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La gallina de postura
La gallina de postura es un ave de lnea comercial con un peso de 2 kg,
especializada para la produccin de huevos, con un rcord que supera los 280
huevos por campaa anual de 52 semanas, y un peso de huevo cercano a los 60
gramos. El ciclo de vida de la gallina de postura tiene tres etapas importantes: Cra
(inicio), recra (crecimiento) y produccin (postura); cada etapa tiene sus propias
caractersticas de manejo y alimentacin, por lo que es necesario utilizar alimentos
de acuerdo a cada etapa de vida de la gallina.
Las aves son ms sensibles a los niveles de estrgeno circulante durante las
primeras 2-4 semanas despus de la fotoestimulacin. La sobrealimentacin
durante este perodo puede causar el desarrollo de tantos folculos ovricos que
puede incrementar el nmero de huevos inestables (cscara blanda o doble yema),
y disminucin de la persistencia de la postura.
Las consecuencias de la buena o mala uniformidad del peso corporal se
manifiestan durante la maduracin sexual. Las parvadas uniformes inician la
produccin al mismo tiempo y tienen un pico de produccin ms alto que las
parvadas no uniformes. Las parvadas no uniformes son ms probables a hacerse
an menos uniformes, y pueden tener desrdenes reproductivos puesto que
algunas aves necesitarn cada vez ms (y algunas sern menos) alimento.
Manejo de la alimentacin durante la maduracin sexual
La alimentacin se hace ms crtica conforme las aves inician la produccin. Las
gallinas requieren energa para el mantenimiento, crecimiento y produccin de
huevos. El exceso de nutrientes se destina a la formacin de grasa heptica, grasa
corporal, excesivo desarrollo de los folculos y exceso de msculos. La restriccin
nutricional por lo general se manifiesta con una baja produccin de huevos o la
produccin de huevos pequeos, o ambos. Durante el inicio de la postura, los
requerimientos nutricionales cambian rpidamente por lo que es necesario
incrementar con ms frecuencia las asignaciones de alimentos a fin de maximizar
la produccin.
La asignacin de alimento en base a la produccin de huevos puede no ser efectiva
puesto que por lo general hay demasiado retraso de tiempo entre los cambios en la
produccin de huevos y los cambios en la asignacin de alimento. En vez de asignar
cambios en base a la produccin de huevos, los cambios en la asignacin de
alimento se deben hacer en base a las ganancias de peso corporal.
Errores
Los errores que pueden distorsionar la curva de crecimiento son:
1. Los niveles de nutrientes son diferentes en las dietas de inicio, crecimiento y
postura.
2. Cambios en la tasa de produccin de huevos. La produccin de huevos es justo
otro requerimiento de nutrientes (Fig. 1). A medida que la produccin de huevos
incrementa, las aves necesitan comer para soportar el incremento en la
produccin. A medida que la producin de huevos disminuye, las aves necesitan
menos alimento.
3. La curva del peso corporal incrementa durante todo el perodo de postura. El
peso de las gallinas incrementa bastante (por lo menos el doble por semana
hasta la semana 32), por lo que es necesario ajustar la asignacin de alimento
en respuesta a la produccin de huevos simplemente por evaluacin del peso
corporal.
4. Temperatura del aire. El estrs de fro estimula la termognesis, las aves
producen ms calor para mantener su temperatura corporal constante, por
consiguiente, el consumo de alimento incrementa; por el contrario, el estrs de
5 Combs (1960)
5
El huevo
El huevo est formado por cascarn, clara y yema. El cascarn incluye a la
cutcula, capa calcrea, y frfaras. La clara es agua y protena, mientras que la
yema es agua, protenas, lpidos y pigmentos. La capa carcrea est formada por
sales de calcio (CaCO3) y magnesio (MgCO3). El peso del huevo vara de acuerdo al
peso, edad y alimentacin de las gallinas. Las gallinas de mayor peso producen
tambin huevos de mayor peso; las gallinas viejas producen huevos grandes. Si las
gallinas consumen niveles altos de cido linoleico o niveles altos de energa,
producen huevos de mayor peso; por el contrario, si las gallinas consumen niveles
There are a number of factors that influence voluntary feed intake. These are
discussed in the section on Feed Intake. Table 1 provides data on typical feed
consumption for modern brown-egg laying hens in relation to target body weight. A
partir de las 18 semanas, las gallinas inician a ingresar su period de postura,
alcanzando el pico de postura a las 32 semanas de edad, y tpicamente mantiene la
produccin de huevos hasta las 65-68 demanas de edad. El consumo de alimento
incrementa a nivel estable de 100-105g ppor da y el peso corporal de la gallina
alcanza un nivel maduro de 1700-1800g.
