This document provides information on the rearing management of layers from 8-20 weeks of age until 72 weeks of age. It discusses housing, feeding, lighting, ventilation, and health management practices during rearing and laying periods. The goal is to reach 1500g body weight by 20 weeks and peak production of 300 eggs per hen from 28-29 weeks until 40-50 weeks of age when production starts to decline. Culling of non-productive hens is recommended on a weekly basis.

1. REARING MANAGEMENT OF
LAYERS
Dr. Ghulam Abbas Hashmi

2. White Egg Shell Layers
Star cross, Babcock, Hi-sex, Hy-line, Nick chick.
Brown Egg Shell Layers
Isa Brown, XL Nerra Brown(Arbor acres), Ross,
Peterson.

3. REARING MANAGEMENT OF LAYERS
The growing or rearing period follows the brooding
up to sexual maturity of the birds.
It is about 12 weeks in case of laying strain roughly
from 8-20 weeks of age.

4. Housing management
 Brood Grow House
 Grow Lay House
 Brood Grow Lay House
 Partial Cage Rearing
 Complete Cage Rearing

5. Floor Management
Litter Floor
Slat and Litter Floor
All Slat Floor

6. All litter floor

7. Combination of slate and litter floor

8. All slat system

9. Floor Space Requirements During Rearing (Litter Floor)
Line Floor space/bird ft2
Mini type leg-horn pullets 0.8
Leg-Horn egg type pullets to 18
weeks
1
To 22 weeks 1.5
Medium size egg type pullets to 18
weeks
1.2
To 22 weeks 1.7

10. 3. Feeding
Nutrition Requirement
CP% 15
ME2970 Kcal/Kg in growing ration from 6-14
After 14 weeks to 2750 Kcal/Kg
Ca 0.6% and Phosphorus 0.4%.
Feeding Method
 Quantitative Restriction
 Qualitative Restriction

11. Feeder Space
Strains Space requirement inch/bird
Mini leghorn egg type pullets 2
Leghorn egg type pullets 2.5
Medium size egg type pullets 3

12. Feed Height
The height of feeder so that the bottom of the trough is equal to the back of birds.
Lighting
 Provide light of 5 Lux during rearing is 10-11hours.
 Do not increase the light duration during the rearing period.
In season flock: If chicken hatched between 1st March to 31st August (in season).
 Provide 24 hrs. light for first 3 days and provide natural light up to 19 weeks.
 Then provide 10 hrs. light during 20 weeks of age and 12 hours light during 21 week of
age.
 Then increase 30-min. light time per week until 16-17 hrs.

13. Out season: If chicks hatch between 1st September 28 February (out season
birds).
 Provide 24 hrs. light for 1st 3 days. Then determine day length at the age
of 20 weeks.
 Add 7 hrs. in it for 1st week and provide this light.
 Then decrease the light by 20 min/week until 19 weeks of age.
 At 20 weeks supply at least 10 hrs light and during 21 week provide 12
hrs. light.
 After 21 weeks of age increase 30 min. /week until 16-17 hrs. of light is
achieved.
Age and Body Weight
1250 gm at age of first egg and 1500 gm at the time of peak production.
Water
Leghorn pullets will drink about twice as much water per day at 100°F
(37.4°C) as they do at 70°F (21°C).

14. Waterer space for growing pullets (6-20 weeks)
Strains Automatic
trough
in/bird
Large pan*
/ 100 birds
Cups/100
birds
Drip type
nipple/100
birds
Mini leghorn
pullets
0.6 0.6 6 9
Leghorn
pullets
0.75 0.7 7 10
Medium size
pullets
0.85 1.1 8 11

15. Automatic bell drinker

16. Automatic cups

17. Nipple drinker

18. Troughs

19. Weekly consumption of water for growing pullets at 70-90°F
Weeks Amount of water/100 birds (litter)
5-8 13-21
9-12 16-26
13-16 17-28
17-20 18-30

20. Ventilation during rearing
Growing birds must have an ample supply of fresh air
(O2) without draft because birds do not do well in
environmental extremes
Weather Problems
In hot weather if temperature rises about 80°F (27°C)
chicken begins to suffer.
 sprinkle the water on birds
 Run cooling pad, fans etc.
 Provide vitamin C to reduce heat stress during hot
weather.
In cold weather use heating source to maitain temperature
of the shed

21. Weekly feed consumption and body weight per bird (Babcock white layers)
Age (weeks) Body weight/bird (gm) Feed consumption gm/day
1 90 8
2 135 13.5
3 225 20.5
4 320 31.0
5 410 40.0
6 490 42.5
7 540 45.5
8 590 47.5
9 680 48.5
10 725 50.5
11 815 53.5
12 800 55.5
13 950 58.0
14 1000 60.0
15 1040 62.0
16 1090 64.0
17 1135 65.0
18 1180 67.0
19 1225 69.5
20 1270 71.5

22. Weekly culling and Uniformity
 Under weight
 Emaciated
 Inferior
 Crippled
 Deformed birds
Uniformity
• Sample weights are taken once in a week to find out
the average body weight as per the breed suggestions.

