Better males through restaurant feeding

AVINEWS INTERNATIONAL| aviNews International March 2022 | Reproduction and genetics

Male restaurant feeding has been around for some time in breeder production houses that are 100% litter. In this article, the two better designs are described.

Split feeding of breeder males and females has been common practice for many years. An alternative is a “male restaurant”, in which males are kept together and fed at certain times.

The reward is high male flock uniformity, high fertility rates, and excellent average hatchability.

DESIGN 1: FIXED PEN LOCATED AT THE END OR MIDDLE OF THE PRODUCTION HOUSE

In the first design on 100% litter, a male restaurant is placed in the middle of the house or at the end of the house and is composed of a fixed pen with sufficient male feeder space (photo 1). male-restaurant-feeding

Photo 1. An illustration of a male restaurant, which is composed of a fixed pen located at the end or middle of the production house.

Males are transferred 5 to 7 days earlier than females to the production house to train them with a whistle to come to the restaurant pen for their daily feeding.
When cued by the sound of the whistle, the males congregate at the restaurant entrance.
The entrance is then opened to let all of the males inside and then closed after they are all in.
Once the males are separated from the flock, the females are fed.

After the females finish their feed, the door of the male restaurant is opened and the males stream outside and distribute over the house, mating with receptive females.