Tabla 1. Peso corporal y consumo de alimento de gallinas en crecimiento.
Body
weight
(g)
Feed
consumption
(g/bird/day)
Body
weight
(g)
Feed
consumption
(g/bird/day)
70
13
11
960-1080
61
115
20
12
1050-1117
66
190
25
13
1130-1250
70
280
29
14
1210-1310
73
380-390
33
15
1290-1370
75
480-500
37
16
1360-1430
77
580-620
41
17
1500-1540
80
680-750
46
770-860
51
10
870-970
56
Age
(wk)
Age
(wk)
On a percentage basis, layer pullet diets have lower energy and protein levels than
chick diets. Different breeders recommend different feeding strategies for their
birds, including the number of different diets fed during the pullet growing stage.
Many breeders recommend a pre-lay diet that increases some of the nutrient levels,
such as calcium, that will be required by the bird when it begins to lay eggs. Table 2
provides data on typical nutrient levels for layer diets for the growing period.
Table 2. Growing period nutrition recommendations
Edad en semanas
Pre-Postura
15-1%
Produc.
Nutrient
Protena, % mnimo
20.0
17.5
15.5
16.5
27502970
2750-3025
2700-2970
2725-2980
Lisina, % mnimo
1.10
0.90
0.66
0.80
Metionina, % mnimo
0.48
0.41
0.32
0.38
Metionina + Cistina, %
mnimo
0.82
0.71
0.58
0.65
Triptfano, % mnimo
0.20
0.19
0.18
0.19
Treonina, % mnimo
0.73
0.55
0.52
0.55
Calcio, % mnimo
1.00
1.00
1.00
2.75*
Fsforo disponible, %
mnimo
0.45
0.43
0.42
0.40
Sodio, % mnimo
0.18
0.18
0.18
0.18
Cloro, % mnimo
0.18
0.18
0.18
0.18
Energa metabolizable,
kcal/kg
At least 30-65% of the added limestone should have a minimum particle size of
2250 Microns.
Source: Hy-Line Variety Brown Commercial Management Guide 2006-2008
Niveles de nutrientes para dietas de postura
Consumo de alimento: el objetivo de las dietas de postura es optimizar la
produccin de huevos, proveer la nutricin requerida para asegurar la salud y
mantener el peso corporal deseado, lo cual puede darse en trminos de nmero de
huevos, tamao de huevo o masa de huevo. Como con las pollas de postura, los
diferentes criadores recomiendan estrategias de alimentacin para sus aves,
incluyendo el nmero de las diferentes dietas ofrecidas durante la etapa de postura.
