Gallinas Jaulas

M anagement G uide
Cage Production Systems

Institut de Slection Animale BV
Villa de Krver,
Spoorstraat 69, 5831 CK Boxmeer
P.O. Box 114, 5830 AC Boxmeer
The Netherlands-EU
T +31 485 319 111
F +31 485 319 112
www.isapoultry.com
I n t ro d uc t i o n
Many years of investment in genetic research and
development have resulted in layers with excellent
performance traits such as liveability, production and
egg quality.
These highly favourable genetic characteristics can only
be fully realized when layers are supported with good
management practices, which include, but are not limited
to, good quality feed, housing and constant attention
to the birds behaviour and welfare.
The purpose of this management guide is to help
producers to gain the best possible results from their
investment. This will be achieved by providing conditions
in which the layers can thrive. The information supplied
in this publication is based on the analysis of extensive
research and field results, produced over time and with
many years of experience.
We do recognize that many egg producers have

developed their own management programmes, as a
result of their experience with specific housing types,
climate, feed, market conditions .Therefore do not
hesitate to use your own experience in conjunction
with the guidelines in this guide. And of course, do not
hesitate to consult our distributors who will be happy
to help in any way they can.
We are constantly seeking to develop our breeding
programme and welcome feedback from the field. Please
send your technical results to isa.technicalfieldresults@
hendrix-genetics.com . Excel files are available on request
to help our distributors to follow the flocks performance
and record information.
Institut de Slection Animale BV

Villa de Krver,
Spoorstraat 69, 5831 CK Boxmeer
P.O. Box 114, 5830 AC Boxmeer
The Netherlands-EU
T +31 485 319 111
F +31 485 319 112
www.isapoultry.com
v s 1408
ISA - Management Guide - Cage Production Systems
C o n te n t s
Introduction 1
Contents 2
Warranty
d i s c l a i m e r
Rearing period 4
Good
b r o o d i n g c o n d i t i o n s a r e v i ta l t o gi v e
t h e c h i c k s t h e b e s t p o s s i b l e s ta rt 4
S ta n d a r d s o f t e m p e r at u r e a n d h u m i d i t y 5
L i g h t i n g p r o g r a mm e t o e n c o u r a g e f e e d i n ta k e a n d
g r o w t h 5
F e e d i n g p r o g r a mm e t o e n c o u r a g e g r o w t h 5
From 4
to
16
weeks
building the potential
o f t h e f u t u r e l ay e r 6
H o u s i n g a n d e q u i p m e n t 6
F e e d i n g p r o g r a mm e 6
S ta rt e r d i e t 6
G r o w e r d i e t 6
F e e d i n g t e c h n i q u e 7
T h e b u i l d u p o f f i n e pa rt i c l e r e s i d u e s 7
R a p i d f e e d i n ta k e 7
F e e d i n g t i m e s a n d r a p i d f e e d i n ta k e 7
g o o d f o l l o w u p w i t h a w e e k ly c h e c k o f t h e
d e v e l o p m e n t 7
U n i f o r m i t y 8
Beak
t r i m m i n g : a d e l i c at e o p e r at i o n 8
A g e o f b e a k t r i mm i n g 8
B e a k t r i mm i n g / t r e at m e n t at d ay o l d 8
B e a k t r i mm i n g at 7 - 10 d ay s 8
B e a k t r i mm i n g at 8 10 w e e k s 9
B e a k t r i mm i n g at t r a n s f e r 9
General
p r i n c i p l e s o f t h e l ig h t i n g p r o g r a m m e s
i n r e a r i n g p e r i o d 9
L i g h t i n g p r o g r a mm e a n d g r o w t h : 9
L i g h t d u r at i o n a n d g r o w t h : 10
C o n t r o l o f s e x u a l m at u r i t y 10
R o l e o f b o d y w e i g h t 10
L i g h t s t i m u l at i o n 10
L i g h t i n t e n s i t y i n r e a r i n g 10
L ig h t i n g
p r o g r a m m e i n d a r k h o u s e s
11
d u r i n g t h e f i r s t w e e k s 11
a n d g r o w t h p e r f o r m a n c e s 11
L i g h t d u r at i o n
L i g h t d u r at i o n
D u r at i o n o f l i g h t at t h e p l at e a u a n d g r o w t h
p e r f o r m a n c e s 11
L i g h t s t i m u l at i o n a c c o r d i n g t o : 11
L ig h t i n g
p r o g r a m m e i n h o t c l i m at e h o u s e s
12
B e t w e e n L at i t u d e s 20 n o rt h a n d 20 s o u t h 12
H i g h t e m p e r at u r e a n d g r o w t h 12
L ig h t i n g
p r o g r a m m e s f o r s e m i - d a r k h o u s e s 13
D e f i n i t i o n o f b u i l d i n g t y p e s 13
R e a r i n g i n s e m i - d a r k h o u s e s 13
A d a p t i n g r e a r i n g p r o g r a mm e s t o p r o d u c t i o n
fa c i l i t i e s 14
Production period 15
Transfer
a n d s ta rt o f l ay
15
t r a n s f e r 15
Age of
Lighting
as a tool for encouraging a rapid
a d a p tat i o n t o a n e w e n v i r o n m e n t
E n c o u r a g i n g wat e r c o n s u m p t i o n
F e e d i n g f o r p h y s i o l o g i c a l n e e d s
E n c o u r a g i n g f e e d c o n s u m p t i o n
M o n i t o r i n g e n v i r o n m e n ta l a n d p r o d u c t i o n
pa r a m e t e r s
General
15
15
15
15
Vaccinations techniques 23
I mm u n i t y
O c u l o - n a s a l i n s t i l l at i o n ( e y e d r o p s )
B e a k d i p p i n g
S k i n p u n c t u r e a n d s c a r i f i c at i o n ( s c r at c h )
S u mm a ry o f P r a c t i c a l a d v i c e :
23
23
23
23
24
Appendix 25
D ay l e n g t h ta b l e s a c c o r d i n g t o l at i t u d e 25
L at i t u d e s 25
C o n v e r s i o n ta b l e 25
Notes 26
16
p r i n c i p l e s o f l ig h t i n g p r o g r a m m e s
d u r i n g t h e p r o d u c t i o n p e r i o d
16
C h i c k e n s s e n s i b i l i t y t o c h a n g e s i n i l l u m i n at i o n 16
L i g h t i n g p r o g r a mm e s at s ta rt o f l ay : 15 h o u r s at
50% p r o d u c t i o n 16
C y c l i c a l l i g h t i n g p r o g r a mm e s 17
L ig h t
i n t e n s i t y m a n a g e m e n t a n d r e l at i o n w i t h
l i v e a b i l i t y
Light
Light
Light
17
17
i n p r o d u c t i o n 18
a n d l i v e a b i l i t y 18
i n t e n s i t y d u r i n g t h e r e a r i n g p e r i o d
intensity
intensity
Oviposition
t i m e s a n d s h e l l q u a l i t y
A r e m i n d e r o n e g g f o r m at i o n
L ay i n g t i m e s o r o v i p o s i t i o n t i m e s
S h e l l F o r m at i o n
A r e m i n d e r o n s h e l l f o r m at i o n
H o w t o i m p r o v e s h e l l q u a l i t y
Adjusting
19
19
19
20
20
20
e gg w e ig h t t o m e e t m a r k e t
r e q u i r e m e n t s
G e n e t i c a s p e c t s
B o d y w e i g h t at s e x u a l m at u r i t y
C o n t r o l o f t h e s e x u a l m at u r i t y
B o d y w e i g h t at 24 w e e k s
I n f l u e n c e o f h e at
L i g h t i n g p r o g r a mm e s d u r i n g p r o d u c t i o n
20
20
20
21
21
21
21
Water: the most critical nutrient

22
W at e r q u a l i t y 22
M o n i t o r i n g wat e r q u a l i t y 22
C l e a n i n g t h e p i p e s y s t e m d u r i n g t h e s a n i ta ry b r e a k .
22
T r e at m e n t o f d r i n k i n g wat e r 22
C l e a n i n g t h e d r i n k e r s 22
W at e r c o n s u m p t i o n 22
Warranty
disclaimer
This production management guide for layers has been prepared by Institut de Slection Animale B.V. and its affiliates
(ISA) with the greatest possible care and dedication to inform and assist ISAs customers on the various manners of
production to improve their production results while using ISA products.
However, specific circumstances at the farm of the customer may impact the usability and reliability of the statements
and information mentioned in this production management guide.
No implied or explicit guarantees are given by ISA as to the accuracy and completeness of the provided information
in this production management guide. Applying the information as stated in this production management guide in the
customers production environment remains a decision of the customer, to be taken at its sole discretion.
ISA will not be liable for any losses or damages whatsoever, whether in contract, tort or otherwise arising from reliance
on information contained in this production management guide.
Rearing
period
Good
b r o o d i n g c o n d i t i o n s a r e v i ta l t o gi v e t h e c h i c k s
t h e b e s t p o s s i b l e s ta rt
The period from one day old to the point of first egg
production is a critical time in the life of the laying hen.
It is during this time that the physiological capability of
the hen is developed.
Any delay in growth at 4-5 weeks will be reflected in a reduction

in bodyweight at 16 weeks and then in performance. This is
particularly true for mean egg weight in temperate climates
and may cause a delay in start of lay in hot climates near the
equator.
Success in the rearing period leads to success in the

laying house and this starts with chick arrival. All the
standards and programmes set out in this section have
been proven to give excellent performance in the
production stages.
12
humidity
In order to ensure that the equipment and the litter
are warm for chick arrival, we advise starting to raise
the house temperature at least 36 hours before chick
arrival so that it reaches a house temperature of 28 to
31C. The concrete floor must be at 28C and litter at
30C. The best way to check if the house temperature
is correct during the first days after arrival is to measure
cloacal temperature of the chicks (40C/104F).
Age in days
0 3
4 7
8 14
15 21
22 24
25 28
29 35
After 35
BW growth
Growth (g)
Skeletal
Brooding temperature at 2-3
edge of the brooders

35 C
34 C
32 C
29 C
m from the brooders

29 28 C
28 27 C
27 26 C
26 25 C
25 23 C
23 21 C
21 19 C
19 17 C
The heat losses incurred from contact with the litter

6
are very important during the first days.
Provision of two gas brooders or 2 radiant heaters
Organs
Calcium
Increase
at prelay
Muscles
of 1450 Kcal is advised for 1000 birds

Temperature and relative humidity should be
uniform throughout the building
Reproductive
tract
The distribution behaviour of chicks is the best indicator

of temperature
On floor system, the distribution of chicks in each
Fat
pen or throughout the building will help you to

manage the correct temperature of the house.
If the chicks crowd together under the brooder ->
temperature is too low.
If the chicks are close to the surroundings -> the
temperature is too high
Medullary bone ___

___________________________________________________
11 12
13
14 15 16 17
18
19 20 21 22
___________________________________________________
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Weeks in age
Equipment and environment

