PAUL GRIGNON DUMOULIN

Bodyweight management and its impact in layers

TOKYO

July 12-13th, 2016

Introduction

• Bodyweight is one of the most important parameters to track in farms :• In rearing : check the growth of the birds in order to achieve the best performance during

production period

• In production : regular control allows to check if farm conditions is good enough to allow best productivity from the birds

• Filed experience : very often people follow growth during rearing butstop once birds start laying.

• In fact bodyweight management can influence many things…

Some history…Development of the modern Brown commercial layer

1970 2000 2008 2015 2020

HH EGGS AT 75 Weeks (NRS) 239 306 324 343 361

HH EGGS AT 90 Weeks (NRS) 419 446

HH EGGS AT 100 Weeks (NRS) 500

AGE AT 50% PRODUCTION (WKS) 26 20 20 20 20

AGE AT PEAK PRODUCTION (WKS) 29 26 26 25 25

RATE OF LAY AT PEAK (%) 86 95 96 97 97

EGG MASS AT 75 Weeks (KG) 14.9 19.2 20.6 21.5 22.6

EGG MASS AT 90 Weeks (KG) 26.4 28.0

EGG MASS AT 100 Weeks (KG) 31.5

FEED/DAY (G/D) 127 114 114 113 112

FCR resp. 75 to 90 to 100 weeks of age (KG/K) 3.46 2.41 2.25 2.19 2.07

LIVEABILITY (%) 90 94 94 94 95

HEN DAY RATE OF LAY AT 75 Weeks (%) 55 74 76 79 82

BODYWEIGHT AT 18 Weeks (KGS) 1.72 1.55 1.55 1.50 1.50

ADULT BODYWEIGHT (KGS) 2.5 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.9

+50% egg number

-24% bodyweight

Standard growth curves

ISA Brown growth curve

Growth is not linearGrowth / nutritional needs maximum between 6-11 weeks

Influence of pullet quality on laying performanceBodyweight at 5

weeks oldBodyweight at 10

weeks oldUniformity at 16

weeks old

Sexual maturity

% prod between

20 - 24 weeks

+++

0,63

+++

0,59 0

% prod between

68 - 72 weeks+++

0,82 0

++

0,46

Egg number at 60 weeks old

+++

0,83

++

0,30

+++

0,54

Egg number at 72 weeks old

+++

0,93 0

+++

0,72

Liveability at 72 weeks old

+++

0,71 0

++

0,40

+++ : very good correlation + : low correlation++ : good correlation 0 : no correlation

Key anatomical and developmental stagesTime-line in Changes of Growth and Body Components of Pullets

Increase in Calcium

Pre lay

feed

Reproductive organ

development

Medulary

bone

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Frame

Muscles

Organs

Age (weeks)

Growth

Fat

Bodyweight targets in rearing

• Get the best possible bodyweight at 4-5 weeks old

• In end of rearing, key of success is more linked with good uniformity thangood bodyweight.

• At start of lay : between 5 and 90% lay, growth must be 300g minimum in brown layers

• Consequence : birds with same average bodyweight in end of rearing willhave different performance in production, depending on theirbodyweight at 5 weeks old or uniformity at 16 weeks old.

Practical rules for bodyweight management

• From day old to 3-4 weeks : weekly average bodyweight calculation based on group control. Chicks are weighted by group.

• From 3-4 to 26 weeks old : weekly individual control with bodyweight and uniformity calculation.

• From 26 to 36 weekd old : individual control at least every 2 weeks with bodyweight and uniformity calculation

• After 36 weeks old : individual control at least every 4 weeks with bodyweight and uniformity calculation

0

0,05

0,1

0,15

0,2

0,25

0,3

0,35

0,4

10

What is a good uniformity?

• Below 75% : bad

• 75-85% : acceptable

• Above 85% : good

• Number of birds controled : minimum 60 birds per pen (best is 100 birds).

