Layer Management

The important guides on how to manage the poultry are; to understand the production capabilities, how
to budget for feeds, when to expect the first egg, factors that may influence onset of lay, when to expect
peak production, duration of lay and how to tell laying birds from those not laying, among more others.
Below are the areas that will be monitored;

Pullet

For the future laying flock to be successful and profitable, pullet management is crucial. Reaching a
specific body weight with good uniformity is the overarching goal of pullet development. Egg production
will fall if uniformity is less than 80%, and peak output will be challenging to sustain.

Chickens are typically simple to raise, but they do need some routine maintenance to be healthy.
Regular deworming is among the requirements for hens. We recommend purging once every 1 or 2
moths for older chickens. There are different types of purging. It depends on the age of the chicken and
depends on the type of worm.

Light Management
Water and feed need to be illuminated in order to increase feed intake and enhance egg production. To
prevent floor eggs, lighting is required above the aisles and underneath the system. Light is required for
parent stock to encourage fruitful matings. For chickens, light is important. Light is important for the
birds’ correct development throughout the rearing phase, to promote egg production, and to control
their behavior. Additionally, lighting has the power to both increase food and water intake while
simultaneously lowering stress levels and energy use. All of these things working together will lower the
feed conversion rate. As you can expect, all of this results in more daylight lay more eggs as a result of
the pituary’s secretion of FSH and LH. The generation of eggs is also influenced by light intensity.
Identification of laying hens:
Head and head parts - Pullets eyes should be bright, alert and round. Her beak should be short. The
shape of her head is round and flat on either side.

Body weight – the weight of pullet should be according to its age.

Body type and shape – the body shape is slanted down from the shoulder up on a narrow base of the
tail.

Vigor and vitality – healthy, vigorous, fast moving and alert are sign of a high-quality chicken.

Large and Soft Abdomen – the stomach is wide, soft and lean.

Pigmentation – has a yellowish color of the skin, beak, feet and head parts are signs of continuous
layering of eggs but it gradually disappears when starting layering eggs.

Plumage conditions – the feathers should be neat and well grown, it shows with proper care.

Expected performance
Mortality at rearing should not exceed 5 per cent. Mortality at lay should not be more than 8 per cent.
Age at start of lay is 17 to 20 weeks.

Nipple drinker
It can be used both in deep-litter and in cage system. When used in
deep-litter system, it is attached with cup under the nipple to
prevent wetting of litter material. These drinkers look like a nipple
and water drops comes out when they are pressed. One nipple
drinker in each cage housing 3 layers is sufficient.