Cobb Breeder Administration Information: Feeding hens after switch and in manufacturing

9 Might 2024

8 minute learn

Editor’s notice: This text is an excerpt from the Cobb Breeder Administration Information and extra articles will comply with. The Information was designed to focus on essential components which might be most certainly to affect flock efficiency. To learn or obtain the entire Information or to view Cobb’s different administration guides, click on right here.

Early and late morning feeding

There are 2 applications for feeding broiler breeders in manufacturing:

Program 1 (Early Morning Feeding):
This program is utilized by 80 to 90 % of producers worldwide. With this technique, feed distribution is initiated at nighttime a couple of minutes earlier than the lights come on within the morning, or as much as 1 hour after the lights activate. This program is most well-liked with single gap mechanical nests or handbook collections. These nest methods can’t accumulate massive volumes of eggs and have to be gathered 4 to five occasions per day. This program is utilized in good performing operations, with minimal mechanical points by way of feed distribution.

If the birds are being fed 1 hour after the lights are on, swap off the lights when feed distribution begins to maintain the birds calm and to get the perfect feed and hen distribution over the size of the home. The chain feeding methods ought to make one full spherical earlier than lights are turned on.

Program 2 (Late Morning Feeding):
That is the popular program when there are administration points corresponding to feed distribution, eggshell high quality, labor or excessive numbers of flooring and slat eggs. Though this program isn’t as broadly used, it’s fairly efficient underneath sure circumstances. Good environmental management is essential to stop any warmth stress – don’t use this program throughout the hottest a part of the yr with out good environmental circumstances.

Feeding late morning or 7 to eight hours after the lights activate in darkish out housing, is completed by switching off the lights throughout feed distribution. The lights are switched on when the primary loop of chain feeders has been crammed.

Some key factors to think about when deciding on a feeding program

Program 1:

• Reduces warmth stress and metabolic points when utilizing early feeding in tropical areas, particularly throughout sizzling summer time months or when homes do not need optimum environmental circumstances.
• The hens have a stronger urge for food with shorter consumption time when temperatures are cooler within the morning.
• This program permits afternoon mating exercise with fewer interruptions.
• Tools malfunctions could be detected early within the morning offering extra time throughout the day for repairs.

Program 2:

• Start late morning feeding throughout rearing, in order that birds are accustomed to the feeding time. Sometimes, throughout rearing, feeding time is slowly moved from 8 AM at 10 weeks to 11 AM at 16 weeks of age.
• Delaying feed supply permits producers to measure dry body weight (body weight earlier than every day feed consumption).
• For younger flocks, 8 hours after the lights are turned on, greater than 90 % of the every day manufacturing has already been laid within the nests. Thus, within the early morning hens won’t go away the nests for feeding.
• Late morning feeding permits a later begin time for farm personnel. When arriving within the morning, personnel can go straight to egg assortment.
• With late feeding, personnel usually tend to be current if gear malfunctions throughout feeding.
• Late morning feeding is simpler with group nest methods that permit 7 to eight hours of egg manufacturing to build up on the central egg belt (50cm large).

Body weight enhance from onset of lay to peak manufacturing

Monitoring body weight will increase from onset to peak of manufacturing is an effective indicator of feeding program administration, as a result of it gives forecasting of peak manufacturing and publish peak manufacturing persistency. Peak manufacturing is set by uniformity, body weight and feeding program within the rearing interval. A very good benchmark is to measure the load achieve of females from the onset of lay to peak egg manufacturing. Onset of lay being outlined between 0.5 and three.0 % weekly manufacturing. A body weight enhance of 13 to fifteen % is used when the body weight of the females is on normal and as much as 5 % over or underneath the usual body weight. If the manufacturing within the first week surpasses 3 %, feed quantities could be based mostly on the typical body weight from the week earlier than to carry out the calculation.

Evaluation of three flock eventualities:

Within the desk above, a very powerful information to handle flock efficiency are age, body weight, feed quantity and proportion of manufacturing together with the timing of the primary gentle enhance. The requirements are solely a information and use the Cobb 500 Quick Feather in closed housing for example. A poultry technician can forecast based mostly on the onset of manufacturing what the body weight needs to be at peak manufacturing and with the addition of an extra 500 to 600 g (1.1 to 1.3 lb) the forecast body weight of the females at 65 weeks. This information could possibly be utilized by the poultry technician to forecast the usual body weight profile for every flock over the manufacturing interval. Optimum weighing applications embrace weights of females and males by way of 35 weeks of age, after which each 2 weeks from 35 to 50 weeks of age, after which each 4 weeks by way of the tip of the flock.