• In cage system : select cages in different locations of the house and place a mark in order to check the same animals at every control. This would be more accurate.

Source of variability in rearing

Cage Floor / Aviary system

Difference of temperature in the differentareas of the house (uniformity of ventilation /

atmosphere

Feed selection (availabe feeder length / feedpresentation

Uneven feed (in distribution troleys) Sanitary pressure : contact with faeces(parasitisme / coccidiosis)

Inadequate feeding management, feed restriction

No respect of recommended densities (competition)

Big particle feed

Irregular beak-trimming and bad access to water in the first days

Dehydrated, weak or infected DOC at arrival

Poor brooding conditions : Heating, ventilation, wrong feed/water equipment

Disease challenges

Practical example in rearing

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Bo

dy W

eig

ht

in g

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Mo

rtality

in

%

Bodyweight std BW mini std BW maxi Cumulative mortality

ISA BROWN REARING CHART

Friday July 4, 200851.200

6, cages

Name :

Hatch date :

Number of pullets :

Rearing farm :

House number :

Birds started in 2 tiers; At 6 WOA, ½ transferred into rest of cages over-crowded

Field examples: Crowding in rearing

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dy w

eig

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in g

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Un

ifo

rmit

y in

%, M

ort

ality

in

%

Bodyweight std BW mini std BW maxi Cumulative mortality Uniformity

BOVANS BROWN REARING CHART

Friday 23 October, 200930.200

2

Name :

Hatch date :

Number of pullets :

Rearing farm :

House number :

Problems with grower feed 1; Not enough BW gain Poor uniformity; By 7-8 wks pullets adjusted

Field examples: Problems with feed management

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t in

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% M

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Bodyweight std BW mini std BW maxi Cumulative mortality

ISA BROWN REARING CHART

BegokonSeptember 29, 200851.200

6, cages

Name :

Hatch date :

Number of pullets :

Rearing farm :

House number :

Birds grow very well from 6-14 WOA; injection with killed vaccine flat BW growth

Field examples: Stunted growth with vaccination

Start of lay : a key period

Evaluation of energy requirement

• Based on ISA Brown production standard

• Energy requirement evaluation=

• 130(BW)0.75 + 5 x daily WG + 1.65 x daily EM

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50

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350

1 5 9 13 17 21 25 29 33 37 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 73 77

En

erg

y r

eq

uir

em

en

t (K

ca

l/d

/he

n)

Age (weeks)

Production

Growth

Maintenance

Field example : management of feeding at start of lay

First phase :

-The lay begin

-The egg weight increase

-The limited feed consumption lead to low body weight

Second phase :

-Small and slow decrease of the laying rate

Third phase :

-Work on the energy intake

-Increase bodyweight

-Increase the laying rate

60 000 LayersConventionnal cages

Transfert during summer

Bodyweight and sexual maturity

21

BODYWEIGHT AT SEXUAL MATURITY & A.E.W.

45

47,5

50

52,5

55

57,5

60

62,5

65

67,5

18-28 weeks 28-40 weeks 40-60 weeks

1350 - 1450 g

1550 - 1650 g

1750 - 1850 g

1950 - > 2000 g

Bodyweight at first egg influence Egg Weight during

all the laying period

Brown layers experiment

• Pullet bodyweight at sexual maturity determine the average egg weight

• Sexual maturity management is a key factor for controlling bodyweight atthe beginning of lay

• For brown birds, many trials showed a bodyweight modification of 80g atsexual maturity induce an eggweight variation of 1g

Sexual maturity and bodyweight

How can we influence bodyweight?