Age (weeks)
Ventilation
Minimum per hour / kg
Stocking densities Birds / m
cm / Bird
Water supply
Chicks / Chick drinker
Birds / drinker
Birds / nipple
Feed supply
Birds / Starting pan
cm of trough feeders
Birds / Round feeder
Floor
0 2
0,7 m
30
75
75
10
50
4
35
2 5
0,7 m
20
75
10
4
35
Cages
0 3
0,7 m
80
125
80 (1)
10 (2)
(3)
2
Distribution behaviour according to temperature
10 (2)
4
(2): Make sure that all the birds have access to at least 2 nipples
(3): Spread sheets of paper over the cage bottom to last for 7 days, remove the top sheet every day
Notes:
The removal of the supplementary starter drinkers
The drinkers should be cleaned daily for the first
should be done gradually, making sure that the

chicks have acquired the habit of using the regular
drinkers.
It is useful to monitor water consumption to maintain
litter quality. It is necessary to avoid water spillage,
by carefully regulating the drinkers or the nipples.
2 weeks. From the third week they should be

cleaned each week.
Check that all the birds, even the smaller ones
have access to feed and water
It is important to use 360 nipples, especially for
infra-red beak treated birds
Room temperature
33
32
30
28
25
23
21
19
Feeding
31
31
28
26
23
21
19
17
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
Relative humidity optimummaximum in%

55 60
55 60
55 60
55 60
55 65
55 65
60 70
60 70
programme to encourage
growth
During this period from one day old to 5 weeks of
age, the bird is not able to adapt its feed consumption
to feed energy level. To encourage good growth, we
recommend using a diet presented in crumb form, with
an adequate concentration of protein and energy from 0
to 28 days in temperate climates, and from 0 to 35 days
in hot climates (in both conditions until the standard
bodyweight is reached).
As with a mash diet diet, fine particles <0.5mm must
be below 13% to ensure feed palatability and have
a maximum of 13% coarse particles to avoid feed
selection. If standard bodyweight is not achieved at 28
or 35 days, keep using the starter diet for a maximum
of 2 further weeks.
Below are some key-points to provide day old chicks
with a good start.
3 5
0,7 m
45
220
(1): Place one additional drinker per cage for the first week
Note: a cyclical programme could be applied for the first

2 weeks (4hours of light /2hours of dark, repeated 4
times to equal 24hours) and then follow recommended
lighting programme, which is 18 hours of light on third
week.
Brooding temperature at the
Notes:
During the first few days, it is important to maintain

the chicks under a maximumw light regime (22 to 23
hours) with a high intensity (30-40 lux) to encourage
intake of water and feed. Afterwards, the light intensity
should be gradually reduced to reach a level of about
10 lux at 15 days of age in dark houses. Light intensity
will also depend on bird behaviour.
o f t e m p e r at u r e a n d
Standards for temperature and humidity
Bodyweight development
S ta n d a r d s
Key points:
Flush the water lines prior to arrival, and make sure

Too cold
Too warm
Draught
that no disinfectant is left in the water lines when

the chicks arrive.
Make sure that the nipples and round drinkers are
on the correct height - nipples at chick eye level
and round drinkers on the floor.
Ideal
L ig h t i n g
programme to encourage
f e e d i n ta k e a n d g r o w t h
Lighting programme according to age and
rearing housing system
1 3 days
4 7 days
8 14 days
15 21 days
22 28 days
29 35 days
Light
23
22
20
18
16
14
Rearing in dark or semi dark house

duration
Light intensity
hours
20 40 lux
hours
15 30 lux
hours
10 20 lux
hours
5 10 lux
hours
5 10 lux
hours
5 10 lux
Rearing in hot climate (open houses)

Light duration
Light intensity
23 hours
40 lux
22 hours
40 lux
20 hours
40 lux
19 hours
40 lux
18 hours
40 lux
17 hours
40 lux
Put paper under the nipples to attract the chicks
Feeding
and extra feed over the chick paper or paper trays.

Check the nipples / round drinkers to ensure the
water supply is sufficient. When nipples are used
the chicks must see the water drop on the nipple.
The feed should be distributed when the chicks
have drunk enough water to restore their body fluid
(about 2 hours after being placed in the brooding
pens), especially when the birds have travelled for
a long time
programme
The dietary range set out for the rearing period can be
adapted to the actual development of the frame and
bodyweight of the pullets.
S ta rt e r
diet
All these recommendations will help to:
Grower
Get a good start and a low mortality level during

the first 2 weeks
diet
Recommended from 4 weeks until 10 weeks of age and

can be extended to 11 or 12 weeks of age in order to
secure growth. As the rearing period objective is also
to develop the digestive tract, this grower diet, which
is high in energy content should not be given after 12
weeks of age. The risk of using too much high energy
content feed is the reduction of the development of the
digestive tract and the feed intake at the start of lay.
A good frame and immune system

A good uniformity from the start
From 4
t o 16 w e e k s building the potential of

t h e f u t u r e l ay e r
After a good start, the objective of the 4-16 week period is
to prepare the birds for egg production with the best
development of:
frame
bodyweight
uniformity
digestive tract.
These objectives can be achieved by providing:
a correct stocking density and housing conditions

a lighting programme adapted to rearing conditions
beak trimming performed by trained people
good management of the feeding programme and
Floor
Ventilation
Stocking densities
Water supply
Feed supply
Minimum per
hour / kg
Birds / m
Birds / m (hot
climate)
cm / Bird
Birds / drinker
Birds/drinker
(hot climate)
Birds / nipple
cm of trough feeders
Birds / Round feeder
Cages
5 10
10 17
5 10
10 17
4 m
4 m
4 m
4 m
15
10
15
10
12
12
220
350
100
100
75
75
9
5
25
8
7
23
10 (1)
4
25
10 (1)
6
23
(1): Make sure that all the birds have access to at least 2 nipples
Rapid
Targets
accordance with the target age at sexual maturity
To obtain the correct bodyweight at 4 weeks to

secure frame development
To achieve steady growth between 4 and 16 weeks

with a good development of the digestive tract
Targets
production the bodyweight increase is at least 300

g for brown layers and 200 g for white layers. For
these reasons it is essential to exercise control over
bodyweight on a weekly basis from 0 to 30 weeks
of age, and after that, at least once every month.
Controlling the quantity of feed distributed will
not on it's own ensure good growth because the
requirements vary according to:
- - the energy level of the diet

- - the house temperature
- - the health status of the flock
t i m e s a n d r a p i d f e e d i n ta k e
To encourage rapid consumption, we recommend that

the complete daily ration is given approx 2 to 3 hours
before the lights are switched off. An appropriate time
of feeding should be chosen so that 50% of the feed is
eaten the following morning. At "lights on", because
the digestive system is empty, the birds will eat up
the finer particles better. This feeding routine can be
started between 4 and 8 weeks according to the feeding
equipment used. The length of time, during which the
feeders are empty, should be gradually increased, so that
by around 10-12 weeks of age the feeders are empty
for a minimum of 2 to 3 hours per day. It is, however,
possible depending on the feeding equipment being used
to give either a single feed distribution on evening, or
two 2 distributions, provided that the feeding periods
are kept short.
Weekly bird weighing is essential, so that the appropriate
quantity of feed to be distributed can be calculated.
Gizzard development can be encouraged by a good
feed regime and the use of insoluble grit. You will
find more details on these points in the Nutrition in
rearing ISA technical bulletin.
in production:
To make sure that between 5% lay and peak of
The crop is a storage organ. It allows the bird to eat

enough feed in the evening to satisfy its energy needs
throughout the night. The increase in consumption at
start of lay depends on the development of the crop
and on the feeding behaviour acquired during rearing
Birds naturally eat more in the early morning, late

afternoon and in the evening. For that reason the feeders
should be empty in the middle of the day.
in rearing:
To produce a uniform flock with a bodyweight in
f e e d i n ta k e
Feeding
and equipment
A weekly control of the growth is a must to check the

real evolution of the flock: the earlier you know the
earlier you can correct.
Birds are by nature grain eaters. They always start by

eating the larger particles and leave the finer ones. The
accumulation of fine particles in the feeding system leads
to under-consumption. Therefore, it is essential that the
feeders are emptied every day. This rule applies equally
to pullets and layers.
In order to secure the development of the medullary

bone which acts as a reservoir of available calcium for
eggshell formation, we advise the use of a pre lay feed
from the beginning of 17 weeks of age until the first
eggs appear.
feeding techniques
Age (wks)
b u i l d u p o f fi n e pa rt i c l e r e s i d u e s
Rapid feed consumption during rearing leads to the

development of the crop. The speed of feed consumption
depends on when it is fed and on the form in which it
is offered.
good bio - security
Housing
avoid the accumulation of fine particle residues

encourage crop development by having a rapid
The distribution of a developer diet until 16 weeks

of age will help the development of the crop capacity
because of a lower energy level than grower feed which
is slightly lower than the pre-lay or layer feed.
The details of the specifications for each of those diets

are explained in a following section.
good follow up with

a w e e k ly c h e c k o f t h e
development
The feeding techniques used between 4 and 16 weeks

are designed to:
The
Recommended from one day old until 4 weeks of age

and can be extended to 5 or 6 weeks to secure the frame
development. Frame development occurs mainly during
the first 8 weeks of the rearing period.
technique
feed consumption
In hot climate environments, flush the line just before

chicks arrived to provide them fresh water
the
the
the
the
Feeding
Method
of weighing
The time of weighing should be fixed and be on the same

day of the week and at the same time, after feeding.
We advise carrying out individual weighing. A practical
method is to use weighing sheets, which allow us to
put the weights straight into a histogram. This shows
at glance the weight distribution within the population.
Example of a weighing sheet
Weighing sheet
House:
975
1000
1025
1050
1075
1100
1125
1150
1175
1200
1225
1250
1275
1300
1325
1350
1375
1400
1425
1450
1475
1500
1525
1550
1
1
x
x
1
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
1
x
x
x
1
1
1
Date:
2
2
2
2
2
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
2
2
x
x
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
NUMBER OF SUBJECTS:
4
4
4
4
4
4
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
5
5
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
6
6
6
6
6
6
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
7
7
7
7
7
7
x
x
x
7
x
x
x
x
x
x
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
x
x
x
11
x
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
x
x
x
12
x
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
12
Age:
Weigh objective:
13 14 15
13 14 15
13 14 15
13 14 15
13 14 15
13 14 15
13 14 15
13 14 15
13 14 15
13 14 15
13 14 15
x
x
15
x
14 15
13 14 15
13 14 15
x
14 15
13 14 15
13 14 15
13 14 15
13 14 15
13 14 15
13 14 15
13 14 15
13 14 15
13 14 15
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
16
17
17
17
17
17
17
17
17
17
17
17
17
17
17
17
17
17
17
17
17
17
17
17
17
17
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
1025
1050
3300
6750
6900
7050
6000
9800
17500
16575
15600
11925
17550
8250
1400
2900
2950
1500
138025
109
AVERAGE BODYWEIGHT:
1266
HOMOGENEITY:
+10% limit at:
17
Time of day:
8
9
10
8
9
10
8
9
10
8
9
10
8
9
10
8
9
10
8
9
10
8
9
10
8
9
10
8
9
10
x
9
10
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
10
x
x
x
8
9
10
8
9
10
8
9
10
8
9
10
8
9
10
8
9
10
8
9
10
8
9
10
8
9
10
bodyweights out of objective range
1393
92
-10% lilmit at:
1140
bodyweights have reached objective
84,40% homogeneity
Sampling
technique
For floor rearing situations, make a lightweight wire

