Poultry: Basic Husbandry for Layers

Agdex#:	458
Publication Date:	02/93
Order#:	93-031
Last Reviewed:	06/00
History:	Original Factsheet
Written by:	Diane Spratt - Poultry Specialist/OMAFRA

 

Criteria	Norms During Growth	Norms After Maturity	Trouble Shooting Checklist
Temperature (At birds height)	Day Old: 28°-32°C Lowered: 2°-3°C per week to 21°C at 6 weeks	Breeders: 21°C for bird's comfort	Too High: pasted vents, frequent wing spreading and flapping, panting, crowding away from heat source Too Low: feather ruffling, rigid posture, huddling and piling near heat source
Ammonia (P.P.M.)	Maximum 25 ppm (see next page)	Maximum 25 ppm	Too High: eye burns - higher incidence of respiratory problems, blindness
Air Movement	0.11 m3 per minute per kg bird or 2.75-3.0 cfm per kg live bird	0.11 m3 per minute per kg live bird or 2.75-3.0 cfm per kg live bird	Poor: high ammonia levels, caked litter, increased respiratory problems, increased health problems(see next page)
Lighting	First 7 Days: 20 lux After 1st week adequate light for feeding and activity preferably using light dimmers and lower wattage bulbs	For Production: Minimum 14 hours daylight interval intensity must be 10X greater than dark to ensure good production level	Too High: cannibalism, flightiness, more egg cracks Too Low: poor growth and poor egg conversion (see Figure 1)
Feeder Space (per bird) - ad lib Water Trough (per bird)	0-6 wks: 2.5 cm 6-18 wks: 7.5 cm 0.6 wks: 1.0 cm 6-18 wks: 2.0 cm	18 weeks - mature: Feed - 10.0 cm Water - 4.0 cm	Not Enough Space: poor intakes, poor growth and poor egg production
Density - Floor or Cage Space (per bird)	0-6 weeks: 0.05 m2 6-18 weeks: 0.14 m2	18 weeks - mature: 0.2 m2 If 'free range' needs protective fencing	Too Dense: feather picking, cannibalism, egg production levels drop, higher mortality Free Range: greater incidence of disease, parasites - problems with predators. See Factsheet 88-095 Control of Extenal Parasites on Poultry

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Handy Hints

Humans can detect the smell of ammonia at 7 p.p.m.

When human eyes are affected (watering/burning), ammonia levels are at least 20 p.p.m.

Figure 1. Guideline: Lamping Requirements for Poultry
Chart Shows Number of Square Feet per 60 Watt Bulb
by Peter Nicholas, Energy Advisor - Agriculture, Ontario Hydro

Text Equivalent of Figure 1

Example (Real Barn)

A maintained light level of 20 lux may be achieved by using one standard 60W/120V incandescent bulb for every 200 square feet of floor space, or by using one long-life 60W/130V incandescent bulb for every 120 square feet of floor space in a dark barn.

Example (Research Lab)

A white clean room will have 40 lux with about one lamp per 280 square feet, or about 20 lux if one bulb per 560 square feet is used.

Save Energy: Use 9 Watt to 11 Watt compact fluorescent lamps instead of 60 Watt/130 Volt incandescent bulbs

Save Energy: Use 13 Watt to 15 Watt compact fluorescent lamps instead of 60 Watt/120 Volt incandescent bulbs

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