosis and enteritis.
- Consider delaying the increase in lighting hours to give birds extra time to regain bodyweight. Take care not to restrict the light hours for too long, as the birds will require more time to feed.
- As recommended in the growing period, a high protein/medium energy ration will also help underweight birds in early lay to regain healthy body weight and not fat.