Being a good investment, layer chicken farming quality and quantity production depends on the level and type of technology used.
Layer poultry birds need to be raised from when they are one day old and they start laying eggs at commercial farms at 18-19 weeks of age and continue up to 72- 78 weeks of age. They consume 2.25kg of feeds each during egg laying period.
Chicken management
As keeping chicks in the first weeks after birth is important, make an adequate good water drinking system in the brooding house and train chicken for drinking water which is mixed with 5% of glucose for them to get energy.
Cut lips of laying chicks at 8-10 days of age and 8-12 weeks for growing chicken. Cut lip of chicks at 0.2cm from nostril and 0.45 cm from nostril for growing chicken and cut both lips separately using sharp trimming machine to cut beaks. Dont cut 2 days after vaccination or after treating them and when it is adverse weather condition and when hens are starting to lay.
Similarly, supply pure clean and fresh drinking water according to demand. Purify water using bleaching powder or Cl and supply cold water during summer season and slightly hot water during cold season and use sufficient Ca, P, vitamins, amino acids in food given to chicken according to age and size.
Provide chicken with feed rich in proteins and mineral and give them 2% Ca at 2 weeks after birth and then provide starter feed up to 4 weeks and then feed 2-3 times a day until they are 18 weeks of age. Feed according to age and weight and dont decrease feed amounts while laying.
Furthermore, at 20 weeks of age, 5% of chicken start laying and 10 % lay at 21 weeks and at 26-30 weeks, they highly produce. Egg laying rate and egg size increase gradually until hens are 50 weeks.
Finally make vaccination programme to keep chicken free from diseases and increase disease tolerance.