23. Sanitation and Bio-security measures
Separate caretakers should be employed in each unit
or house.
House should be properly disinfected.
Keep the litter clean.
Keep the equipment clean and different disinfectants
and sanitizers should be used after 3-4 days in the
house and in the proximity.
Keep the rodent (rat) and wild birds etc. away.
The vans of feed should also be kept away from the
growing house.
Daily visit should be performed with respect to the
health of flock.
Dispose off the wastes in remote area of the farm.

24. Record keeping
During rearing following records should be kept.
 Line and source of chicken.
 Vaccination, medication and supplementation.
 Feeding programme.
 Feed consumption.
 Body weight by weeks.
 Mortality by days and weeks.
 Culls (Harvesting of birds to market)

25. PERFORMANCE
Avg. Body Wt at peak prod. = 1500 gm.
Peak production starts = 28-29 wks.
Production period. = 20-72 wks.
Avg. egg production (52wks) = 300.
Decline in production starts. = 40-50 wks.

27. (B) Laying management (21-72 Weeks)
(a) Floor management
Regular cleaning & stirring of litter.
Initial depth, 3-4 inch.
Mix 0.5 Kg super-phosphate/ 15 sq ft. floor
area.
Mix 1 Kg hydrated lime/ 15 sq ft. floor area.

28. (2) Space management
 Floor space. 1.50 sq ft/bird.
 Feeder space. 3.0 inch/ bird.
 Drinker space. 1.25 inch/bird.
Keep bottom of feeder at the back level of birds.

29. (4) Feeding Management
Layer ration = 20th wk on ward
Crude Protein = 17%
Metabolize able energy =2700Kcal /Kg.

30. Feeding
 At 20 wk give 70g feed daily per bird.
 From 21st wk, add 5g (+70) each week.
 At peak production 110g / bird daily.

31. (5) Light Management
Light period Should not be less than 16 hours.
Intensity = 1 foot candle
Declined Production (40-50wk) increase light
by 1H (16+1=17H)

32. 1 watt light intensity per 1 to 1.50 bird.
Bulb height= 2 meter above floor
Distance between 2 bulbs = 2.5-3.0m
Regular & frequent cleaning of light bulbs

33. Culling
 A Continuous process of removing non- productive,
weak, low body weight & inferior birds.
 Weekly culling.
 Saving of feed & expenditure.

34. Culling Procedure.
Character Layer Non-Layer
1.Health vigorous, weak,
active. sluggish,
under sized.
2.comb & full, shrunken,
wattles smooth, dull, dry,
glossy, pale &
bright red. scaly.

35. Continued.
3. eyes. Prominent not bright.
& bright.
4.vent. Large, small, dry &
moist, oval, round.
smooth.
5.pubic thin, thick, hard,
bones. Flexible, less spread.
well spread

40. Continued.
6.Abdomen soft. contracted,
firm, coarse
skin.
7.Pigments. bleached yellow
vent, shanks,
eye rings, eye rings,
ear lobes, ear lobes &
beak & beak.
shanks.

41. Vaccination and disease control
Follow the proper vaccine shedule.
Regular de-worming
 Birds should be checked for ecto-parasites after very 3-4 weeks
 use DDT (1:8 ratio of DDT: ash) or coopane powder.
 Round worm (Ascridia galli), Caccal worm (Heterakis gallinarum), Capillaria
worm (Capillaria obsignata) and Tape worm (Raillietina sp.).
 Use dewormer like piperazine powder, Rintol, Albendazole, oxyclozamid or
systamax etc.

42. DE-WORMING PROCEDURE.
 De-worming before 2 hour sunset.
 Give thirst, if medication in water.
 Light must be turned off.
 Remove wet litter in the early morning.
 Flushing with glucose solution, 2 hour after de-
worming.

43. Vaccination Schedule

44. Alternate Vaccination Schedule

45. Nests
Space 1x1x1.2 Feet for each 4 hens
Place nest 1 week before start of egg production,
to get pullets accustomed to them.
Use dry litter material in nests. Regularly clean or
change litter

46. Single compartment Nests.
One hole for 4-5 hens.
Place floor of the lowest tier, 24 inch above
the floor.

47. Nests
Community Nests.
One for 25 hens.
Roll Away Nests.
Wire bottom is sloped so that eggs roll to a
compartment at the back.

50. Multiple tier stacked cages
A fully stacked (without offset) system with
either manure scrapers or a manure belt
removal system.
This arrangement allows the most efficient use
of floor space with number of tiers.

52. Increased egg production up to 2-3 eggs/ hen.
Labor saving.
Pecking & cannibalism minimized.
Better flock supervision & maintenance.
Less broodiness.

53. Egg handling
Chicken lay their eggs mostly during forenoon
Eggs be collected at least twice
The frequency can be increased 4 to 5 times
during peak summer

54. LAYER PRODUCTION INDICES
Egg production
Hen-Day Egg Production (HDEP)
• For a particular day

55. For a long period
• A farm average of 85% or more HDEP is desirable.

56. Hen-Housed Egg Production
(HHEP)
• For a particular day

57. For a long period
HHEP values of 80% or higher are desirable.

58. Feed efficiency
Feed efficiency/kg. egg of mass=Kg. feed consumed/ Kg. of eggs produced
A value of 2.5or less is advantages to farm
Feed efficiency/ Dozen eggs= Kilograms of feed consumed
12eggs produced
The value should be 1.65 or less