10
Units
1%-32
weeks
Kcal/Kg 2770-2860
32-44
weeks
44-55
weeks
55 weeks and
beyond
2725-2860
2675-2860
2550-2825
Crude
protein
19.80
17.50
17.00
16.00
Lysine
1.02
0.93
0.89
0.83
Methionine
0.51
0.46
0.41
0.38
Linoleic acid
1.10
1.60
1.60
1.60
Calcium
4.40
4.25
4.50
4.75
Available
phosphorous
0.48
0.40
0.36
0.35
Sodio
11
Units
Punto de
postura
a 32 Sem
33-44
Sem
45-58
weeks
59 + S
kcal/kg
2778-2867
27342867
2679-2867
25582833
Protena
19.80
17.50
17.00
16.00
Lisina
1.02
0.93
0.89
0.83
Metionina
0.51
0.46
0.41
0.38
cido
linoleico
1.10
1.60
1.60
1.60
Calcium
4.40
4.25
4.50
4.75
Fos-Dis
0.48
0.40
0.36
0.35
Postura
Pico
>93 a 89
88-85
<85
Nutrients
EM
12
13
Requerimientos de energa
Los requerimientos energticos de la gallina dependen del peso corporal, la
temperatura del aire, la actividad fsica, el crecimiento del ave, y la produccin de
huevos. La gallina de postura necesita energa para dar cobertura a dos funciones
importantes: mantenimiento y produccin.
1. Mantenimiento
El requerimiento energtico de mantenimiento de la gallina est dado por el
metabolismo basal (MB), la actividad fsica (AF) y la termognesis (TG).
14
Metabolismo basal
El metabolismo basal (MB), denominado tambin produccin de calor en ayuno
(PCA) o energa neta de mantenimiento (ENm), es el gasto mnimo de calor para
mantener la vida en reposo, ayuno y termoneutralidad, expresado en funcin
del peso corporal metablico (WKg0.75).
MB, Kcal/da = 82.8 Kcal/WKg0.75
Donde:
W = Weight (peso)
La eficiencia de uso de la energa metabolizable para la produccin de calor o
mantenimiento (km) es de 0.68 (De Almeida et al., 2012),6 por lo que el
requerimiento de energa metabolizable para el mantenimiento est dado por la
siguiente ecuacin:
EMm, Kcal/da = 121.8 Kcal/WKg0.75
Ajuste por actividad fsica
La actividad fsica es la energa necesaria para realizar trabajo muscular. Su
magnitud depende del sistema de crianza. Las gallinas alojadas en jaula tienen
poca actividad fsica y necesitan un 37% adicional al mantenimiento, mientras
que las gallinas en piso tienen mayor actividad fsica y necesitan un 50%
adicional al mantenimiento.
AF, Kcal/d = 0.37 EMm (para gallinas en jaula)
AF, Kcal/d = 0.50 EMm
2. Crecimiento
FALTA
3. Produccin
El requerimiento energtico de produccin es simplemente el valor calrico del
huevo puesto por la gallina. Un huevo de 60 g contiene en promedio 84.85 Kcal
(355 KJ) de energa bruta (Radu-Rusu et al., 2014),8 la cual corresponde a la
energa neta para la gallina. Asumiendo una eficiencia de 0.68, este valor
equivale a 124.8 Kcal de energa metabolizable (2.07 Kcal/g). En tal sentido, el
requerimiento de energa metabolizable de la gallina (EM, Kcal/da), ser la
sumatoria de la energa metabolizable requerida para mantenimiento (EMm) y
la energa metabolizable requerida para la produccin de huevo (EMp).
Ejemplo 1
Calcule el requerimiento de energa metabolizable de mantenimiento de gallinas de
1.75 kg de peso corporal, sin actividad fsica y alojada en galpn termoneutro.
EM, Kcal/d = 121.8 (1.75)0.75
EM = 185.6 Kcal/da
Ejemplo 2
Ajuste el requerimiento energtico por actividad fsica de gallinas de 1.75 Kg de
peso corporal alojada en jaula y en galpn termoneutro.
EMm = 154 + 57 = 211 Kcal/d(Jaula)
Ejemplo 3
Calcule el requerimiento energtico diario de gallinas de 1.75 kg de peso corporal
alojadas en jaula y galpn termoneutro, produciendo huevos de 60 g de peso al
70% de postura.
EM = 211 + 124 (0.7) = 298 Kcal/d
Ejemplo 4
Asumiendo que la densidad energtica del alimento es, EM = 2.75 kcal/g, calcule el
consumo de alimento de las gallinas.