netting pen, and then walk into the middle of the flock
and surround a group of birds. Individually weigh all
the birds in that pen.
A sample with a minimum of 100 birds gives a good
estimate of mean bodyweight and uniformity. However,
if the flock is divided into separate pens, it is necessary
to take a sample of 50 birds from each pen and then to
calculate the overall mean.
When rearing in cages, weigh all the birds from 5 or 6
cages, chosen at random in different parts of the poultry
house, to make up a sample. Marking the cages in order
to check the same birds every time is recommended to
get a more accurate idea of BW evolution.
Group weighing between 0 and 4 weeks of age,

as uniformity is very difficult to measure during
this period
Weekly individual weighing from 4 till 30 weeks
of age
From 30 weeks of age, once a month at least
U n if o r m i t y
The quality of a flock is judged, as much as anything
else, by its uniformity. A batch is uniform when all the
weights within the sample fall between plus or minus
20% of the average or, when 80% of the weights are
within + 10 and -10% of the average.
Within the limits of plus or minus 20% of the average,
the smallest and the heaviest pullets have an equivalent
development stage. Only those birds which are too
small should be culled. If uniformity is outside the target
range, it is necessary to identify the causes and to check:
stocking density, feeders and drinkers availability

the speed of the feed chain
the quality of beak trimming
the vaccination status
for disease and parasitism
In all cases underweight birds should be identified and
placed in a separate pen or culled by eight weeks of
age at the latest. In cages, we recommend that the
lightest birds are sorted out frequently from six weeks
and put together in separate cages for an easier follow
up, and to check if the number of birds per cage is for
all cages the same.
Example of nor<<mal distribution of body weights in a flock
Subject #
Beak
t r i m m i n g : a d e l i c at e
o p e r at i o n
This operation is normally carried out for two main
reasons:
to prevent feather pecking and cannibalism

to reduce feed wastage
Beak trimming is a delicate operation and only specially
trained personnel should perform it. If improperly done,
it may result in birds having difficulty eating and drinking
and lead to a non-uniform flock as a consequence.
Age
of beak trimming
In addition to technical recommendations, any local

codes and regulations concerned with animal welfare
should be observed.
The decision about the age of beak trimming depends
mostly on the housing system and local regulations:
In cage productions, in dark houses, when the

intensity of artificial light is low, beaks should be
trimmed at one day-old or at 7 to 10 days.
Production in open-sided houses, giving exposure to
high natural light intensity, one single beak tipping
at 7 to 10 days will not prevent pecking entirely.
Under these conditions, beak trimming should be
carried out twice: a light tipping at 10 days and
then a second operation between 8 and 10 weeks
of age, where local regulations allow it.
Beak
trimming
t r e at m e n t at d ay o l d
The biggest advantage of beak trimming / treatment at one

day old in the hatchery, before the delivery of the chicks, is
that it is convenient and has low costs. It should be properly
performed to avoid start up problems and to minimize excessive
beak growth later.
The beak of the chick trimmed or treated at one day old is still
sensitive; to ensure an easy access to drinking water in the
rearing farm, it is important to use sideways activated nipples,
nipple drinkers with cups and / or starting mini drinkers. Another
point to watch is the water pressure in the nipples - if it is too
high the chicks will not drink properly.
Main methods utilised for beak trim birds at one day old are:
Robotic beak trimming

Infra-red technique
Beak
t r i m m i n g at
machine
7 - 10
d ay s
Early precision beak trimming at 7-10 days has the

advantage that when carried out properly, there is a
minimal effect on bodyweight development. Also it is
not necessary in most circumstances to beak trim the
birds a second time in the rearing period.
80% of the sample
1200
1250
1300
1350
1400
1450
1500
(-10%)
1550
1600
1650
(+10%)
1700
1750
1800
1850
1900
Method
cauterize but not so high to form a blister on the

beak later
Carefully choose the correct

diameter hole on the beak-tipping
machine, so as to cut the beak at
least 2 mm from the nostrils.
During
each beak is cut in the same manner
Hold the chick in one hand,

with the thumb behind the head, holding the head
firmly in position resting the beak on the forefinger
Move the chicks beak upwards at an angle of 15
above horizontal and cauterize the reinforced side
edges of the beak, to avoid unequal re-growth of
the 2 mandibles.
Cauterization contact time should be between 2
and 2.5 seconds
Check the temperature of the blade (600 - 650
C), for each operator and machine every hour
Beak
t r i m m i n g at
8 10
weeks
If local regulations allow it, a late beak trimming is

recommended under certain conditions, especially when
light intensity cannot be controlled (open-sided houses).
The advantage of this method is that a very precise beak
trimming can be carried out. The main disadvantage
is that when it is improperly done, it can take too long
for the birds to regain standard bodyweight.
Method
Both mandibles should be

cut separately, inserting a
finger between them is the
preferred technique
Cut the beak perpendicularly
at a right angle to its
long axis, so that after
cauterization about half of the length of the beak
between the tip and nostrils is left. Upper and lower
beak should have the same length after being cut.
Cauterize each mandible with care, particularly at
the sides of the beak, so as to round off the sides
of the beak and avoid lateral re-growth
Check regularly the temperature of the blade (650
- 750 C)
Beak
b e a k t r i mm i n g : at t e n t i o n p o i n t s :
The operator should be seated comfortably so that

Do not rush the process: too high a rate (number
of birds/minute) could lead to a higher chance of
errors and poor uniformity.
Change blades when required: maximum
recommended usage for a blade is 5.000 birds.
Make sure the tongue of the bird does not get
burned
After
b e a k t r i mm i n g : at t e n t i o n p o i n t s
Increase the water level in the drinkers and decrease

the water pressure in the pipes to make it easy for
the birds to drink
Make sure that the depth of the feed is adequate,
do not empty the feeders for a week after beak
trimming
Beak trimming is a very delicate operation and it is

important enough to be done correctly.Improper beak
trimming can damage bird liveability and uniformity
and consequently affect negatively the overall flock
performances.
General
principles of the
l ig h t i n g p r o g r a m m e s i n
rearing period
Chickens are sensitive to changes in the duration of
illumination, and this will influence the age of sexual
maturity. In addition, feed consumption is greatly
influenced by the duration of day length. Lighting
programmes have, therefore, different objectives.
During rearing, they allow us to encourage growth and
to control the birds' sexual maturity. For this reason, we
consider lighting programmes to be essential to achieve;
the recommended bodyweight at 5% lay

in order to obtain an egg weight which conforms
to the target from start of lay
t r i m m i n g at t r a n s f e r
A very late operation is not recommended since the

pullets are very close to maturity and will only have
a short time to recover to normal feed intake and
bodyweight. However, during transfer it is advisable
to re-check the beaks and, if necessary, to touch up
the beaks to correct the eventual irregularities,if it is
allowed by local welfare regulations.
Before
b e a k t r i mm i n g : at t e n t i o n p o i n t s :
Do not beak trim birds if the flock is not in good

health or if it is suffering from vaccine reactions
Add vitamin K to the drinking water 48 hours prior
to trimming and after to prevent haemorrhages
Check the equipment and make sure that the
trimming blade has the right temperature to
to achieve high overall production
L ig h t i n g
programme and growth:
In addition to the influence on growth, the lighting

programme plays a determinant role for 3 essential
reasons:
progressive growth of the digestive system

gradual adaptation to a body clock (above all,
anticipation of a dark period).
lack of night time energy supply when dark periods

are too long
Observations of the feeding and drinking behaviour
show a first peak of feed intake in the 2 to 3 hours that
precede a dark period, and a second peak shortly after
lights come on. The crop is used during these peaks of
consumption as a storage organ.
Weight in grams
The introduction of a dark period from the start of the

rearing period is important to progressively develop
the crop capacity, which plays the role of feed reserve.
However the amount of feed stocked remains insufficient
for the nocturnal energy needs.
Buyse (1993) found that with pullets subjected to a
10-hour dark period, the amount of feed stored in the
digestive tract was only 75% of the energy needs for
those 10 hours. Other authors have found similar results.
Thus the feeding behaviour of poultry is an attempt
to satisfy night time energy needs. It is reasonable to
suppose that the night energy deficit is proportional to
the length of the dark period.
L ig h t
d u r at i o n a n d g r o w t h :
A rapid decrease in day length is used to slow the growth

of birds. Conversely any increase in light duration will
favour growth.
The trial (24th Random Sample Test- Eickelborn) shows
clearly the relation - Daylength/Feed intake/Growth.
Influence of a decreasing light pattern on growth.
Age
4 7 days
2nd week
3rd week
4th week
5th week
6th week
7th week
8th week
Weight at 56 days (g)
Light duration (hours/day)

20
20
16
16
12
15
8
14.5
8
14
8
13.5
8
13
8
12.5
678
731 (+ 8%)
to the Equator. With very little change in day

length, we have seen that sexual maturity is mainly
activated by obtaining adequate bodyweight.
The higher the latitude is the higher the differences in
sexual maturity between summer and winter flocks are.
L ig h t
The variation of light duration greatly influences

sexual maturity. Under certain conditions, we can
observe a response to a light stimulation from 6
weeks of age. However, the more sensitive period
is between 10 and 12 weeks of age.
According to the programme being used, the age
at 50% can vary by up to 6 weeks.
Light stimulation will change the bird`s weight at sexual
maturity, its adult weight and as a consequence, the egg
weight, which is directly related to the bodyweight of
the bird at first egg.
Bird weight at sexual maturity will be 75 g lower when
light stimulation is advanced one week. Egg numbers
will be greater but egg weight will be reduced by about
1 g. Total egg mass produced does not seem to be
affected by reasonable variations in the age of sexual
maturity (Lewis 1997).
For this reason, it is preferable to determine the time of
light stimulation according to bodyweight rather than
the of age of the bird.
Influence of bird weight at 127 days upon the performance
from 27 to 47 weeks.
Bird weight Age at 50% Rate of lay
24th. R.S.T. Eikelborn
The duration of light must be taken into account when

planning lighting programmes ,while bearing in mind
that the objective is not to break records for growth
but to follow the established growth curve.
Control
o f s e x u a l m at u r i t y
s t i m u l at i o n
1535
1585
1620
1665
g
g
g
g
(days)
141
141
143
142
91.3
92.1
91.0
91.0
Egg weight
F.C.R.
(g)
60.50
60.65
61.80
61.65
2.018
2.014
2.012
2.027
a
a
b
b
L ig h t
Role
Ideal light intensity will be determined in practice by

the following needs:
production even when the pullets are reared under

very short day lengths.
A trial carried out by Lewis (1996) shows that with
a day length greater or equal to 10 hours, the age
at 50% lay does not vary, or only a little. On the
other hand, a day length kept at 8 hours appears
to delay sexual maturity by one week. This delay
of maturity with 8 hours at the plateau is explained
by the lower growth obtained compared to 10 or
more hours of lighting programme.
These observations are confirmed in latitudes close
We consider a dark house to be a building in which the

light penetrating from all outside sources produces an
intensity of less than 0.5 lux, at above 20 latitude.
In these buildings one should use the programme for
dark houses.
L ig h t
As described previously, it is always preferable to

encourage growth than encourage sexual maturity.
In order to compensate for the lack of growth which

could be observed during the rearing period in some
specific conditions or during the hot season of the
year, it could be better to maintain 12 hours light
at the plateau instead of 10 hours. As showed by
Lewis (1996), the light length greater or equal to
10 hours doesnt significantly modify the age at
50% of production.
If the market demand is for high average egg size,
a very long step down lighting programme will
encourage the growth and will delay maturity. The
addition of these two factors will lead to an increase
in the average egg weight through the increase of
bodyweight and delay of maturity.
d u r at i o n d u r i n g t h e fi r s t w e e k s
In order to control and maximize the growth of the

pullets during the first weeks we recommend using a
slow step down lighting programme.
This slow step down lighting programme could be
adapted to the growth performance or sexual maturity
expected.
L ig h t
d u r at i o n a n d g r o w t h
performances
From 6 to 15 weeks, in all latitudes and irrespective of

the type of poultry house, it is very important that the
day length never increases.
The normal or classic step down lighting programme is a

light programme starting from 23 hours the first 3 days
after arrival, to a plateau of light of 10 hours after 43
days. During this period, the light duration is decreased
by steps of about 2 hours per week during 6 weeks.
L ig h t
s t i m u l at i o n a c c o r d i n g t o b o d y
w e ig h t
Note: a cyclical programme could be applied for the

first two weeks (4hours of light/2 hours of dark,
repeated 4 times to equal 24 hours) and then followed
a recommended lighting programme, so 18 hours of
light on the third week)
As the bodyweight plays a major role in the

determination of the egg weight profile during the
whole laying period, the light stimulation has to be
done according to the bodyweight observed. The
bodyweight references are:
1250 to 1300 g for the Brown egg layers

1100 to 1150 g for the White egg layers
Light required to inspect the birds well.

