Lecture No.

7 & 8

BODYWEIGHT CONTROL FOR HEAVY STRAIN BREEDER

In 1992 Nicholas published a weight recommendation of 22.00 lbs (10.0 kgs)

for heavy strain replacement hens at lighting. Since then, the bird has continued
to improve in growth potential and the recommended lighting weight is now
27.16 lbs (12.3 kgs). This trend will continue due to ongoing genetic selection to
improve commercial performance of heavy strain turkeys.
While the growth rate, FCR and breast meat yield of the commercial turkey have
improved, the potential for egg production in the breeder is also increasing;
however, as the female line becomes heavier, management of the hen during the
rearing stages becomes more important in determining the peak egg production
and the persistency of lay. Management of the bird‟s growth is essential to ensure
maximized performance from heavy strain hens.
FOLLOW THE WEIGHT PROFILE
In order to achieve optimum reproductive performance, it is important to follow
the weight profile recommended by the company you buy birds from. A dynamic
system of monitoring and reacting to body weight changes is crucial to achieve
the best results.
PROVIDE APPROPRIATE DIETS FROM DAY ONE
During the first 6 weeks the fundamental development of the skeleton, immune
system and cardiovascular system takes place. It is important to get the hens off to
a good start by following the weight profile and by providing diets that have the
correct balance of nutrients at the right time. This does not mean feeding
commercial diets. These high-density commercial starter diets can make it difficult
to hold birds to target weights.
WEIGH BIRDS WEEKLY FROM 3 WEEKS
Start a weekly weighing program when the birds are 3 weeks of age. It is
important to monitor the weekly weights against the target to ensure the birds are
on track to hit the 6 week weight. By the time the birds leave the brooder house at
6 weeks they should weigh 3.4 lbs (1.5 kgs).
ACHIEVE 6, 16 AND 22 WEEK WEIGHTS
From 6 to 22 weeks of age, the birds continue to develop their skeletal structure
as well as feather coverage and musculature. Achieving the target weights at 6, 16
and 22 weeks of age is key to maintaining the hen on target. Our research has
shown that if these three points are achieved in a smooth, relatively unbroken line,
the hen will be in a position to come in on target weight and with the proper body
composition.
MOVE BACK TO THE TARGET, BEFORE 16 WEEKS
If birds are off of the weight target early in life, use the diet schedule and patience
to bring the birds back to the correct line. Move heavy flocks onto the next ration
sooner and hold light flocks on the higher protein ration longer to adjust growth
rate toward the desired target weight. If weight gain stalls due to high ambient
temperatures, move birds back to a higher protein ration to maintain desired
growth profile. Rapid weight adjustments should be avoided, whether birds are
over or under weight.
DRAW A NEW TARGET AT 16 WEEKS
At 16 weeks of age, if the birds are heavier than target weight draw a modified
weight profile that runs parallel to the original line. It is important to maintain
weight increases during this period of development. If the hen is in a positive
growth status at lighting, even if slightly over weight, the response to the light
stimulus will support good production. Flocks must not be forced back to the
target line by more severe nutritional controls as this will have a negative impact
on peak production.
STEADY GROWTH TO LIGHT STIMULATION
From 22 weeks to lighting the birds should gain 0.9 lbs (0.4 kgs) per week. This is
a key period in the development of the hen. The objective is to keep the bird
growing at a steady rate so the bird‟s metabolism is able to respond immediately
when the light stimulus is given at 29 to 30 weeks to support the rapid growth of
the reproductive system.
Flocks should increase in weight by 2-3 lbs (0.8-1.2kg) from lighting to first egg.
Flocks that plateau in weight prior to light stimulation do not achieve good peak
egg production.
FLOCK UNIFORMITY
Uniformity should continuously improve over the life of the flock. If the flock is
becoming less uniform, factors such as bird health, feed access, feed quality and
water availability should be evaluated. At point of lay, the flock should have a
uniformity of greater than 90% or have a CV of less than 10%.
FEEDING THE MALES
Rearing males in the brooder barns with the hens becomes more difficult when
the hens are managed according to this weight control strategy as the requirement
of the male for protein at an early stage is much higher and changes in feeding
schedules will affect the growth rate of the males.
• The males must follow a feeding schedule nutritionally matched to their needs,
and must not be compromised by following the hen regime. The males must
be fed the starter ration for at least the first 4 weeks.
• Manage the male weight in the same way as the hens with regular monitoring
against target and adjusting the feeding schedule when the birds begin to move
 away from the target line.
• Following the final selection, feed diets which enable males to make
positive weekly weight gains without becoming overly fat, whether they are
fed ad-lib or controlled amounts.
• During the semen production period males should receive the same
vitamin and trace mineral supplementation as the laying hen.

