Flock management tip for Breeders: Floor eggs - prevention is better than cure
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Floor eggs represent a loss of production, a hygiene risk to the hatchery, and will reduce hatch and chick quality.
Attention to detail avoids floor eggs:
- Train birds to use nests
- Maintain the correct environment to encourage nesting
- Remove alternative nesting sites
Training
Introduce perches or platforms at 28 days of age.
Nest boxes
- Keep clean
- Close during dark period
- Keep secure and well maintained
- 3-4 hens/nest box for manual or 40 hens /linear m (12 per linear ft) for automatic.
Feeding
Avoid feeding in the period when most eggs are laid; between 30 mins and 6 hrs after lights on.
Environment
- Eliminate poorly lit areas or shadows
- Avoid draughts in nests
- Ensure ventilation is evenly distributed throughout the house
- Walk the house regularly during lay (10-12 times during the first 3 weeks)
- Collect floor eggs regularly.
More in this series: Flock Management tips: breeders
September 2020 - February 2019
7 August 2019
3
minute read