The degree of darkness of the building (light leaking
in)
The intensity to be used during laying period.

Lighting programmes have to be adapted to the rearing
facilities (dark or open house systems), to the conditions
of production, to the climate and to the egg weight
profile demanded by the market.
Guide line for lighting programme for rearing in a dark poultry house
light 24
duration 23
22
21
20
19
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
B
A
Lighting programme
during temperate period
o f l ig h t at t h e p l at e a u a n d
growth performances
With this level of light intensity coming from outside,

there is little interference with the artificial lighting
programme. The birds react very well to any variation
of light duration during the rearing period.
10
D u r at i o n
intensity in rearing
Little information is available. However some work

has shown that light intensity can be very low. Morris
(1996) showed that an intensity greater than 1 lux did
not modify sexual maturity.
Photo stimulation is not necessary to stimulate
The speed of decrease of light duration can be slowed

down if growth performance is not as expected. The
10 hours plateau of light could be started from 8 or
10 weeks of age without any major delay in maturity.
The delay of sexual maturity being compensated for by
the better growth observed with longer light duration.
programme in
dark houses
Bougon 1996 Isabrown
The purpose of lighting programmes is to control the age

at point of lay and above all to avoid the influence of the
variations in natural day length. Do not underestimate
the effect of even the slightest variations in day length.
o f b o d y w e ig h t
L ig h t i n g
10
11
12
13
Age in weeks
C
Lighting programme
during hot season
Lighting programme
delaying maturity
11
In order to get an efficient light stimulation, the day

length increase has to be done in the morning.
Therefore, it is essential in these conditions to encourage

growth during all the whole rearing period, starting with:
Good brooding conditions in order to get the highest
For rearing in dark house systems and production in an

open house system, it is necessary to maintain a high
light intensity throughout all the rearing period in order
to avoid a sudden increase of light intensity.
possible bodyweight and uniformity at 5 weeks

of age
As the growth rate is related to light duration,
we advise the use of a slow step down lighting
programme which will help to boost feed
consumption and growth.
The reduction of light duration in the evening will
allow the birds to eat early in the morning, during
the cool part of the day and help the bird to lose
the heat generated by digestion before the hot
part of the day.
After 6 weeks, giving the feed early in the afternoon
will encourage consumption of large particle sizes
(low energy needed) before the lighting is turned
off. Fine particles will be easily eaten in the morning.
This meal feeding will encourage the development
of the digestive tract and help the increase of feed
consumption at start of lay.
The lighting programmes suggested below are only

guides. They have to be adapted to the real circumstances
of the rearing farm and according to performances
previously obtained.
We consider essential to achieve the recommended
bodyweight at light stimulation and at 5% lay, in order
to obtain an egg weight which conforms to the target,
and to achieve high overall production.
L ig h t i n g
programme in
h o t c l i m at e h o u s e s
B e t w e e n L at i t u d e s 20
20 s o u t h
It is a priority to encourage growth instead of sexual

maturity.
n o rt h a n d
A bodyweight which is too low at start of lay will

lead to post peak dips, risks of high mortality in
production with some prolapse, and poor quality
and persistency later on in production.
Excessive early light stimulation will lead to post
peak dips. No light stimulation is necessary before
2% of production. An increase of day length from
2% of lay can be done in the morning to boost
feed consumption during the cooler part of the day.
In tropical and subtropical countries, the layers are often

subjected to severe heat stress. This heat stress can
occur during long periods of high tropical or subtropical
climatic conditions. The lower feed intake noticed during
these periods is the result of the birds reduced ability
to lose heat.
The lower growth rates during rearing and the reduced
production during lay are only consequences of the
reduction in feed consumption when the birds are
incapable of regulating their internal body temperature.
H ig h
Please find herewith a lighting programme for rearing in hot

climate (Between Latitudes 20 north and 20 south). It is
only a guide that could be adapted to local conditions.
Weeks
Weeks
44
5
12
5
66
77
88
1 10
0
1 11
1
1133
114
4
Note:11 in22very33 difficult
conditions,
a 99plateau
of1 213
hours
15
14
13
12
12
15
14
13
12
12
3:00 AM 4:00 AM 5:00 AM 6:00 AM 6:00 AM
light, with lights on at 5 a.m. will give 3aa mbetter
4am
5 a growth.
m
6am 6am
t e m p e r at u r e a n d g r o w t h
Total light
23
22
21
20
19
18
17
16
Total
light 2244 2 3
22
21
20
19
18
17
16
LIGHTon
ON 6:00 PM 7:00 PM 8:00 PM 9:00 PM 10:00 PM 11:00 PM 12:00 AM 1:00 AM 2:00 AM
Light
6pm 7pm 8pm
9pm 10pm 11pm 12am 1am
2am
LIGHToff
OFF 6:00
PM 6:00
PM 6:00
PM 66:00
PM
6 p mPM 66:00
p mPM 66:00
p mPM 6:00
6pm
6pm
6 p mPM 6:00
6pm
p mPM 6:00
6pm
Light
24
24
23
23
22
22
21
21
20
20
19
19
18
18
17
17
16
16
15
15
14
14
13
13
Natural DAYLENGTH
day length
12
12
NATURAL
11
11
10
10
99
88
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
00
The growth is mainly affected after 6 weeks of age,

when the birds approach full plumage.
1600
Growth in
rearing
to temperature
GROWTH
IN according
REARING ACCORDING
TO TEMPERATURE
1 416
1400
1 159
1200
1 242
1000
1 025
800
626
600
575
400
250
200
0
Hour of
Hour
of
the day
the day
241
20
20
40
40
60
60
80
80
100
100
__18 C __30 C
18 C
120
120
140
140
160
160
30 C
6:00
PM 6:00
6 p PM
m 6:00
6 pPM
m 6:00
6pm
6 pPM
m 6:00
6 pPM
m
L ig h t i n g p r o g r a m m e s
semi-dark houses
for
Before defining the lighting programme to be used

during the rearing and production period, it is essential
to consider the following points:
The type of building to be used in rearing and laying:

dark houses, semi-dark houses or open houses
Location: the duration of natural day length

depends on the latitude, which in turn, determines
sunrise and sunset times throughout the year
Hatch date: flocks hatched on season (increasing
day length) tend to be earlier into production than
flocks hatched in the off season (decreasing day
length).
Sexual maturity is usually obtained in the same
season as the previous flocks.
D e fi n i t i o n
of building types
We consider a dark poultry house to be a building in

which the light penetrating from outside, through all
kinds of openings, produces an intensity of less than 0.5
lux. That means that houses not completely light-proof,
should be considered as semi-dark if light leakage is
producing an intensity of above 0.5 lux.
Even low light intensity tends to affect bird performance.
It has been shown that light as dim as 0.05 lux provided
3 hours before and 3 hours after an 8-hour light period
can advance maturity by about a week compared with
pullets held on 8 hours (Lewis, 1999). It is therefore
necessary, for a semi-dark house, to adapt the lighting
program to the natural day length.
Rearing
during
period
of
decreasing
d ay l e n g t h
To reduce the delay in sexual maturity induced by the

decreasing day length, we recommend:
starting light stimulation when the bodyweight is

on target by increasing the day length period by:
- - 2 hours in the morning for brown egg layers

- - 1 hour in the morning for white egg layers
then adding 1 hour per week in order to get 15
hours of light at 50% production
Rearing
during
period
of
increasing
d ay l e n g t h
To avoid a premature early sexual maturity, which could

lead to poorer overall performances (in egg number,
egg size, shell quality and liveability), we recommend:
reaching a plateau of constant light equal to the

natural day length to which the pullets will be
exposed at the planned age of light stimulation
starting light stimulation when the bodyweight is
on target by increasing the day length period by 1
hour in the morning (brown an white egg layers)
then adding 1 hour per week
Regarding light stimulation it is very important to keep
in mind the following points:
the timing of light stimulation should always be

based on bodyweight, not on age
effective stimulation is always difficult when the

natural day length is near its longest
to get an efficient light stimulation we advise adding

light in the morning instead of in the evening.
Rearing
in semi-dark houses
Complete control of sexual maturity is difficult to achieve

in this type of building since the seasonal fluctuations
of day length still interfere with sexual development as
mentioned above. Sexual maturity usually observed in
the flocks coming from this type of rearing house at the
same season has to be taken into account.
The lighting schedules used should take into account
the natural day length at the moment of transfer in
order to get an effective photo stimulation. Total light
duration must never be shorter than the longest natural
day in the period between 8 weeks of age and light
stimulation to avoid any increase of the light duration
before 14 weeks of age.
Night timetime
Night
Lighting time time
Lighting
Optional
night time
Optional night time
Leeson S., and J.D. Summers - 1997
The deterioration of the growth rate leads to a delay

in sexual maturity. Even without any light stimulation,
the pullets start production when they reach their ideal
bodyweight. The later this bodyweight is achieved, the
later the start of production.
12
We consider essential to achieve the recommended

bodyweight at light stimulation and at 5% lay, in order
to obtain an egg weight which conforms to the target
from start of lay, and to achieve high overall production.
13
P ro d uc t i o n
Adapting
period
L ig h t i n g
r e a r i n g p r o g r a m m e s t o p r o d u c t i o n fa c i l i t i e s
Production
in
N at u r a l ly L i t
Transfer
houses
Transferring the birds from a semi-dark rearing house to a windowed house can bring about an advanced sexual
maturity. Under these conditions, there is an increased risk of having light birds at the point light intensity is increased.
To have an effective lighting programme and to reduce this risk, in these situations we recommend working with a
light intensity of 40 lux as a minimum in rearing.
Lighting programme recommendation according to daylength at 15 weeks
Age and/or weight
1 - 3 days
4 - 7 days
8 - 14 days
15 - 21 days
22 - 28 days
29 - 35 days
36 - 42 days
43 - 49 days
Decreasing daylengths:
after 49 days
at bodyweight reference (1)
at BW R + 1 week
at BW R + 2 weeks
Increasing daylengths:
after 49 days
at bodyweight reference (1)
at BW R + 1 week
at BW R + 2 weeks
After
Duration of light at 15 weeks (hours)