Flock uniformity - the key to better production

As the breeding companies continue to select primarily for broiler traits, it
becomes more challenging to achieve high levels of parent stock performance.
Generally, the hen performance traits are opposed to the broiler traits - andwhen
one trait is enhanced through selection, another trait may suffer. Recognizing that
broiler performance and efficiency are always the driving factor in selection
programs, the breeding company and production managers must do everything
possible to obtain the best performance from parent flocks.Many techniques of
feeding, lighting and weight control have been refined in recent years. But of all
factors affecting breeder hen performance, flock uniformity is the most important.
Management must be geared to preserving flock uniformity while accomplishing
the feeding and body weight control necessary for good reproductive performance.
Birds that are uniform can be fed properly and light stimulated with the greatest
effect, resulting in optimum production and persistency. Uniformity begins at day
one, and continues throughoutthe life of the flock.
Rearing – the first 24 hours
Flock uniformity begins even before the day-old chicks are delivered. The proper
set-up to supply readily accessible feed and water in a good environment reduces
stress on the chicks, and helps them to begin growing properly. This is especially
important when receiving chicks from a long delivery, as with international
shipments. On arrival the chicks should be placed on feed and near water. Feed
availability can be assured by using at least one feeder lid per 80- 100 chicks or by
using brooding paper covering 60% of the starting chamber. Feed can be placed
directly on the paper, making it easy for the chicks to begin eating. Water should
be close and easily reachable. Auxiliary watering devices such as chick founts or
chick water jugs will help by making more water readily accessible in the first
days. There are two „chick checks‟ that will determine if the starting procedure is
correct. The first is made 4-6 hours post-placement
- checking the temperature of the chicks‟ feet against the neckor cheek. If the feet
are cold, the internal temperature of the chick is also reduced. This will result in
poor early feed intake and growth, leading to reduced uniformity. The second
check is carried out 8-24 hours post-placement. At this time, 95% of the crops
should feel soft and pliable, indicating that the chicks have successfully located
feed and water. Hard crops indicate chicks have not found water. Swollen and
distended crops would indicate that the chicks have found water but not feed.
Sample at least 100 chicks per brood area. If the crops do not feel right, the starting
set-up must be immediately evaluated.
Grading – birds differ in eating
Temperament as well as size Grading of birds by bodyweight is the best way to
enhance flock uniformity. There are several programs practiced around the world,
but all agree that grading is best done as early in life as possible. Then this will
have time to affect the frame size, generally established before 4-5 weeks of age.
Production results have been improved by grading the flock by weight as early as 7
days and placing birds of similar weights into separate pens. Using four groups
seems to work the best: The medium group, which will be the highest number, will
have all birds plus or minus 10% of the average weight; the heavy group, with
chicks more than 10% heavier than the average; the light group, with birds 10 to
20% under theaverage; and the super-light group, with more than 20% of birds
under the average weight. The birds are then placed into different pens so they can
be fed separately using the amount and ration that best meets their needs. Smaller
birds can be fed more of a higher density diet early enough to give them the extra
nutrients they need to catch up to average birds in the flock. The heavier birds can
be fed the amount normally fed to the medium group, and their growth rate will be
controlled as they will only compete with like size birds. It is interesting to note
that birds grow at different rates not only from their genetic potential but also due
to acquired eating temperament. The birds with more aggressive appetites will
push the timid birds to the side and consume more than their share at the expense
of smaller birds. This will continue and is especially detrimental when there are
shortcomings in feeder space or feed delivery times. So the smaller
birds graded into a separate pen are the most timid ones and will always remain so.
Because of this, they will need to stay in pens with the other timid birds rather than
be re-introduced into the general population to be pushed aside again. Grading by
weight can be carried out as needed to establish and maintain uniformity. After the
initial 7-day grading, another can be done at 3-4 weeks, then at 7-8 weeks and
again at 11-12 if needed. After 15 weeks, any further grading should be done with
an emphasis on body conformation rather than bodyweight. At this age, birds can
be scored for fleshing conformation and fat deposition, and separated into pens
according to those criteria. A grading for fleshing at 15-16 weeks allows time to
build up the body conformation of the underdeveloped birds so they are properly
prepared for light stimulation at 20-21 weeks. Production – giving all birds an
equal chance to feed If accommodation is available, the smaller females can be
housed separately at transfer time so they will not need to compete with the larger,
more aggressive birds. Larger males can be matched with the larger females. The
best policy for a manager is to treat the flock according to the average bird weight
and conformation. This is made much easier when all the birds are as similar as
possible and so respond to feeding and light changes uniformly. But there are
techniques to use in both rearing and production to maintain uniformity.
• Providing enough feeder space to accommodate all the birds eating at the same
