Layers Into Chicken Battery Cage Precautions
2024-03-21
There are generally two methods of raising chickens: free-range and cage-rearing. Most egg farms adopt cage-rearing as it not only increases land utilization but also facilitates feeding management, thus improving egg collection efficiency. So, what should we pay attention to when layers into chicken battery cage? Let’s understand the precautions for caging laying hens together.
Layers Age into Chicken Battery Cage
The optimal age for layers into chicken battery cage is generally between 13 to 18 weeks. This ensures that the young hens maintain a normal weight and also improves egg production during the rearing process. It’s important to note that the latest age for caging should not exceed 20 weeks. However, if the flock is growing well, caging can continue even at 60 days of age. When caging, we also need to group and cage them according to their different growth rates.
Facility Poultry Farming Equipment
After layers into battery cage system, it’s essential to maintain their original growth environment to avoid affecting their growth and production. Therefore, before caging, we need to equip appropriate farming facilities and install various poultry farming equipment. Additionally, strict inspection and replacement of these facilities and equipment are necessary to prevent problems during later stages of farming.
Gentle Handling
When layers into battery cage system, we must handle them gently and avoid making sudden movements or loud noises that could startle the flock. Overly forceful handling can cause stress reactions in the hens, leading to decreased appetite and weakened health, significantly impacting the flock’s health.
Prevention of Disease Outbreaks
Correct handling during caging is crucial, and it’s essential to monitor temperature changes and regulate them appropriately after caging. It’s advisable to cage the hens at night and improve feeding after caging by providing balanced and nutritious feed. Additionally, scientific medication should be administered to prevent diseases, thus enhancing the quality of the laying hens.
Parasite Prevention
To ensure the health of the laying hens and their subsequent production, deworming is necessary. This is especially crucial when caging the hens at 60 and 120 days of age. Therefore, it’s important to follow the scientific instructions for deworming during caging to prevent parasite infestation.
Maintaining Flock Stability
Maintaining relative stability within the flock is simple; try to cage hens from the same shed and group together. Usually, when unfamiliar chickens enter a new environment, phenomena like food fights, water competition, and territorial disputes occur, significantly impacting egg production. Hence, it’s best to avoid such situations.
These are the precautions for layers into battery cage system. During the operation, it’s essential to avoid startling the flock, pay attention to handling techniques, and avoid excessive force. It’s preferable to cage the hens at night. After caging, strict inspection and replacement of equipment should be conducted to avoid affecting the growth of the laying hens.
Note: Egg cages can also be raised from chicks. In other words, the laying hens can be raised in cages when they are young, until the laying hens begin to lay eggs.
As a professional supplier of poultry farming equipment, livi Machinery provides chicken farmers with a range of chicken equipment, including chicken cages and automated chicken equipment.
livi Machinery promises to provide chicken farmers with a 1-2 year warranty on chicken equipment.
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