10
11
23
23
22
22
20
20
18
18
16
16
14
14
12
13
11
12
12
23
22
20
18
16
14
13
12.30
13
23
22
20
18
16
14
13.30
13
w
23
22
20
18
16
15
14
14
10
12
13
13.30
NL
14
14.30
15
NL
15
15.30
16
NL
16
16.30
16.30
NL
13
14
14.30
10
11
12
13
11
12
13
14
12
13
14
14.30
13
14
14.30
15
+ hour per week in order to have between 15 h and 16 h 30 at 50% production
14
15
15.30
16
(1): Bodyweight reference is:

For Brown egg layers between 1250 and 1300 g.
For White egg layers between 1100 and 1150 g.
Production
i n a d a r k p o u lt ry h o u s e
The advice given above is just as applicable to dark poultry houses. It is worth noting that moving from a naturally
lit rearing house to a dark laying house slows down the sexual development of the chicken and causes a delay in the
onset of lay. It is necessary to avoid this as far as possible and to have a light duration on entering the laying house
which is longer than the day length at the time of transfer, and to adjust the light intensity after transfer.
We consider it essential to achieve the recommended bodyweight at light stimulation and at 5% lay, in order to obtain
an egg weight which conforms to the target from start of lay, and to achieve high overall production.
a n d s ta rt o f l ay
The transfer from the rearing farm to the laying facilities

is a major stress, accompanied by changes in environment
(temperature, humidity) and equipment. It should be
carried out as fast as possible, ideally being completed
within a day. Be sure the production house is clean,
disinfected and temperature is minimum 17C.
Then, between transfer and the peak of production, a
rapid increase in feed intake is necessary since the bird
has to cover:
its requirements to grow to the adult bodyweight

its requirements to achieve peak of production
its requirements to get a rapid egg weight increase
Age
of transfer
We advise transferring the birds at 16 weeks, maybe

even at 15 weeks, but never after 17 weeks.
it is very important to put into practice the following

techniques to help the birds adapt to the new
environment, particularly to cages and nipple systems.
Apply 22 hours of light the first day

Light duration should be decided according to what
has been used during rearing
Increase the light intensity for 4 to 7 days to help

the birds in the darkest cages to find nipples.
Then reduce light intensity gradually while ensuring

that normal water intake continues. A high light
intensity for longer than 7 days can increase the
risks of pecking
E n c o u r a gi n g
wat e r c o n s u m p t i o n
Birds can become dehydrated during transfer. The

water loss rate ranges between 0.3% and 0.5% per
hour according to atmospheric conditions.
Pullets should drink before feeding: the absence of
It is extremely important that transfer is completed
Make sure that the water pipes have been rinsed
before the appearance of the first eggs: most

development of reproductive organs (ovary and
oviduct) occurs during the 10 days prior to the
first egg.
We advice that vaccinations are given at least a
week before transfer, so as to obtain a good vaccine
response.
De-worming of the flock, if necessary, is best done
in the last days before moving, depending on the
de worming product used.
A late transfer or too long a transfer often leads
to delayed start of lay and higher mortality and
increases the risk of floor laying in non-cage
systems.
o f at t e n t i o n at l o a d i n g a n d
t r a n s p o rt
The following rules should minimise stress at handling

of the birds at loading and during later transport:
The birds should have an empty digestive tract

at the moment of loading, but they must have
access to fresh drinking water up to the time of
being loaded.
Choose the best time for transport during the day
or night, depending on the weather circumstances.
Crates or containers, equipment, trucks etc. must
be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected
Make sure that air can circulate freely around the
crates, but protect pullets from direct air flow.
Containers or crates should not be overloaded,
particularly in hot weather on long distance hauls.
Avoid unnecessary stops during transit of the birds.
I mmediately after the birds arrive at the laying unit,
Because of the stress to which birds are subjected during

transfer and immediately afterwards:
Points
14
a s a t o o l f o r e n c o u r a gi n g
a r a p i d a d a p tat i o n t o a n e w
environment
feed helps them find the nipple drinkers more easily

before pullets arrival
Wait for 3 or 4 hours before distributing feed and

check if drinking system is working properly
If the pullets have not been reared on nipples,

decrease the pressure and allow some leakage of
water during the first few days
If nipples are planned for production, it is helpful
to add at least one nipple for 200 birds to the other
drinking equipment used in rearing, as a nipples
school.
A daily water consumption control is of paramount
importance
Feeding
f o r p h y s i o l o gi c a l n e e d s
About 2 weeks before the first egg is laid, the

medullary bone, which acts as a reservoir of calcium
for eggshell formation, develops. Therefore a
pre-lay diet needs to be used, containing enough
calcium and phosphorus, for this bone formation.
This diet should be switched to a layer diet as
soon as production reaches 2% to avoid any
demineralization.
Then, an early lay feed with a high content of
amino acids (about 7% higher than after peak
diet) should be used. This feed needs to satisfy
requirements for early production, growth and
reproductive development.
E n c o u r a gi n g
feed consumption
From the start of lay to the peak of production, feed

consumption should increase by about 40% to allow
15
the birds to meet their requirements for egg production

and growth.
To encourage bird appetite and feed intake, the following
advice should be put into practice:
Maintain the temperature at point of lay as close

as possible to the temperature to which the birds
became acclimatised during rearing. Growth at the
point of lay is reduced above 24C, and is extremely
low above 28C.
Minimize house temperature variations and avoid
draughts
Use an adapted light duration, achieving 15 hours
of light at 50% of production
Providing 1hour 30 minutes to 2 hours of
supplementary light in the middle of the dark
period will help to attain the correct bodyweight by
allowing an extra feed intake (midnight feeding).
Limit the number of feed distributions according
to equipment to avoid selective feeding and
competition for large particles which could lead
to lack of uniformity.
Adapt the feeding times as to achieve 60% of feed
consumed in the last 6 hours of the day and to
have empty feeders for 2 to 3 hours in the middle
of the day. This technique avoids a build up of
fine particles and its consequent negative effect
on feed intake.
Use a layer feed with the correct grist (80% of
particles between 0.5 and 3.2 of diameter)
Monitoring
e n v i r o n m e n ta l a n d
p r o d u c t i o n pa r a m e t e r s
A close control of the following parameters will help
you to check the real evolution of the flock during this
critical period for the future performances:
Feed consumption (daily)

Water consumption (daily) and water/feed ratio
Temperature (min-max) and relative humidity (daily)
Evolution of bodyweight (weekly until peak of lay),
by weighing the birds up to 35 weeks of age
Evolution of egg weight (daily for the first weeks
of lay)
General
principles of
l ig h t i n g p r o g r a m m e s
during the production
period
natural day length
to control the liveability through the light intensity

management
to improve eggshell quality

Other lighting programmes can also be introduced
during the production period to adapt the egg weight
to market demand, to improve eggshell quality or to
control feed intake for some breeds.
Chickens
sensibility to changes in
i l l u m i n at i o n
The lighting programme in production should be a
continuation of the lighting programme used during
the rearing period. We have to make sure that the
light duration in production house is at least as long
as the light duration the birds experienced the last day
before transfer.
As chickens remain sensitive to decrease of light duration
during the whole production cycle, the day length (the
interval between lights on and lights out) should not
be decreased during lay.
A day length longer than 16 hours is not necessary

in dark buildings.
In naturally lit or semi-dark buildings avoid a
decrease in the day length during lay by maintaining
a day length which is equal to that of the longest
natural day experienced, by making lights on
and lights out coincide with the times of sunrise
and sunset
L ig h t i n g p r o g r a m m e s at s ta rt o f
15 h o u r s at 50% p r o d u c t i o n
l ay :
From 17 weeks until peak of lay, feed consumption has

to increase by 40 to 50%, depending on rearing and
production systems, to cover requirements for growth,
peak of production and increase in egg weight at start
of lay:
300 grams of growth between 18 and 28 weeks of
after "lights off".
It can be maintained during the whole laying period

or it can be discontinued at about 30 weeks of age
if bodyweight and feed consumption are on target.
When it is discontinued at 30 weeks, it could be
introduced again at 45 weeks of age to reduce
the deterioration of the shell quality at end of lay,
allowing the birds to consume limestone (Calcium)
during the shell formation.
In a hot climate or during a heat wave, lighting
during the middle of the night reduces the negative
effects of heat by encouraging feed intake during
cooler conditions.
We advise a feed distribution just after the lights
turned on or just before lights turned off in the
evening.
The amount of feed consumed is dependent on the day

length. A change in day length of one hour changes
feed intake by about 1.5 to 2 g.
is increased. This could allow an increase in egg weight

by 2-3% but reduces the number of eggs laid by about
the same proportion.
In practice:
They can be used any time throughout lay, including

the early stages if it is economically useful to get
a higher egg weight.
When starting to use one of these programmes,
we advise keeping the same total hours of light
per day for several weeks.
According to the pattern of feed consumption, a
progressive increase of each dark period is possible.
This reduction of total light duration doesnt affect
the production but reduces activity (improves
liveability) and saves feed.
These programmes assist in reducing red mite by
encouraging preening and delousing.
The practical implementation: progressively according to age
and consumption
Choice of cycle* 2 hours
Age
1h15 L+
From 5% of lay
0h45 N
Length of light 15 hours
3 hours
4 hours
6 hours
2h L +
2h30 L +
3h45 L +
1h N
16 hours
1h30 N
15 hours
2h15 N
15 hours
The reduction of light duration must be done

progressively according to the water and feed
consumption observed. It is possible to reduce
total light duration to 9 hours in a progressive way.
If feed consumption decreases too much and lasts
several days after a change of pattern, then go back
to the previous lighting programme (increase light).
The influence of a 2 hours light interval during the night

Lighted
Feed consumption
(g/day)
period
Exp. 1
6 - 22 h
127.7
4 - 20 h
128.8
6-20 h & 23-1 h 131.9
Exp. 2
116.8
118.1
122.0
Density of eggshell
Exp. 1
1.0722 a
1.0714 b
1.0726 a
Exp. 2
1.0790 a
1.0792 a
1.0806 b
L ig h t
intensity
m a n a g e m e n t a n d r e l at i o n
with liveability
L ig h t
Grizzle (1992)
intensity during the rearing
period
If local regulations allow it, these programmes can be

used in buildings, which are totally light proof. The
24 hours of the day are split into cycles of 2, 4, 6 or 8
hours. Each cycle is made up of a period of light and
a period of dark. The length of light in each cycle can
vary during the laying season.
1hour and 30minutes to 2 hours light in the middle

of the night
The lights should be switched on about 3 hours
production
The objective of the lighting programmes during the

production period is:
16
Principle of the technique:
Cyclical
greatly influences feed consumption. In addition, during

all its life, a chicken remains sensitive to changes in the
duration of illumination.
to encourage growth at start of lay

to counteract the harmful effects of decreases in
The mid night light can modify the spread of the lay
of the flock.
age for brown layers and 200 grams for white layers.
from 0 to daily egg mass produced at peak of
We recommend adapting the increase of light duration

at start of lay to get at least 15 hours of light at 50%
production to encourage an increase in feed intake. For
all birds, production is determined by the amount of
food intake at the start of lay. The introduction of 1hour
and 30 minutes or 2hours of light, in the middle of the
dark period, could also be introduced at the same time.
In production as well as in rearing, the lighting programme
This technique encourages feed consumption and

growth at the start of lay. The introduction 1hour and
30 minutes or 2hours of light doesnt interfere with the
normal lighting programme and should not be included
in the calculated day length. This programme can be
introduced at the start of lay (usually from 5% of lay)
and discontinued at any time without affecting the
production. Stopping this mid night light should be
done gradually in order to allow the birds to adapt their
feeding behaviour. The bird doesnt perceive the end of
this programme as a reduction of light duration.
l ig h t i n g p r o g r a m m e s
These segmented lighting programmes are well known

for their positive effects on:
Eggshell colour and eggshell strength

Egg weight
Control of red mite population
Liveability and FCR management
Light intensity is important during the first days of

the rearing period in order to encourage the chicks to
discover their environment and to quickly find water
and feed.
Therefore, this light intensity can be reduced progressively.
The ideal light intensity will be determined in practice
by the following needs:
Light required to inspect the birds