time is the most important.If not enough space exists, the more aggressive birds
will push the timid birds away, causing uneven consumption.
• Feeding a low-density mash feed slows the consumption time due to higher
volume, allowing the less aggressive birds more time to eat their share.
• A feed delivery system that has the feed in front of the birds as quickly as
possible is needed. This will help prevent the birds crowding at the point where the
feed first appears.
• Filling the feeders in the dark, both in rearing and production, allows the feed to
be in front of the birds when the lights are turned on. A similar effect can be
accomplished by raising the feeders out of reach of the birds to fill them, and then
lowering the feeders at eating time.
• Use of auxiliary hoppers strategically placed along the feeder line can effectively
reduce the delivery times. Two minutes to completely fill the track or all pans
should be considered the maximum. In any case, the goal is to have the filled
feeders in front of all of the birds as close to the same time as possible.
The above techniques work best if implemented at the beginning of feed control in
the rearing house, normally at 2-3 weeks of age. Aggressive eating patterns
contributing to a non-uniform flock is a learned activity when the birds have to
compete for feed or feeder space. Flocks that are trained not to be aggressive at
feeding time actually eat more slowly, extending the feeding period and allowing
all birds ample time to eat the required nutrients. It is important to realize that the
advantages gained through grading will be lost if the management techniques listed
above are not followed. Any gain will only be temporary, and the labor expense
involved in grading will be wasted. Benefits can be captured only if the
complete program is followed. Putting emphasis on total flock uniformity is one of
the most important aspects of raising a good performing breeder flock. When the
birds are uniform, all the other management decisions are made much easier. A
flock uniform in size comes into production better, peaks higher and persists better
as those decisions are correct for a greater proportion of the flock.
Selection during growing period
“Selection means choosing of birds for desirable characters like egg
production, meat production, exhibition and breeding.”
Success in poultry production depends mainly on the quality of the birds selected
and the breed. It can be very well compared to crop production, in the sense, a
farmer who plants seed with low yielding ability gets a poor yield. Likewise a
poultry breeder who selects poor males and hens for the breeding flock to start
poultry farm will definitely run at a loss, no matter, whether good feed,
management and disease control practices are adopted.
A. Selection of breed
There are many strains to choose from, which sometimes puzzles a rural
poultry farmer in selecting the right type of chicken. Selection should, therefore,
depend upon what he would like to produce eggs or meat or both. To get a good
foundation stock, the following basic points may be considered.
1. The breed and its hereditary characters should be known.
2. The age of maturity should be known and the late maturing individuals can be
excluded from the point of view of profit and maintenance.
3. The efficiency of feed conversion and egg production should be high i.e. feed
consumption per one egg production should be less.
4. Production and growth rate should be persistent :
5. The strain should perform well in that particular arc under the ' conditions
existing there.
6. It should be determined in advance, whether continued supplies of replacement
stock would be available for continuing the production programme.
B. Selection for egg production
For egg production, it is necessary to consider whether it is the number or
the size or the colour that is needed. For eggs, only such breeds are selected that
possess all the qualities of a good layer, i.e.
(1) quick maturity,
(2) good stamina,
(3) alertness,
(4) good conformation and
(5) capacity to lay a large number of standard size eggs.
A standard size egg in our country weighs about 2 ounce or 55- 60 grams. Eggs
bigger than this are of no advantage as they are not likely to fetch a comparitively
higher price in the market
White Leghorns and their hybrid strains like Babcock, Ranishavers,
Unichix, Hyline, Hisex, HH-260, or Poone Pearls are very good for large number
of good size egg production.
C. Selection for meat
A good bird for meat should weigh about 2 kg at 10-12 weeks of age, though
good broilers will attain this weight much earlier (7 weeks). A small compact bird
of this weight is preferred to a heavy one because it is comparatively cheap and it
also provides just sufficient meat for one meal thus avoiding wastage.
Plymouth Rocks, Cornish and New Hampshires are good breeds. A variety
of hybrid strains is also available for meat production ego Indian River, Venkob,
Ross broilers, Hubchix, Unichix etc. These birds grow rapidly, are very fleshy and
heavy but are poor layers.
D. Dual purpose breeds for meat and eggs
The most popular dual purpose breeds are Rhode Island Reds and
Australorps (refer booklet No. PLS-2). But these breeds may not be feasible or
economical in our village conditions. What is required in the rural set up is an
economical multipurpose bird that would be readily available at a cheap price;
hardy and agile to escape predators; able to survive on free range without much
care and attention; one that will brood well and one that can resist diseases to a
high degree.
 The indigenous or desi-birds are not good producers of eggs or meat, but
under suitable environmental conditions and management, these may produce well.
It may, therefore, be possible to produce birds of the required quality from among
the village flock itself by careful selection and breeding in the village itself, either
by grading up the desi bird with exotic cocks or cross-breeding of selected 4esi
pullets with good exotic or cross-bred cocks.
E. Choice of birds