Consumo = 108 g/d
Ejemplo 5
Asumiendo que la densidad energtica del alimento es, EM = 3.00 kcal/g, calcule el
consumo de alimento.
Consumo = 99 g/d
Ecuacin del NRC (1994) 9
Los estudios han mostrado varias ecuaciones de prediccin para estimar los
requerimientos energticos de gallinas. Las ecuaciones utilizan varios factores tales
como el peso corporal, peso de huevo, cambios del peso corporal y cambios de la
temperatura del aire. El National Research Council (NRC, 1994) ha sugerido la
siguiente ecuacin para calcular el requerimiento energtico diario de gallinas de
postura, alojadas en jaula.
EM, Kcal/d = W0.75 * [173 1.95T] + 5.5W + 2.07H * Tasa de produccin
Donde:
W = peso corporal (Kg)
T = temperatura del aire (C)
W = cambio (ganancia o prdida) de peso corporal (g/d)
H = peso diario de huevo (g).
Otra ecuacin similar es la propuesta por (Sakomura, 2004),10 la misma que incluye
mantenimiento, termorregulacin, crecimiento y produccin, segn el siguiente
modelo. En la ecuacin se ha considerado los mismos coeficientes para el
mantenimiento, cambio de peso y peso del huevo.
EM, Kcal/da = 121.8 * WKg0.75 * T + 5.5 * W + 2.07 * H * Tasa de produccin
Donde:
WKg0.75 = peso corporal metablico, Kg
W = cambio de peso corporal, g
H = masa de huevo producido, g
T = temperatura del aire (ambiental), C
La tasa de produccin corresponde al porcentaje de produccin del momento,
expresado como fraccin de 1. As por ejemplo, si la tasa de produccin es 65%, el
valor en la ecuacin ser 0.65.
La ecuacin incluye los factores ms importantes que afectan los requerimientos
energticos excepto la actividad fsica y la variabilidad individual. La temperatura
del aire puede infuenciar en 143 a 287 Kcal/d (0.6 a 1.2 MJ/d) sobre el
requerimiento energtico de mantenimiento de una gallina. Estas variaciones
explican las diferencias en el requerimiento energtico total que puede variar de
287 a 468 Kcal/d (1.2 a 1.96 MJ/d).
17
0
130
177
218
259
296
Tasa de produccin
50
60
192
205
239
251
280
292
321
333
358
370
de huevos, %
70
80
217
229
264
276
305
317
346
358
383
395
90
242
289
330
371
408
0
130
177
218
259
296
Tasa de produccin
50
60
192
205
239
251
280
292
321
333
358
370
de huevos, %
70
80
217
229
264
276
305
317
346
358
383
395
90
242
289
330
371
408
18
Peso
vivo
(Kg)
Gananci
a diaria
(g)
Producci
n de huevo
(%)
Peso de
huevo
(g)
20
24
28
32
36
40
44
48
52
56
60
1.68
1.84
1.89
1.91
1.92
1.93
1.94
1.95
1.96
1.96
1.96
8.6
5.7
1.8
0.7
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.4
0.0
0.0
58.5
93.5
95.5
94.5
93.5
92.5
91.0
89.0
88.0
86.5
85.0
51.2
56.6
60.2
61.3
61.9
62.3
62.9
63.2
63.5
63.6
63.7
Requerim
.
Energtic.
(Kcal/d)
Consumo
alimento
(g/d)
19
11 Fisher, 1967
12 Scott, 1969
13 Hurwitz, 1972
20
2.
21
3.
4.
5.