The degree of darkness of the building (light leaking
in)
The intensity to be used during the laying period
The physiological effects of such programmes are as

follows: oviposition can be desynchronised and laying
is spread out over 24 hours. The time of egg formation
17
In
dark house
(houses
where the light
p e n e t r at i o n f r o m o u t s i d e d o e s n t e x c e e d
0.5
lux)
T he light intensity required is very low. The ideal
light intensity is the minimum needed to get a

good inspection of the flock. An intensity of 5 to
10 lux is sufficient.
In
semi
dark
house
or
n at u r a l ly
lit
houses,
In houses where the light penetration from outside

exceeds 0.5 lux, the light intensity should be
adapted to the degree of darkness of the house to
avoid any interference with the light stimulation.
Artificial light intensity should be, if possible, 12
times the light intensity coming from outside. If the
difference is not big enough, birds will consider the
day length as the natural day length and not the
artificial day length if the artificial duration of light
is shorter than the natural day length
Influence
of light intensity experienced
during the rearing period,
The light intensity in rearing should be adopted in

production. If birds are transferred in open house
system, light intensity should be min, 40 lux to avoid
nervous pecking behaviour in the production period.
When the production period is in naturally lit
houses, an intensity of 40 lux is needed to avoid
an excessive increase in intensity on transfer to
the laying house, which can lead to nervousness
and pecking.
L ig h t
intensity in production
The light intensity required is low. No significant

differences have been found in the different trials with
todays breeds. But as stated for the rearing period,
we encourage an increase in light intensity for a few
days from the transfer time in order to help the bird to
discover its new environment and to find easily water
and feed systems.
Thereafter, the light intensity can be reduced step by
step to a minimum of 0.5 lux at the feeder level in the
dimmest areas of the laying house as long as during
the rearing stage light intensity doesnt exceed 10 lux.
High intensity tends to increase the nervousness of the

birds and pecking (Hughes 1972 and Savory 1995). The
activity of the bird is also influenced by the source of
light. The increase in the number of tiers in modern cage
installations, together with the change from incandescent
bulbs to fluorescent tubes or to fluorescent bulbs, has
resulted in a significant increase in light intensity to
birds in close proximity to the light source.
High light intensity also results in a higher feed conversion
ratio. When light intensity is reduced by 50%, the feed
saving will be about 1.6g.
M o rta l i t y
Practical
Effect of light intensity on performance.

Intensity at the level
Egg number 20/76
of feed trough
0.5 lux
2 lux
15 lux
wks.
311
314
310
8250 birds
Per tier
M o rta l i t y
Years
Bottom tier
Middle tier
Top tier
1996
1.1
1.6
6.1
1997
0.9
2.3
6.2
and light source
In cages, the birds activity has been measured in

one experiment (Boshouwers 1993) showing that
activity is much higher when using fluorescent light
and is strongly correlated to the light intensity.
Birds are sensitive to fluorescent light, which they
see as scintillating rapidly.
Effect of type and intensity of light on bird activity

Movements per hour
higher activity
average activity
F
I
F
I
Light intensity
1 lux
10 lux
1363
2317
1292
1929
197
343
189
283
100 lux
3271
2566
499
377
F = Fluorescent Lighting I= Incandescent Lighting

Boshouwers 1993
52.2
52.3
52.2
is low
It is very important to have as uniform a distribution

of light as possible with a bulb distribution arranged
in quincunx form in the new large laying units with
several tiers.
Existing equipment can be improved by using shades
or adhesive tape on the bulbs to reduce the intensity
for the birds situated in front of the bulbs. Red or
warm light seems to be useful for reducing activity,
feather loss and pecking.
intensity and liveability
Investigations have demonstrated a strong relationship

between light intensity, physical activity and feather
loss. High light intensity results in increased mortality
as a result of vent pecking, which is increased with
feather loss.
Pigmentation: For brown eggs layers, deposits of

pigments (ooporphyrins) occur at the end of shell
formation and at the beginning of cuticle formation.
Cuticle formation: Cuticle is deposited in the
following 2 hours.
L ay i n g
brown and white layers
100
100
90
90
80
80
70
70
60
60
50
50
40
40
30
30
20
20
10
10
00
150
150
140
140
130
130
160
170
180
190
160
170
180
190
Lewis 1995
Lewis 1995
5
4
3
2
1
6
6
____
7
18
19
9 10
10 1111 1212 13
13 14
14 15
15 1616 1717 18
19
Layers
White layers white layers
brownBrown
layers
____
66
55
44
33
40
22
r e m i 30
n d e r o n e gg f o r m at i o n
20
Ovulation:
Ovulation occurs in the 5 to 10 minutes
10
18
77
90
Shell quality
depends on the amount of calcium present
80
in the digestive
tract during shell formation. Taking into
70
account the
timing of egg laying and thus the timing
60
of shell formation
allows feeding times to be adapted
to satisfy 50the calcium needs of the bird.
White layers
Change in the weight

ofin the
shellof(g)
as a(g)function
of time
Change
the weight
the shell
as a
function of time elapsed after last egg
elapsed after last egg
times and
shell quality
that follow the expulsion of the previous egg.

0
Entry in
the
6
7
8Uterus:
9
10 After
11
12 the
13 secretion
14
15
16 of
17 the
18
times or oviposition times
Progress of egg laying during the day as a function of time

Progress of egg laying during the day as a
elapsed after lights
out
for elapsed
brownafter
and
white
function
of time
"lights
out"layers
for
Oviposition
Brown Layers
5.3
5.6
6.4
Begins about 10 hours after

ovulation and lasts for about 12 hours. During
this time 90% of the calcium is deposited on the
shell at a rhythm of 180 to 200 mg of calcium
per hour. (see graph below).
Progress of egg laying during the day as a

function of time elapsed after "lights out" for
brown and white layers
123
122
122
- - 2nd Phase.
100
L ig h t
Mortality %
wks.
470
460
430
entry into the uterus, calcium crystals begin

to form.
Effect of sexual maturity (days at 50% lay) on body weight
There is a strong relation between bird activity, stocking

density and feather loss during production.
BW gain (g) 20/72
- - 1st Phase. During the first 5 hours following
Before any modifications are made, it is extremely

important to measure the light intensity at various
points. When reducing the light intensity, it is important
to be certain that the darkest areas have a light intensity
of 0.5 to 1 lux. This control of light intensity will help
to improve the feed conversion ratio. The energy used
increases by 1 Kcal/hour/bird when the intensity goes
from 1 to 10 lux and also from 10 to 100 lux. This is
equal to a little more than 5 g of feed between 1 and
10 lux and nearly 11 g of feed between 1 and 100 lux
(Boshouwers 1993).
BODYWEIGHT
body
weight
2100
2100
2000
2000
1900
1900
1800
1800
1700
1700
1600
1600
1500
1500
1400
1400
1300
1300
1200
1200
1100
1100
90
100
110
120
130
140
150
90
100
110
120
130
140
150
Age (days)
Age (days)
Feed cons. (g/d)
albumen and the shell membrane, the egg enters

the uterus about 5 hours after ovulation.
Hydration of the Albumen: This phase lasts about
6 hours.
Calcium Deposition 2 Phases:
As shown herewith, the light intensity required
In battery cages, we sometimes find considerable
Mortality observed per tier according to year of production
Egg mass (g/d)
Tuckler 1993
and activity
differences in light intensity at different levels. The

birds close to the light source demonstrate more
noticeable activity leading to more risks of pecking
and mortality.
Control of the mortality per tier could reveal different
levels of mortality as shown in the following table
advises
11
19
00
9
9
11
11
13
13
15
15
17
17
19
19
21
21
23
23
25
25
Nys (1986)
19
Laying times are determined by the lights off time.

Many experiments have shown that they vary very
little from one flock to another. The graph given below
shows the evolution of time of lay as a function of time
elapsed after lights off.
S h e l l F o r m at i o n
For a light duration of 16 hours:
for brown layers: around 40% of birds have finished

their calcium deposit at lights on and on average
birds begin shell formation 4 hours before lights out
for white layers: around 50% of birds have finished
their calcium deposit 3hours and 30 minutes after
lights on and in average birds begin shell formation
just before lights out
Calcification of the shell is mainly realised during
the night. A high percentage of brown birds stop
calcification at lights on or just after, while white
layers finish their shell after lights on.
r e m i n d e r o n s h e l l f o r m at i o n
During shell formation the bird first uses the calcium

contained in the digestive tract, it is dissolved by
abundant secretion of Hydrochloric acid. When the
quantity of calcium is insufficient, the bone reserves
are used (the calcium is deposited on the shell and the
phosphorus eliminated by the kidneys). It has been
demonstrated many times that birds which are forced
to use their bone reserves produce eggs of poorer shell
quality.
Shell quality depends on the quantity of calcium
remaining in the gizzard at lights on for brown and
the ability for white birds to access soluble forms of
calcium after lights on.
How
to improve shell quality
All methods that help to increase the quantity of calcium

stored in the gizzard before lights off and to ingest a
soluble form of calcium after lights on, have a positive
effect on shell quality. According after transfer we
advise :
For Brown Layers:
encourage maximum feed intake during the last

6 hours of the day (distribute 6 - 7 hours before
lights off).
arrange to have feeders empty in the middle of
the day to encourage feed intake in the afternoon.
distribute feed during the night in the light period
of 1-2 hours, 3 hours after lights off if midnight
light is used or at lights on.
ensure that the calcium content of the feed has at
least 70% in particles of 2 to 4 mm to encourage
retention in the gizzard and storage for the night
period.
provide 30% of the calcium in easily soluble powder
form for quick availability at lights on.
20
For White Layers:
Influence of pullet bodyweight at first egg on egg weight (g) over different periods.
encourage maximum feed intake during the last 4

hours of the day (distribute 4 hrs before lights out).
arrange to have feeders empty in the middle of

the day to encourage feed intake in the afternoon.
ensure that the calcium content of the feed has 50%

in particles of 2 to 4 mm to encourage retention
in the gizzard and storage for the night period.
provide 50% of the calcium in easily soluble powder
form for quick availability at lights on.
Important Note:
During the hot season or in summer, heat stress can
delay the oviposition time, mainly when birds are
panting. Panting provokes a loss of carbon dioxide
and bicarbonate in blood plasma. As a consequence,
oviposition times are delayed. In these circumstances
the maximum feed possible has to be given during
midnight lighting and early in the morning to maintain
production and shell quality.
Adjusting
e gg w e ig h t t o
meet market requirements
Egg producers want to produce eggs of a size which
matches market demand and in the end satisfies the
needs of their customers and optimises margins.
The principal factors affecting egg weight are:
genetic aspects
bodyweight at sexual maturity (so at the time of
the first egg is laid)
feed consumption and growth from first egg till
achieving of adult bodyweight
nutritional factors
Genetic
aspects
Egg weight is one of the major criteria of the breeding

programme. The heritability of the egg weight is high.
So, each breed has its own profile. In addition, for some
strains, a real effort has been made to reach marketable
egg weights rapidly from start of lay while avoiding an
increase in egg weight at the end of lay. Nevertheless,
management techniques and nutritional characteristics
of the diet can both change egg weight. Each strain has
the potential for a range of egg weights, which can vary
by about 3 to 6 g.
B o d y w e ig h t
at s e x u a l m at u r i t y
Bodyweight at sexual maturity depends mainly on the

age of light stimulation and on the growth during rearing
period.If a flock grows according to the standard, and
the age at start of lay is changed, then the bodyweight
at sexual maturity is also changed.The age at start of lay
has a direct effect on the adult weight and, therefore,
on the egg size throughout the whole laying period.
Earlier maturing flocks will produce a greater number
of eggs, but these eggs will be smaller than those from
delayed flocks because the pullets are lighter.
Pullet bodyweight at first egg (g)

