Poultry International - September 2010

Improving layer development
through gut health

performance at various
stages of the layer’s life.
Addressing gut
health can aid layer

The performance of brown egg laying hybrids, and similarly white egg layers, has increased significantly through genetic selection over the last quarter century. The increase in productivity has been achieved through advancing sexual maturity, increasing the level and time of peak production, improving persistency and also improving livability.

An example of performance development during this time is demonstrated in the breed standards for Shaver 579 from 1985 and 2009.

Today’s performance could have been further improved by continuing advances in early maturity; however it has been recognized that the potential benefit in egg numbers may have come at the cost of ease of management and average egg size. For this reason, most breeding companies have reduced or ceased selection in this characteristic and rely more on the improved post peak persistency to give continuing annual gains in egg number.

Critical points

There remain two critical times
in the life of the pullet which will
have the greatest e;ect on final
performance, the first four to six
weeks and the time from onset of
lay until peak production. During
both these times, body weight
development is crucial if the flock is
to perform to breeder standards.

Despite ongoing
developments, birds
remain very adaptable to management
changes in order to optimise performance.

levels. Feed particle size has a direct impact on early growth rate, not only during the early brooding period but throughout the rearing period.

Natural growth promoters (NGPs) are already widely used in broiler production, and trials have shown that use of probiotics and/or phytogenics to improve gut health can further aid the development of early growth for early development.

The second critical time for successful performance is between onset of lay and reaching peak egg mass production. In nature, a chick hatched in one spring would not come into production until the following year, allowing it time to reach adult weight before coming into lay. With current management programmes and light stimulation, modern hybrids reach sexual maturity earlier and, whilst already in egg production, still have to grow a further 20%. Again, this means that care has to be taken in providing the correct nutrition for body maintenance, egg production and growth.