22
Viabilidad 93.2 %
Edad al 50% de puesta (das) 143
Pico de puesta 95 %
Peso medio del huevo 63.1 g
Produccin por gallina alojada 351
Masa de huevos por gallina alojada 22.1 kg
Consumo medio / da 111 g
ndice de conversin 2.14 kg/kg
Peso corporal (80 semanas) 2000 g
Resistencia de la cscara 3900 g
Color de la cscara 32.0
23
Metabolisable
energy
(kcal/kg)
Calcium
(%)
Available
phosphorous
(%)
Lysine
(%)
13.0
3153
0.05
0.20
0.5
9.0
3263
0.02
0.15
0.3
Barley
11.5
2795
0.10
0.20
0.4
Rye
12.5
2734
0.05
0.18
0.5
Triticale
15.4
3110
0.05
0.19
0.4
Oats
12.0
2756
0.10
0.20
0.4
Ingredient
Wheat
Sorghum
Metabolisable
energy
(kcal/kg)
Calcium
(%)
Available
phosphorous
(%)
Lysine
(%)
Soybean
meal
48.0
2557
0.20
0.37
3.2
Canola meal
37.5
2000
0.66
0.47
2.2
Cottonseed
meal
41.0
2350
0.15
0.48
1.7
Sunflower
meal
46.8
2205
0.30
0.50
1.6
Peas
23.5
2550
0.10
0.20
1.6
Lupins
34.5
3000
0.20
0.20
1.7
Ingredient
24
Metabolisable
energy
(kcal/kg)
Calcium
(%)
Available
phosphorous
(%)
Lysine
(%)
Meat meal
50.0
2500
8.00
4.00
3.6
Fish meal
60.0
2720
6.50
3.50
5.3
60.0
2950
3.50
2.10
3.4
Blood meal
80.0
2690
0.28
0.28
6.9
Feather meal
85.0
3016
0.20
0.75
1.7
Ingredient
25
Feed aditives
Modern intensive poultry production has achieved phenomenal gains in the
efficient and economical production of high quality and safe chicken meat, eggs and
poultry bioproducts. At the same time as making gains in production and
efficiency, the industry has had to maximise the health and well-being of the birds
and minimise the impact of the industry on the environment. The use of feed
additives has been an important part of achieving this success.
Defining a feed additive
The diet of animals and humans contain a wide variety of additives. However, in
poultry diets these additives are primarily included to improve the efficiency of the
birds growth and/or laying capacity, prevent disease and improve feed utilisation.
Any additives used in feed must be approved for use and then used as directed with
respect to inclusion levels and duration of feeding. They are also specific for the
type and age of birds being fed. These guidelines are maintained by a government
committee (Product Safety and Integrity; Australian Government Department of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry).
Common feed additives used in poultry diets include antimicrobials, antioxidants,
emulsifiers, binders, pH control agents and enzymes. Sometimes diets will also
contain other additives used in diets for humans and pets such as flavour
enhancers, artificial and nutritive sweeteners, colours, lubricants, etc. Within each
one of these classes of additives there can be dozens of specific additives
manufactured and distributed by a wide variety of companies. Again, all ingredients
and additives must be noted on the label and their use and inclusion levels meet
the standards as defined by law. In some instances additives are added to the
animals diet in order to enhance their value for human consumption, but mostly
this is accomplished by use of natural ingredients containing significantly higher
levels of these nutrients that can be deposited directly into meat and eggs. This fact
sheet will highlight a few important feed additives and their use in the poultry
industry.
Aditivos de promocin del crecimiento
La industria del pollo no utiliza hormonas promotoras del crecimiento. El
crecimiento eficiente y la productividad de huevos de aves comerciales ha sido
logrado sobre los ltimos 50 aos a travs de tcnicas de crianza tradicional
(seleccin gentica no ingeniera gentica) y mejoramiento de la nutricin y
prcticas de manejo (que incluye salud y alojamiento).
Antimicrobials have been used extensively in intensive poultry operations to
minimise disease and improve growth and feed utilisation. However, the industry is
currently evaluating alternatives to chemical therapeutics. It should be pointed out
that antimicrobial practices do not extend to production of commercial eggs (should
a need for antimicrobials arise all eggs laid during the treatment and withdrawal
period cannot be sold) and the meat industry must adhere to stringent guidelines
with regard to drug withdrawal periods before marketing.