1300 1500 g
1500 1700 g
49.75
53.25
57.55
59.20
61.65
62.55
Period (weeks)
18 to 28 weeks
28 to 40 weeks
40 to 60 weeks
1700 1900 g
56.05
61.03
64.55
> 1900 g
57.60
62.35
65.80
Isa Brown pullets - Lewis - 1992
Control
o f t h e s e x u a l m at u r i t y
Research has shown that mean egg weight increases

by 1 g when sexual maturity is delayed by one week.
Conversely, the number of eggs will be decreased. For
each change of one week in age at the start of lay, there
will be a change of about 4.5 eggs in number laid. By
using the appropriate techniques, the age at start of
lay can be modified to produce eggs of the required
weight, without affecting the total egg mass produced.
Rather than giving light stimulation according to age, we
advise not starting to increase day-length until pullets
have reached the target weight planned. This means
that they will not be allowed to come into lay at too
low a bodyweight, which would be prejudicial to egg
weight and overall performance.
B o d y w e ig h t
at
24
weeks
Egg weight is highly dependent on bodyweight at 24

weeks. Between 5% lay and peak production, bodyweight
should increase by at least 300 g for brown and 200g
for white layers.
Our research has enabled us to determine optimum
bodyweights throughout the rearing and laying periods.
This plays an essential role in obtaining performance
as measured by egg numbers, egg weights and feed
conversion ratio.
Throughout rearing and after transfer, attention should
be focused on the feeding techniques and the growth
curve.
Influence
o f h e at
Rate of lay isusually only affected at temperatures above

30C. Egg weight falls by about 0.4% per C between
23 and 27 C. Above 27C, the reduction is about 0.8%
per C. Growth at start of lay is reduced above 24C
and is extremely low above 28C. The feed conversion
ratio reaches a minimum at 28C. These figures are only
indicative, because air movement speed and relative
humidity affect thermoregulation.
L ig h t i n g
programmes during
production
physiological impact of these programmes are as follows:
Egg laying occurs throughout 24 hours and the

length of time in egg formation is increased.
This allows an increase in egg weight of 2-3% but

reduce the egg number by the same proportion
Feed
restriction
A light food restriction can be used to control egg weight

towards the end of the laying period. It can be used only
when the birds achieve the standard of bodyweight at
28 weeks of age. This technique can be used step by
step by avoiding a too strong feed restriction which will
lead to a deterioration of the production rate.
The distribution of the feeding times could be

concentrated step by step to reduce the food
consumption
The introduction of one or two dark periods during
the day could also be applied
Nutritional
aspects
Egg weight can be increased by the use of vegetable oil

in the layer ration. This effect used to be attributed to
the level of linoleic acid in the ration, but Whitehead
(1981) has shown that the effect on egg weight can
be attributed to oil and not to the level of linoleic acid.
In rations, where the cereals were either wheat or a
mixture of wheat and barley, he compared the addition of
either corn oil, which is rich in linoleic acid, or olive oil,
which is poor in linoleic acid. Therefore, it is preferable
to speak in terms of the effects of oil, rather than the
effects of linoleic acid. Over a given level, the oil level
in the ration has more effect than the linoleic acid level
on the ratio. The addition of unsaturated fats leads to
an increase in the energy intake, of the bodyweight of
the bird, the egg weight and the egg mass produced.
Oil
Level of
Level of
Egg weight
Palm
Seaweed
Lard
Grape
Linseed
palmitic acid
28.4
18.0
17.8
11.2
10.5
linoleic acid
1.52
1.37
1.64
2.67
1.65
63.0
63.1
64.3
65.5
65.3
Meluzzi et al, 2001
For all the amino acids, without exception, a deficiency leads

to a reduction in performance, if which 60-65% is due to a
lowering of rate of lay and 35-40% to a reduction in egg weight.
The programmes called cyclical lighting programmes

allow an increase in egg weight. They can only be used,
when the buildings are completely light proof. The
21
Wate r :
t h e mo s t c r i t ic a l n u t r i e n t
The water is the most critical nutrient for the poultry.

The daily control of water consumption is essential. If
an animal does not drink, it will not eat and can not
produce.
evaluating the quality of the decontamination process.

The water pipe should be rinsed before pullets arrival.
W at e r
Chlorination is still the best and most economic method

of treating drinking water. The chlorine can be injected
by means of a dosing pump. A contact time of 15 to 30
minutes between the water and the chlorine is necessary
for good disinfection. It is essential to monitor the
residual active chlorine at the end of the pipe system
once a week. Only the test measuring the reaction to
D.P.D. (diethyl phenylene diamine) allows for that.
The colorimetric test using orthotoluidine does in fact
measure chlorine in all its forms (active and inactive).
The residual level of active chlorine at the end of the
system should be 0.3 - 0.4 mg/litre (0.3 - 0.4 ppm).
Chlorine becomes dissociated in water into hypochlorous
acids and hypochlorite ions. The percentage of these
two chlorine fractions depends on the pH of the water.
Hypochlorous acid is 120 times more active than the
hypochlorite ion. It is therefore, desirable that the pH
of the treated water stays below 7 so that chlorine
disinfection can be effective.
quality
Good quality drinking water is very important for

(production) animals. Birds must always have easy access
to the drinking water, the water must be fresh and bright.
Taste and smell seem to be of less importance to the
birds but are indicators for the water quality.
In detail:
Parameter
PH
Ammonium mg/l
Poultry
Good quality
Do not use
5 8,5
<4 and >9
<2,0
>10
Nitrite mg/l
<0,1
>1,0
Nitrate mg/l
Chloride mg/l
Sodium mg/l
Sulfate mg/l
Iron mg/l
Manganese mg/l
lime/chulk content
oxidizable organic
<100
<250
<800
<150
<0,5
<1,0
<20
>200
>2000
>1500
>250
>2,5
>2,0
>25
<50
>200
non detectable
<100
<100.000
non detectable
>100
>100.000
matter mg/l
H2S
Coliform bacterials cfu/ml
Total germ count cfu/ml
Monitoring
wat e r q u a l i t y
The value of any analysis depends on when, where, and

how the sample has been taken, (where it enters the
house or at the end of the system). One should not
forget that an analysis only refers to the quality of the
water at the time when the sample was taken, and is
never a guarantee of its quality at another time.
Where farms have their own water supply, it is necessary
to take a sample at least twice a year (one at the end
of winter, the other at the end of summer). On farms
using the mains supply an annual measurement should
be adequate. It is important to realise that the sodium
thiosulphate, contained in the flasks supplied by the
laboratories carrying out bacteriological tests on water,
only neutralises chlorine or bleach. It has no action on
quaternary ammonium compounds.
Cleaning
the pipe system during the

s a n i ta ry b r e a k .
Mineral and organic deposits in drinker pipelines give
favourable conditions for bacterial growth and reduce
the activity of chlorine. Therefore, it is essential to
decontaminate the pipelines, when the birds have gone.
The best solution is to use alkaline and acid cleaners in
succession (order to be verify). A bacteriological test on
the water at the end of the circuit should be carried out
systematically before the new flock arrives as a means of
22
T r e at m e n t
Cleaning
o f d r i n k i n g wat e r
the drinkers
The water system should be cleaned regularly, but

must be cleaned after water treatments, especially after
antibiotic treatment.
The water in drinkers often becomes soiled with feed
residues, and possibly with contaminants. To prevent
the development of germs in the drinkers, they should
be cleaned at least once a day during the first 2 weeks,
and once a week thereafter.
In a hot climate, the drinkers should be cleaned every
day. The depth of water in the drinkers should be 15 mm.
W at e r
consumption
The actual consumption depends on temperature and

humidity of the ambient air. The following table shows
the relationship between water and feed consumption
according to house temperature:
Water to feed ratio according to temperature in rearing and
laying period
Rearing
1.6
1.7
2.3
3.0
t ec h n i q u e s
Immunity
150 to 200 ml per 1000 chicks

Still used in many countries against Newcastle
Birds possess two primary organs of primary lymphoid

activity: the thymus and the Bursa of Fabricius.
disease and Gumboro during the first week because

of the need to achieve 100% vaccination and reduce
the possibility of adverse respiratory reactions
Usually used when vaccination by drinking water
is not possible (irregular water consumption before
5 days of age) and when a vaccination by spraying
would run the risk of causing harmful respiratory
reactions.
Situated in the neck region, the thymus is the organ,

where the T lymphocytes mature, and is responsible
for immunity due to cell mediation immunity. It is
functional from hatching, and develops with age
into the secondary lymphoid organ.
The Bursa of Fabricius is the organ, where B
type lymphocytes mature, and is responsible for
immunity via the humoral system. This is functional
at hatching, and remains developed and active up
to between 4 and 10 weeks of age, after which it
regresses gradually.
Birds possess numerous secondary lymphoid structures
distributed throughout the whole body:
Peyer's patches on the intestinal mucosa

Caecal tonsils on the ileo-caecal mucosa
Lymphoid structures throughout the length of the
respiratory network
Harderian gland situated at the back of the third

eyelid
- Small inclusions in most organs, including the
nerves
- Spleen
All these immune structures are called upon, when
vaccines are administered according to different
routes: putting liquid into the ocular fluid (eye drops),
impregnation of the palatine groove at the time of
swallowing (drinking water), inhalation of droplets
(spraying).
Individual & mass vaccination methods
Individual vaccination
Oculo-nasal instillation
Mass vaccination
(Eye drops)
Beak dipping
Skin puncture and scarification
Intramuscular and sub-
By spraying
Through the drinking water
cutaneous injections
Water consumption depends on ambient temperature.

