Page 20 - AWA Vol.37 No.4

POULTRY

the hens restless, uncomfortable and Important rules for good • Use no more than 2 to 3 cm of litter
reluctant to use the nests. nest management in the scratch area. When the floor is

Egg collection • Enough nest space is crucial. Birds warm and birds feel comfortable, they
may prefer to lay their eggs on the floor
Manual nests: At around 20% produc- don’t want to wait. For a mechanical instead of the nest.
tion, egg collection should be done community nest allow a minimum of
twice per day. Increase the collection 100 cm2 nest space for 1 hen ( 1 m2 or
frequency as the weekly production in- 100 hens). Another option is to calcu-
creases. In full production, collect eggs late 100 females /m of house length of
at least four times a day and during nest systems.
peak production, six times a day. • The type of community nest is very
Mechanical community nests: With important to attract the females to the
a mechanical nest system, start the nests. Do research to determine which
first egg collection when about 10 to nests have a history of low floor and
15 eggs are laid on the belt. Do the first slat eggs.
collection in the afternoon so there are • Open the nest when the first egg is
not many birds in the nests and keep laid. Don’t open the nest too early be- Birds like to lay their eggs in the
the belt speed slow so the birds don’t cause hens will lose interest, use nests dark, so a curtain for the nest is
get scared. Be sure the small internal as a resting place, and cause heavy very important.
plastic flaps that keep the egg belt hid- soiling in the nest.
den are in good condition. Over time • The nest pads must be installed cor-
the plastic flaps start curling and hens rectly and be in good condition so that
will be able to see the moving egg belt the eggs roll smoothly onto the belt.
which can increase floor or slat eggs. • Ensure all transitions between belts
Also check that the nest pads are well have minimal gaps to prevent egg
connected to the center of the egg belt damage. An electronic egg can help to
and the angle is correct (around 8 de- evaluate conveyor and belt conditions.
grees) to allow eggs to roll onto the
belt. The nest pad should go under the • The curtain that separates the nest
internal plastic flap so the birds don’t box and the egg belt should not be Nest pads that are worn
see the egg rolling onto the egg belt. broken or curled. This can lead to (as shown in photo) should be
The eggs can be collected manually broken eggs and an uncomfortable replaced because eggs will not
from the belt or by packers. If pack- environment for the hens. roll onto the conveyor and will
ers are used, it is very important that • Close the front end of the belt en- collect in the nest.
the eggs are protected during their trance to the egg collection table when
journey to minimize cracks. Provide the eggs are not being collected to
smooth transitions and check connec- prevent a draft from the egg collection
tions, slopes and corners from the egg room to the nest belt.
belt to the conveyer. • Females will tend to avoid nests if
An electronic egg should be used foul odors are coming from the egg
to check for trouble spots in the pro- belt. Therefore, clean the egg belt on
cess. The electronic egg has sensors a regular basis.
that measures the impact (vibrations, • Nipple lines should have a water
shocks and rotation) on the egg as it flow rate of 80 to 100 ml/min and must
travels. not block the nest entrance area.
Broken internal curtains
Feeding period • Walk slowly through the house so and nest pads which are worn
the birds don’t get scared.
The feeding period should not co- prevent eggs from rolling to
incide with the most active laying • Provide a uniform light distribution the conveyor belt.
period because it will encourage the in the house. Shadows or dark places Paul Welten Bio: Paul Welten is a
females to leave the nest and lay eggs in production houses can lead to floor breeder specialist that has been with
on the floor. The feeding time should eggs. Concentrate the light intensity Cobb for 27 years. He currently serves
take place before the majority of the on the litter area with a minimum of 60 the EMEA region. Paul holds a Bache-
females have laid their eggs, around lux. Prevent high light intensity at the lor’s Degree in Animal Husbandry from
30 minutes before or 6 hours after the entrance of the nest. HAS University of Applied Sciences at
lights have switched on.
‹s-Hertogenbosch.
Circle 21 on enquiry card
18 Vol. 37 No. 4