There is much controversy in regard to the impact of antimicrobials in animal diets
on the development of resistant strains of microbes that could directly impact
human health and carry over into meat and bioproducts as well as the negative
26
impacts associated with their excretion into the environment. The European Union
has moved towards a complete ban of in-feed antimicrobials for these reasons.
Development of alternatives to the present in-feed antimicrobials is an exciting area
of current research world-wide. In all cases, it will be necessary to minimise disease
challenges, strengthen the birds natural defences (immune response, gut
barrier/health) and optimise the diet to provide a balance of required nutrients for
the birds changing needs. All of these may be influenced by using feed additives.
Feed enzymes
Enzymes are proteins that facilitate specific chemical reactions; following this the
enzyme will disassociate and be available to assist in further reactions. Although
animals and their associated gut microflora produce numerous enzymes, they are
not necessarily able to produce sufficient quantities of specific enzymes or produce
them at the right locations to facilitate absorption of all components in normal
feedstuffs or to reduce anti-nutritional factors in feed that limit digestion.
Some cereal grains (rye, barley, wheat, sorghum) have soluble long chains of sugar
units (referred to as soluble non-starch polysaccharides NSP) that can entrap
large amounts of water during digestion and form very viscous (thick gel-like) gut
contents. Enzymes that are harvested from microbial fermentation and added to
feeds can break these bonds between sugar units of NSP and significantly reduce
the gut content viscosity. Lower viscosity results in improved digestion (more
interaction of digestive enzymes with feeds and more complete digestion),
absorption (better contact between digested feed nutrients and the absorptive
surface of the gut) and health (reducing moisture in manure and nutrients
available for harmful gut microflora to proliferate and challenge the birds (e.g.
necrotic enteritis, a chronic intestinal disease caused by Clostridium perfringens,
resulting in reduced performance, mortality and the main reason we currently use
in-feed antimicrobials)).
Commercial enzymes are also produced that significantly reduce the negative
effects of phytates. Phytates are plant storage sources of phosphorus that also bind
other minerals, amino acids (proteins) and energy and reduce their availability to
the bird. Ongoing research will develop enzymes that are more effective in
maintaining function under a wider range of processing and digestive conditions.
New enzymes may include those capable of reducing toxins produced during feed
spoilage (mould growth in grains) and facilitating digestion of carbohydrates
currently not available to simple-stomached animals (poultry, pigs, humans) such
as cellulose, lignin and chitin. New feed additives are rapidly adopted by the poultry
industry and have facilitated the development of significant new technology to
advance the use and availability of in-feed enzymes.
Antioxidants
There are a variety of sources of reactive oxygen species (free radicals) in normal
metabolism as well as those coming directly from feed ingredients. Oxidative stress
can disrupt normal cellular function, damage tissues (also associated with the
development of cancers) and reduce health status. Antioxidants bind these
molecules and reduce their potential damage.
Acidifier
27
The future
Many additives have been a normal part of diets for animals and humans. It is only
recently that we have come to recognise and understand their importance in
achieving high production and efficiency, maintaining health and wellbeing,
improving product quality and safety and reducing the industrys impact on the
environment. More work is required to further identify the positive effects of
additives and minimise the negative effects they may have if not used correctly or if
they interact with other additives or feed ingredients. In particular, additives will
play an essential role in maintaining the health of poultry in an era of no
pharmaceuticals.
Egg Size and Your Small Flock of Laying Hens
PDF Version
For many people, the ideal laying hen would lay Grade A
Large sized eggs from the first day to last day of her
production cycle. A Large egg gives you a bigger breakfast
than a Medium egg but is less expensive to produce or
likely to crack compared to an Extra Large or Jumbo egg.
No laying hen, however, can meet the ideal standard of
laying a Large egg everyday.
All hens start egg production laying Pee Wee or Small eggs
and gradually increase to a mature egg grade size of
Medium, Large or bigger. In modern breeds, most hens
are laying Large, Extra Large or Jumbo eggs by 40 weeks
of age.