Manufacturing enhance to peak manufacturing

Manufacturing will increase over the primary 3 weeks are a great indicator of peak manufacturing and persistency. The desk (above) provides an instance of 4 excessive performing flocks which might be sexually synchronized and with peaks of 88 %. The desk demonstrates manufacturing will increase which might be required for good peak manufacturing. Flocks with a median begin at 1 to three % weekly manufacturing ought to enhance manufacturing by 10 occasions the from the first to the 2nd week and double manufacturing from the 2nd to the third week. It will point out good sexual uniformity in flocks. Within the desk (above) Flock D resembles Flock A however Flock D begins manufacturing 1 week earlier. On the whole, by 28 weeks, all flocks needs to be above 80 % weekly manufacturing efficiency.

Submit peak feeding – feed discount

Broiler breeder hens are predisposed to grow to be over weight and over fleshed, which may have an effect on persistency of lay and fertility. Being over weight may probably end in a rise in flooring eggs as a consequence of issue in accessing the nest packing containers. Peak manufacturing is the purpose at which the typical proportion of manufacturing for the previous 5 days begins to lower. Discount within the every day feed quantity is essential to keep up hen efficiency.

The next are 2 eventualities typically encountered within the subject and examples of options:

Over feeding at peak:

Lower feed by 5 g publish peak over 2 weeks. Then, lower 1 g per week by way of 40 weeks. Lastly, lower 1 g per week each 4 weeks till the cumulative drop in feed is 7 to 10 %. (5 g per week = 1.10 lb per 100 hens per week; 1 g per week = 0.22 lb per 100 hens per week)

Appropriate feeding in peak:
Preserve peak feed for two to three weeks and reduce slowly with most of 1 g per week till whole drop in feed is 5 to 7 %. Extra feed decreases are attainable based mostly in your native circumstances together with flocks going from winter to summer time intervals and relying on the power specs of the Breeder 2 feeds. (1 g per week = 0.22 lb per 100 hens per week).

Periodic dealing with of the hens, together with weighing, is critical to find out delicate adjustments in physique composition, situation and fats reserves of the hens. Further objects to think about when figuring out the feed discount schedule:

• Cleanup time: A feed cleanup time of 1.5 hours for crumble feed and as much as 3 hours for mash feed is taken into account regular. A flock that consumes the every day ration in much less time might not be receiving the vitamins wanted and could also be hungry. Early feed withdrawal publish peak may adversely have an effect on manufacturing. Cleanup occasions of three.5 to 4.0 hours will end in over weight birds, poor uniformity and extra feed quantities in peak manufacturing. Prolonged cleanup time may result in selective consuming – birds deciding on coarse particles and leaving the superb particles. It will trigger a lack of uniformity and efficiency (egg numbers and feminine fertility). Moreover, selective consuming can cut back vitamin and mineral consumption as these could also be a part of the superb feed supplies. A quicker peak feed withdrawal could also be thought of.

• Egg Mass: Egg weight and body weight are instantly correlated. The next body weight will usually end in a better egg weight. Introducing Breeder 2 feed when egg weight is at 60 g for quick feather and 62 g for gradual feather females could be an environment friendly strategy to management body weight and egg weight.
• Breeder 2 feed ought to all the time have the identical or considerably greater power stage as Breeder 1. Power consumption permits the females to supply and keep manufacturing of eggs.

Hen feathering throughout manufacturing

Feather high quality and canopy of the hens in manufacturing is an important indicator of manufacturing persistence and excessive fertility. The next are a few of the major causes for fast feather loss in breeder hens:

• Feathering points in rearing as a consequence of administration or low important amino acid profiles within the pullet grower feed.
• Inadequate feeder area between 20 and 27 weeks when feed cleanup time could be very quick.
• Feed distribution with lights on, leading to overcrowding in components of the home corresponding to round distribution hoppers. This might additionally end in thigh scratches from females.
• Feed distributing with lights on ends in hens working alongside feed tracks, inducing stress and inner lay or egg peritonitis.
• Low conditioning and fats reserves at photograph stimulation. These females can present extra feather put on as early as throughout peak manufacturing.
• Tight feed restriction grill (<45 mm or 3/4 in) will have an effect on the heavier females after 40 weeks. These females could have bother consuming sufficient feed resulting in a drop in manufacturing and even molting. Their heads could expertise feather loss and swelling due to the tight grill. This swelling shouldn’t be confused with swollen head syndrome or pneumo-virus.
• Over mating by males.
• Any feed passage, flushing or diarrhea decreasing the absorption of vitamins.
• Persistent enteritis within the duodenum.

To learn or obtain the entire Cobb Breeder Administration Information or to view Cobb’s different administration guides, click on right here.