Poultry Management II – SS1 Livestock Farming Lesson Note (Second Term)

Poultry management II is the care of birds after brooding, covering growers (6 to 18 weeks) and layers (20 weeks and above).

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. describe how growers are fed and housed, and state why farmers debeak them;
2. explain why layers need layers mash, extra light and culling;
3. distinguish a good layer from a bad layer using comb and wattles, vent, pubic bones and eyes;
4. state the rules for collecting, cleaning, storing and grading eggs.

What are the stages of poultry management after brooding?

After the brooding stage, birds pass through the grower stage and then the layer stage.

• Last lesson: the “nursery” stage, which was brooding and caring for baby chicks.
• This lesson: growers (the “teenagers”) and layers (the adults that give us eggs).
• Change of goal: the aim moves from keeping chicks alive to getting birds ready to produce eggs.

How are growers managed (6 to 18 weeks)?

Growers are young birds that have left the brooder and grown their feathers, like the “secondary school” stage of a chicken.

Feeding

• Feed type: change from chick starter to growers mash.
• Protein level: growers mash has less protein than chick starter.
• Energy: it still supplies enough energy for strong bones and organs.
• Aim: birds grow well without getting too fat too early.
• Water: clean water must always be available.

Space

• More room: larger birds need more floor space than chicks.
• Overcrowding: it leads to cannibalism, which is birds pecking and hurting each other.
• Other effects: overcrowding also causes stress, poor growth and quick spread of disease.

Debeaking

Debeaking is the trimming of the tip of a bird’s beak.

• Method: the tip is carefully cut with a hot blade.
• Reason 1: to stop birds pecking each other.
• Reason 2: to stop egg eating later in life.
• Reason 3: to reduce feed wasted by scattering.
• Effect: the bird can still eat, but it cannot hurt other birds easily.

How are layers managed (20 weeks and above)?

Layers are hens that have reached point of lay, which is about 18 to 22 weeks, and now produce eggs.

Feeding

• The switch: move birds from growers mash to layers mash.
• Calcium: layers mash is rich in calcium.
• Reason: a hen uses a lot of calcium to make the hard shell of an egg each day.
• Water: layers need a constant supply of clean water.

Lighting

• Length of light: layers need about 14 to 16 hours of light daily.
• Reason: light keeps the hormones for egg laying active.
• Natural light: Nigeria has good sunlight during the day.
• Artificial light: large farms often leave a bulb on for some hours in the evening.
• Extra benefit: the bulb keeps birds eating and laying.

Housing and nests

• Clean house: keep the litter dry and the pen clean to prevent disease.
• Nest boxes: provide quiet, clean boxes where hens can lay.
• Benefit: nest boxes reduce cracked eggs and eggs laid on the floor.

Culling

Culling is the identifying and removing of poor layers from the flock.

• Target: “lazy” hens that eat feed but do not lay eggs.
• Also removed: sick or weak birds that cost money to keep.
• Benefit: feed is not wasted and profit increases.

How do you tell a good layer from a bad layer?

A good layer is a hen that is laying regularly, and a bad layer is one that has stopped laying.

You can tell which bird is laying by looking at her and handling her.

How should eggs be handled?

Egg handling is the set of steps for collecting, cleaning, storing and grading eggs so that they do not crack or spoil.

• Fragile: eggs crack easily.
• Loss: poor handling causes cracks and spoilage, and the farmer loses profit.

What are the rules for egg handling?

1. Frequent collection: collect eggs at least 2 or 3 times a day.
2. Reason for collecting often: eggs left in the pen may be stepped on, and birds may start eating them.
3. Cleanliness: wipe a slightly dirty egg with a dry, rough cloth or sandpaper.
4. No water: never wash eggs with water, because it opens the tiny pores of the shell and lets bacteria in.
5. Storage: store eggs in crates with the pointed end facing down.
6. Storage place: keep them in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
7. Grading: sort eggs by size into large, medium and small.
8. Selling: customers pay more for a crate of uniform, large eggs.

What is the farmer’s daily routine with layers?

The daily routine is a fixed set of jobs done every day to keep layers healthy and laying.

1. Check the water and refill the drinkers with clean water.
2. Provide fresh layers mash.
3. Look for any bird that looks “sad”, droopy or sick.
4. Collect eggs 2 or 3 times a day.
5. Keep the house and litter clean.
6. Remove poor layers when they are identified.

Evaluation

1. If you have 100 birds and you are only getting 20 eggs a day, what should you do? (Hint: look at the table on good and bad layers.)
2. Why is it wrong to wash a dirty egg with water before selling it?
3. Why is layers mash rich in calcium?
4. State two differences between the comb of a good layer and the comb of a bad layer.
5. Give two reasons why farmers debeak growers.

Assignment

Go to a local market or shop. Compare the price of a “Crate of Large Eggs” with a “Crate of Small Eggs.” Write down the price difference and explain why the large ones are more expensive.