While you cannot alter the basic pattern of how egg size
changes as hens age, the feeding and management of
your hens can have a measurable impact on egg size. The
way that you treat your hens will determine how quickly
they will start to lay Large, Extra Large or Jumbo eggs. I
28
production, high protein diets no longer promote large increases in egg size. After 36
weeks of age, feeding rations with 15% to 17% protein will help to slow increases in
egg size.
3)
Lighting programs influence egg size by accelerating or delaying the age at
which hens start to lay eggs. The younger a hen is when she starts egg production,
the smaller her eggs will be during her first year of life. The start of egg production can
be delayed by providing 10 hours or less of light each day to 19 weeks of age.
Decreasing the daily hours of light at any time after 10 weeks of age will also delay the
start of egg production.
4)
Skeletal size has some impact on egg size. Hens with bigger and longer bones
tend to become bigger hens and lay bigger eggs. The protein level in the ration fed
before 10 weeks of age is the main factor influencing skeletal size of any particular
breed of hen. If you want pullets with bigger skeletons, feed a starter diet until 8 or 10
weeks of age instead of just 6 weeks of age.
5)
Feed intake has a direct impact on the hens intake of nutrients and the size of
eggs that they produce. Any factor that limits feed consumption, for example
crowding, heat stress or inadequate water supply, will reduce egg size.
These factors have a strong influence on how soon the hens start to lay Large instead
of Medium eggs and how many hens will lay Extra Large or Jumbo eggs.
Egg Size and Your Small Flock of Laying Hens
For many people, the ideal laying hen would lay Grade A Large sized eggs from the
first day to last day of her production cycle. A Large egg gives you a bigger breakfast
than a Medium egg but is less expensive to produce or likely to crack compared to
an Extra Large or Jumbo egg. No laying hen, however, can meet the ideal standard
of laying a Large egg everyday.
All hens start egg production laying Pee Wee or Small eggs and gradually increase
to a mature egg grade size of Medium, Large or bigger. In modern breeds, most hens
are laying Large, Extra Large or Jumbo eggs by 40 weeks of age.
While you cannot alter the basic pattern of how egg size changes as hens age, the
feeding and management of your hens can have a measurable impact on egg size.
The way that you treat your hens will determine how quickly they will start to lay
Large, Extra Large or Jumbo eggs.
Important management factors in controlling egg size are:
1) Hen body weight is the key to increased egg size. Bigger hens produce larger
eggs than
smaller hens and bigger breeders produce larger eggs than smaller breeders. For
modern
White Leghorns, rearing pullets that weigh at least 1.35 kg (3.0 lbs.) at the start of
egg
production will increase both hen weight and egg size.
2) Protein level in the feed can be used to alter egg size at different stages of
production. In
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the first couple of months of egg production feeding a high, 18% to 20% protein
layer ration
will increase egg size. After the flock has reached maximum egg production, high
protein
diets no longer promote large increases in egg size. After 36 weeks of age, feeding
rations
with 15% to 17% protein will help to slow increases in egg size.
3) Lighting programs influence egg size by accelerating or delaying the age at
which hens
start to lay eggs. The younger a hen is when she starts egg production, the smaller
her eggs
will be during her first year of life. The start of egg production can be delayed by
providing 10 hours or less of light each day to 19 weeks of age. Decreasing the daily
hours of light at any time after 10 weeks of age will also delay the start of egg
production.
4) Skeletal size has some impact on egg size. Hens with bigger and longer bones
tend to
become bigger hens and lay bigger eggs. The protein level in the ration fed before 10
weeks
of age is the main factor influencing skeletal size of any particular breed of hen. If
you want
pullets with bigger skeletons, feed a starter diet until 8 or 10 weeks of age instead of
just 6
weeks of age.
5) Feed intake has a direct impact on the hens intake of nutrients and the size of
eggs that
they produce. Any factor that limits feed consumption, for example crowding, heat
stress or
inadequate water supply, will reduce egg size.
These factors have a strong influence on how soon the hens start to lay Large
instead of Medium eggs and how many hens will lay Extra Large or Jumbo eggs.
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