Above 20C, consumption increases to enable the bird
to maintain body temperature (respiratory evaporation).
Temperature
15C
20C
25C
30C
Vacc i n at i o n s
Production
1.70 (210 ml)
1.80 (205 ml)
2.10 (230 ml)
3.10 (320 ml)
In hot periods it is essential to provide cool water for

the birds. In a hot climate, cool water will improve
productivity. It is extremely important to protect the
water tanks from the direct sunlight.
Oculo-nasal
i n s t i l l at i o n
(eye
drops)
Allows a local and a general immunity, due to the

presence of the Harderian gland behind the third eyelid
Always keep the bottle vertical to avoid contact

with mucous membranes
Generally 1000 droplets per 30 ml

Coloured ocular diluents makes it easier to see that
the vaccine is administrated properly
Generally used for Infectious Laryngotracheitis
Beak
dipping
This involves dipping the beak up to the nostrils in such a

way that the vaccinal solution gets into the nasal canals.
Only to be used with chicks of less than 1 week

of age
Skin puncture
( s c r at c h )
a n d s c a r ifi c at i o n
Only used for the administration of live fowl pox

vaccination or pox vector vaccines
Puncturing the wing web with the help of a doublechannelled needle is generally preferred to scarification
of the skin on the thigh, using a vaccination stylus.
Intramuscular
a n d s u b - c u ta n e o u s
injections
Equipment should be sterile (this is important as

seroma formation may become an issue)
Needle should be the appropriate length for the

age of bird
Change needle frequently (at least every 500

injections) This is a minimum frequency as more
regular changes of the needle assist with the welfare
of the birds (blunting needles) and from a disease
spreading perspective Avian leucosis.
Take the bottles out of the fridge several hours
before use to improve fluidity (inactivated oil based
vaccines)
Birdsneck (bacterial vaccines in oil based adjuvants)
or Breast muscle (especially for oil based inactivated
vaccines)
Through
d r i n k i n g wat e r
Ideally should only be used in birds of more than one

week of age (in order to get uniform water consumption/
take up).
Take care to regularly de-scale and clean the pipe

system using water under pressure in a contra-flow
direction and then adding organic acids to the
drinking water over four consecutive days.
B efore vaccination, check if the drinker and nipple
are clean and working well. There should be no
disinfectant in the lines as this will inactivate the
vaccine. Ensure all water sanitizing systems have
been turned off and the water in the system is clean
water only, 24h before vaccination.
A llow the birds to become thirsty, 30 minutes to
1hour and 30 minutes or longer (depending on
climate and thirst) before distributing the vaccine
solution.
C ompletely empty the whole water system. Make
sure that all water present is drained out, especially
in the bottom of the tank and in the lowest points
of the piping system.
23
A lways have an area available to make up the
Spraying is, therefore, particularly indicated for

vaccination with less virulent viruses, with respiratory
connotations (e.g. Hitchner B 1 and La Sota strains against
Newcastle Disease, H120 against Infectious Bronchitis,
and the vaccine against Swollen Head Syndrome...). In
any case, follow the vaccine manufacturer instruction.
vaccine in a hygienic way disposable gloves should

also be available
F orecast the quantity of water required, enough to
be consumed in about 2 hours. Quantity is about
1/7 of the quantity consumed the previous day.
D issolve 2.5 g of skimmed powder per litre of water
(avoid lumps forming).
N ext, dissolve in a small quantity of commercial
mineral water (or distilled water) the number of
doses corresponding at least to the number of
birds to be vaccinated according to their age. Mix
this vaccine solution thoroughly (using a plastic
stirrer) to the milky water prepared previously. A
colour marker may be used to identify the vaccine
solution. Keep the vaccine solution cool, and away
from direct sun exposure.
C heck that all the drinkers and nipples are filled
with the milky water. In specific case of nipples,
open the water pipe at the other end to flush the
air trapped and to insure that the vaccine solution
reaches the other end.
- Walk slowly through the building and make sure
that all the birds are drinking the vaccine solution.
F inally, open the stopcock and return to normal
watering. Start again sanitation minimum 12 hours
after vaccination.
A ll the equipment used for the preparation of the
vaccine solution should be clean without trace of
disinfectant.
Water quality aspects:
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
12:07
12:07
12:06
12:06
12:06
12:07
12:07
12:06
12:06
12:06
12:06
12:07
The effectiveness of spray vaccination and the severity

of post-vaccinal respiratory reactions depends mainly
on the size of the droplets in contact with the eye or
the respiratory tract of the birds.
11:50
11:54
12:01
12:09
12:17
12:23
12:24
12:19
12:12
12:04
11:56
11:51
10
11:33
11:42
11:56
12:13
12:28
12:40
12:41
12:33
12:18
12:01
11:46
11:35
15
11:15
11:29
11:50
12:16
12:40
12:57
13:00
12:47
12:24
11:59
11:35
11:18
20
10:57
11:16
11:45
12:20
12:52
13:15
13:19
13:01
12:30
11:57
11:23
11:00
According to the equipment used and the atmospheric

conditions, the quantity of water should be adjusted
so that :
25
10:37
11:02
11:39
12:24
13:05
13:35
13:39
13:17
12:37
11:54
11:12
10:41
30
10:15
10:46
11:33
12:29
13:20
13:57
14:02
13:34
12:45
11:52
10:59
10:21
35
9:51
10:29
11:26
12:34
13:36
14:21
14:28
13:53
12:54
11:49
10:44
9:58
the spraying of the group or flock lasts between
40
9:23
10:10
11:18
12:40
13:54
14:49
14:57
14:15
13:03
11:46
10:28
9:32
15 and 20 minutes
several passages of spray can be made
the fogging succeeds in reaching the eye or the
respiratory tract
45
8:50
9:48
11:09
12:47
14:16
15:23
15:33
14:41
13:15
11:42
10:09
9:01
50
8:10
9:20
10:58
12:55
14:42
16:04
16:17
15:13
13:28
11:38
9:47
8:24
55
7:17
8:46
10:45
13:05
15:15
16:59
17:16
15:53
13:46
11:33
9:18
7:35
60
6:03
8:00
10:29
13:18
16:00
18:18
18:42
16:49
14:08
11:26
8:41
6:27
Atomisation refers exclusively to repeat vaccination

against Newcastle disease.
65
3:54
6:54
10:06
13:37
17:05
20:42
21:36
18:14
14:39
11:18
7:48
4:36
S u m m a ry
of
Practical
health.
chlorine or disinfectant, well maintained, correctly

calibrated and reserved exclusively for vaccination.
Prepare the vaccine solution immediately before use
with water of high biological quality, cool, free from
chlorine or disinfectants, slightly acidic (pH between
5.5 and 6.5), without excessive mineral content.
Taking into account the low volumes needed, use
for preference distilled water or commercial mineral
water.
Gather the birds together quietly into a very
restricted area (so that the minimum quantity of
droplets fall on the ground)
Switch off the lights, the brooders and the
ventilation. The flock should be calm, with heads up
Wear a mask.
Spray the heads of the birds for 15 to 20 minutes
slowly making several passes.
Ventilation could be forced 15 to 30 minutes after
spray.
Rinse the equipment thoroughly in clean water,
containing neither chlorine nor disinfectants
Quality of vaccination can be checked by adding
blue dye to the vaccine before spraying (90% of
the birds minimum should be reached by the colored
- - preferably between 5.5 and 6.5.

- - Where city water or equipment with traces of
chlorine is used, add 2.5 g of skimmed milk
powder to neutralise the chlorine.
To vaccinate a flock correctly, you need to have at least
90% of the birds to have properly absorbed a full dose
of vaccine in its fully live state. This can be checked if
you add blue dye to the vaccine.
b y s p r ay
This method consists of spraying a vaccine solution in

such a way that droplets contain a sufficient number
of living virus particles to come in to contact with the
mucous membranes of the eye and/or the respiratory
tract so that they can multiply there. The immune
response will at first be local, and then general.
vaccinal solution) or getting serological tests (ELISA or

HIT) on the flocks on blood samples taken on the day of
vaccination and 3-4 weeks after vaccination. Antibody
titers should be significantly increased on the second
control compared to the first one.
Spray vaccinations recommendations according

to the system used
Fogging
Atomisation
Spravac
Primary vaccination
Birchmeier
Primary vaccination at the
Ulvavac
Primary vaccination
Atomist
Booster doses on the
at the hatchery
3.5 bars
hatchery or on the farm

2 to 2.5 bars
100 150
400 to 1200 ml
booster doses on the farm

Mechanical propulsion
78 80
30 to 60 ml
farm (> 15 days)

Aerial propulsion
15 50
300 to 600 ml
70 ml / 200 ml
for 1000 birds
60.00
60.00
45.00
45.00
The equipment should be clean, without traces of
between 5.5 and 6.5.
24
advice
L at i t u d e s
Only spray vaccinate when birds are in a good
- - pH should be slightly acidic for preference
Pressure
Droplet size
Quantity of water
l e n g t h ta b l e s a c c o r d i n g t o l at i t u d e
consumption without excess minerals.
Examples of equipment
Use
D ay
Lat.
- - Should conform to the standards for human
V a c c i n at i o n
Appendix
30.00
30.00
15.00
15.00
0.00
0.00
15.00
15.00
30.00
30.00
45.00
45.00
60.00
60.00
Conversion
ta b l e
Energy
1 cal = 4.1868 J
1 kcal = 4.1868 kJ
Temperature
C=5/9 (F-32)
F=(9/5C) +32
Surface
1 cm = 0.1550 sq. in
1 m = 10.76387 sq.ft = 1.195985 sq. yd
Light
1 Lux =1 candela = 1 lumen/m
Weight
115 g = lbs = 2 oz
1 kg = 2.2 lbs
Lenght
1 mm = 0.03937 in
1 m = 3.28083 ft
1m = 1.093611 yd
25
N ote s
26
27
28

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M anagement G uide

Cage Production Systems

We do recognize that many egg producers have

Institut de Slection Animale BV

ISA - Management Guide - Cage Production Systems

building the potential

ISA - Management Guide - Cage Production Systems

as a tool for encouraging a rapid

Water: the most critical nutrient

ISA - Management Guide - Cage Production Systems

Any delay in growth at 4-5 weeks will be reflected in a reduction

Success in the rearing period leads to success in the

Brooding temperature at 2-3

edge of the brooders

m from the brooders

The heat losses incurred from contact with the litter

are very important during the first days.

Provision of two gas brooders or 2 radiant heaters

of 1450 Kcal is advised for 1000 birds

The distribution behaviour of chicks is the best indicator

On floor system, the distribution of chicks in each

pen or throughout the building will help you to

Medullary bone ___

Equipment and environment

Distribution behaviour according to temperature

The removal of the supplementary starter drinkers

The drinkers should be cleaned daily for the first

should be done gradually, making sure that the

2 weeks. From the third week they should be

ISA - Management Guide - Cage Production Systems

Relative humidity optimummaximum in%

Note: a cyclical programme could be applied for the first

Brooding temperature at the

During the first few days, it is important to maintain

Standards for temperature and humidity

Flush the water lines prior to arrival, and make sure

that no disinfectant is left in the water lines when

Rearing in dark or semi dark house

Rearing in hot climate (open houses)

ISA - Management Guide - Cage Production Systems

Put paper under the nipples to attract the chicks

and extra feed over the chick paper or paper trays.

All these recommendations will help to:

Get a good start and a low mortality level during

Recommended from 4 weeks until 10 weeks of age and

A good frame and immune system

t o 16 w e e k s building the potential of

These objectives can be achieved by providing:

a correct stocking density and housing conditions

ISA - Management Guide - Cage Production Systems

accordance with the target age at sexual maturity

To obtain the correct bodyweight at 4 weeks to

To achieve steady growth between 4 and 16 weeks

production the bodyweight increase is at least 300

- - the energy level of the diet

To encourage rapid consumption, we recommend that

To make sure that between 5% lay and peak of

The crop is a storage organ. It allows the bird to eat