Just selecting the most suitable breed of poultry will not suffice; choosing
individual birds for the poultry units is equally important Selection of individual
birds must be based on genetic potential for production. Healthy and vigorous birds
are good breeders.
Selection of individual males and females for breeding may be based on the
following characters.
1. Pedigree selection
A good individual with a good ancestry is preferable to an : equally good
individual with a poor ancestry, but it should be emphasized that a good ancestry
only improves the chances for better breeding performance and is no guarantee for
such performance.
2. Vigour
It is the pre-requisite qualification for a bird to be used for breeding
purposes. Birds with good vigour are active and take an interest in things going on
around them. They walk, run, fly, scratch, cackle or crow and show sex interest
They have a broad, long deep body, with a good feed conversion capacity. The
head gives a good indication of the health of the bird. A large bright red comb
indicates good vigour, while a small, pale or dark com b indicates low vitality.
1. Head
The appearance of the head is variable because of differences in size, shape and
expression. Hens with coarse, phlegmatic, masculine or beefy heads are not
likely to lay many eggs. Those with clear cut rugged, alert heads of good
quality are likely to be the best layers among the flock.
4. Eye
A good breed should have bright, prominent, well placed eyes. They should
not be depressed nor show evidence of physical debility. Pearly eyes and the
retraced pupil are commonly associated with fowl paralysis.
5. Beak
The beak should be relatively short, strong, well curved and in proportion to
the head of the bird. The mandibles should meet properly and not overlap or be
deformed in any other manner.
6. Ear lobes
Ear lobes should be well developed, waxy and soft. Shrunken, wrinkled and
coarse ear lobes signify a poor layer.
7. Neck
Stocky and a short neck is a quality of a good layer.
8. Condition of comb, vent and abdomen
A layer can be distinguished from a non-layer by closely examining the
following parts of the bird.
a. Comb
The comb is a secondary sexual character. If the comb is dry, hard and scaly,
the hen may still be laying but she will soon stop. If the hen is coming back into
production, the comb begins to swell; the blood rushes to the tips of the points and
they become hot, soft, waxy, brighten in colour and fall. The comb is reddest and
hottest just before laying commences. As soon as laying starts the comb gradually
cools and becomes somewhat lighter in colour.
b. Pubic bones
When a bird is laying, the pubic bones (the two small bones extending along the
sides of the body towards the vent) are pliable with more than three finger space
between them. During non-laying period the pubic bones become thin and pliable.
In a poor layer, the pubic bones are stiff and close together with very little space
between them.
c. Vent
The vent is much larger when the bird is laying than when she is not laying.
During laying period it is oval shaped, pliable and moist.
9. Body conformation
To lay a large number of eggs a bird should have a good body
with the following characteristics.
a. A flat broad back that carries well.
b. Good depth of body that increases towards the abdomen in, laying condition.
c. Good span between the pubic bones and keel bones.
d. Thin, straight pubic bones set well apart.
e. Good quality of skin (loose, pliable and velvety).
f. Legs set well apart and short; shanks smooth and clean; and short nails.
g. Reasonably long keel bone.
h. A bird should be well proportioned and have skeletal development consistent
with its size.
10. Pigmentation
Pigmentation also gives some information regarding a bird's past production,
in case of hens having yellow skin and shanks. During the period of production,
the yellow (xanthophyll) pigment in the feed is used for colouring the yolks and
the body gradually loses its reserve supply of yellow pigment The approximate
period of egg production required to bleach the body structures are as follows:
Vent: 1-2 weeks
Eye rings & earlobes: 2-4 weeks
Beak: 6-8 weeks
Shanks: 12-20 weeks
When the bird stops production, the pigments return twice as fast
11. Temperament
A good layer is more active, more alert, and yet at the same time more easily
handled than a poor layer. They are hearty eaters; the appetite of a good layer is
seldom satisfied.
12. Broodiness
Broodiness is the external evidence of the maternal instinct. If a bird is to lay
well, it must not be broody much of the time. Breeders should also be selected for
non-broodiness for the off springs to be good layers.
13. Moulting
 In good layers, moulting is late, but regains normalcy in about 4 weeks and
comes to lay quickly, unlike in poor layers where; moulting takes place early but
takes about 3-4 months to return to normal.
Selection of pullets
Pullets start laying when they are about 20 weeks old, therefore birds must be
selected at this age or little earlier. It has been recognized that the pullets which
starts laying early are better layers and cost relatively less-to purchase and rear. If a
poultry unit has to be run on profit, at least 600/0 of the birds in a unit must lay
daily, which implies that from a unit of 10 pullets at least six eggs should be
obtained in a day. So the birds must be carefully selected and unprofitable ones
should be culled and sold without delay.
Daily egg production record
Sl.No Date October November December
No. of No. of No. of females
females females
(first of month)
(first of (first of
month) month)
No. Birds No. Birds No. Birds
of of of
Died Died Died
eggs eggs eggs
culle culle culled
d d
1
2
3
4
5
Total eggs per month
Average eggs/bird/month
Birds culled
Birds died
The average egg production per bird can be circulated in three different ways:
a. average egg production per bird per month (monthly average);
b. average egg production per bird on a hen-day basis (hen-dayaverage); or
c. average egg production per bird on a hen housed basis (hen-housed average)

