Content available at:
العربية (Arabic)
In an alternative housing system, healthy birds are a prerequisite for the optimal performance of a layer flock. That demands adequate management and taking proper measures. Health management involves choosing the right breed, feeding program and system design. After that, it’s a matter of planning, observing and adjusting.
By Bart Stokvis
Veterinarian
Hendrix Genetics
The Netherlands
In the past, managing health in a cage system layer house involved few steps. As many experienced egg producers know, a conventional cage system means small group sizes, climate controlled houses, lower dust concentration, easy access to feed and water, and a lower risk of disease.
Manure can be easily separated and removed from the birds, and the eggs are delivered and collected in a clean and easy to manage system. However, from a welfare perspective, the alternative systems allow the birds to express natural behaviours such as perching, scratching, and wing flapping.
When making the switch to an alternative system, how can one maintain good health within the flock? The good news is that once you have spent some time observing the birds in the system and then making the necessary adjustments, it is possible to achieve the same technical results as in previous cage systems. Time is the biggest investment.
Breed selection
The first factor when choosing what breed to use in operations is whether a white or brown egg market is served. After determining which colour breed is needed, it is important to use a breed that is docile and robust when using an alternative system. Within a cage free system, the birds are able to move freely and express natural behaviours, so they use significantly more energy in their daily activity. For this reason it is important to start out with very robust birds that continue to produce a high number of eggs, maintain good health and are able to resist disease.
Additionally, the birds must be able to seek out their feed and eat well, especially during the rearing process. Starting with a breed that has the drive to eat and will explore the system in order to find food and water will go a long way in maintaining good health. During the rearing process, the goals are to achieve low mortality and make sure pullets are strong with high uniformity; pullets should be trained in moving around the system, keep a high feed intake, and maintain clean and undamaged feathering. This is all possible by star...
Regístrate gratuitamente y accede a los mejores artículos sobre nutrición en avinews .
Regístrate en aviNews to unlock this article and get more benefits like:
Iniciar sesión
Access to
revista digital
Videos y podcasts exclusivos
Newsletters with the
últimas novedades
Regístrate en aviNews
REGISTRARME
