Poultry

Management

Salient points for achieving good results in poultry

Chick Management (0-8 Weeks)

  • Maintain the brooding temperature at 90-95 F by providing 1-2 watt per chick, depending upon the climate.
  • Fresh, clean water has to provide for chicks.
  • Test water quality and use water sanitizers, if required.
  • Debeak the birds between 8-10 days preferably with automatic debeaker. Later the debeaking, more the stress. Single debeaking enables the flock, more uniform and less stress to the chicks. In case you need to second debeaking, do it during 12th -13th weeks of age.
  • Ensure ND Killed for chicks along with Lasota on 5-7th day in all seasons.
  • Avoid overcrowding in the flock.
  • Monitor the body weights and uniformity of the flock every 2 weeks and compare with our standards.
  • Monitor the feed intake on weekly basis.
  • Please ensure the usage of good quality anticoccidial in the feed for the batches reared on deep litter.

Grower Management

  • Provide adequate floor space, feeder space and water space.
  • Feed the birds with high energy diet during the growing phase.
  • Ensure potent fowl-pox vaccine (Sarabhai/Solvay) twice by wing-web method only and observe for the "Vaccine takes".
  • Balance the feed for Methionine, Lysine, available phosphorus and Calcium
  • Avoid excess calcium in the feed. Please note that if you use excess calcium you need to also give higher level of phosphorus in feed which will increase your feed cost without any additional benefits.
  • Avoid stress during 7-11 weeks as the growth is maximum during this phase.
  • Monitor the body weight and uniformity every 2 weeks during growing phase as it is the prime criteria for the laying performance. If body weights are lesser than standard continue the chick feed upto 10-12 weeks.
  • Do not provide lighting during the growing period.
  • Shift the birds to layer house not later than 16 weeks and avoid handling thereafter.

Calcium requirements of Hy-Line

Age in weeks
Calcium % in feed
0-17 1.0%
18-20 or upto 5% production 2.1%
21-23 or upto 50% production 3.3%-3.5%
24-72 upto 72% production 3.6%-4.0%

Layer Management

  • Vaccinate the pullets with ND killed in place of R2B at 16th -17th week.
  • Provide prelayer mash from 18th week.
  • As Hy-Line eats less feed, formulate the feed based on the feed intake.
  • The feed consumption should be monitored closely and if consumption is less, try to improve the consumption by use of Rice Polish, Liver tonics to get the peak production on time.
  • Clean the bulbs often to get brighter light.
  • Replace the worn out bulbs with new bulbs and verify the uniform light distribution.
  • Initiate lighting for Hy-Line at 18th week or at the point of attainment of 1250 gms body weight, which ever is earlier.
  • Grade the birds once in every 2 weeks.
  • Do not overcrowd the birds in the cages.

Top

Animal Husbandry