Lecture 8
 Skip-A-Day (SAD) Feeding
This program uses the same weekly feed amounts as the daily recommendations.
However, from 21 or 28 days until the birds are 140 days of age, feed the
equivalent of 2 days feed on a single day, providing only a scratch feed the next
day. Skip-a-day feeding may be advantageous when feeding space is limited, since
it provides feed over a longer period of time and allows timid birds at the lower
end of the peck order to feed properly.

Skip-A-Day feeding vs. Daily Feeding

Skip-a-day feeding (SAD) is a common feed restriction management
practice in the poultry industry. When birds are on SAD feeding, birds are
provided two days worth of feed every other day which is continued from
approximately 2 wk of age through 5% egg production (North, 1972). SAD
feeding has been used in the poultry industry since the 1970s. Pym and Dillon
(1974) compared SAD feed restriction of 80, 60, or 40% with ad libitum feeding
and found hatching egg production was higher in birds restricted during rearing
and provided ad libitum feeding during lay. These authors found the most
economical feeding method to be 40% feed restriction during rearing and ad
libitum feeding during lay. Later, it was also reported that SAD feeding compared
to ad libitum feeding reduced pullet body weight gains, delayed sexual maturity,
increased the number of settable eggs, and decreased feed consumption (Harms et
al., 1979 and Wilson et al., 1989).
SAD feeding is commonly used to assist bird management by improving
flock uniformity and efficient nutrient utilization (Bartovet al., 1988). SAD feeding
provides a larger amount of feed than everyday (ED) or daily feeding and
therefore, reduces the competition among the birds because there is more of an
opportunity for all birds to have a meal. Body weight uniformity within a flock is
very important. Petitteet al. (1982) reported a more uniform group of birds
achieves a higher level of egg production during the first 10 weeks of lay and
begins laying at an earlier age than a less uniform group of birds. Similarly,
Hudson et al. (2001) reported increased egg production with a highly uniform
flock. Also, flocks that are uniform are easier to manage because the nutrient
requirements among birds are similar. Flocks of hens with uniform bodyweights
come into lay at the same time and produce uniform weight eggs which results in
more uniform chicks.