• Bodyweight can be influenced by a few technics• Feed / feeding

• Lighting program

25

FEED SPECIFICATIONS - BROWN EGG LAYERS

PRE STARTER GROWER PULLET - PRE LAY

TEMPERATE CLIMATE

HOT CLIMATE 4 5 10 16

Pre Starter Feed : EM= 2950 / CP = 20-20,5

Grower Feed : EM=2850 / CP=19

Developper Feed : EM = 2750 / CP=16

Pre Lay Feed : EM= 2750 / CP= 16,8

26

FEED SPECIFICATIONS

• Pre Starter Feed

• Before 4-5 weeks old, for Brown and Leghorn pullets, growth will depend on energy and protein level of the feed

• Grower Feed

• After 5 weeks old, pullets adapt their intake to feed energy level

• Any deficiency in Amino Acids after 6 weeks leads to lower growth and F.C.R. deterioration

• Developer Feed

• Energy level as close as possible to energy level of layer feed in order to:

• Develop digestive tract (through intake in rearing)

• Too high energy level risks lower intake at beginning of lay (increase of cost)

• Pre Lay Feed

• Energy level as close as possible to energy level of layer feed

• Calcium level increase (2 % with 1 % in powder and 1 % in particles form)

• 10 days before 2 % of production

Feed recommendations – rearing period

• Starter feed in crumble (0-5/6 weeks of age), then mash feed is recommended

• Change feed only if birds are at bodyweight target (maximum age planed + 2 weeks)

• Use a pre lay feed (2 weeks before first eggs)

Energy and feed consumption

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2000 2200 2400 2600 2800 3000 3200 3400

Fee

d c

on

sum

pti

on

(/

day

Metabolisable Energy (Kcal/kg)

Vilarino et al 1996

Leeson et al 2001a

Harms et al 2000

grobas et al 1999

Van der Lee et al 2001a

Van der Lee et al 2001b

CNEVA ISA 1996

harms et al 2004

Zou et al 2005

balnave et robinson 2000

peguri et coon 1991

Energy and energy intake

250

270

290

310

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350

370

2000 2200 2400 2600 2800 3000 3200 3400

Ene

rgy

inta

ke(

Kca

l/d

ay/h

en

)

Metabolisable Energy (Kcal/kg)

Vilarino et al 1996

Leeson et al 2001a

Harms et al 2000

grobas et al 1999

Van der Lee et al 2001a

Van der Lee et al 2001b

CNEVA ISA 1996

harms et al 2004

Zou et al 2005

balnave et robinson 2000

peguri et coon 1991

Energy (ME) and body weight

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2300

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Bo

dy

we

igh

t (g

)

Metabolizable Energy (Kcal/kg)

Leeson et al 2001a

balnave et robinson 2000

peguri et coon 1991

Energy general scheme

ENERGYREQUIREMENT

ENERGY CONSUMPTION

MAINTENANCE

PRODUCTION

GROWTH

FEATHERING

BODY WEIGHT

Energy feedconcentration

Feedpresentation

Feeddistribution / Management

<

=

>

Slimming

Stable BW

Fattening

Standard BW

32

OPTIMUM FRAME DEVELOPMENT

Quantity of pre starter Bodyweight at 4 weeks

used (g) in % of BW standard

Flock A 0 g 86%

Flock B 300 g 95%

Normal (h/d) Slow step down (h/d)

1st 20 20

2nd 16 16

3rd 12 15

4th 8 14,5

5th 8 14

6th 8 13,5

7th 8 13

8th 8 12,5

BW at 56 days (g) 678 g 731 g24 th+H4 RST Eike

Lighting program

Long daylengths throughout the rearing period encourage feed intake and, therfore, growth

SLOW STEP DOWN L.P.

During the first few weeks, live weight of pullets is very

dependant on the energy level of the feed

Brown layers experiment

33

ENCOURAGE AND MAINTAIN BIRD APPETITE• Lot A - Ad libitum

« Essential to empty the feeders once a day and to adapt the timing of feed distribution in order to encourage appetite, growth and

rapid feed intake »

Flock A Flock B Diff B/A

Bodyweight at 8 weeks (g) 580 617 + 6 %Bodyweight at 12 weeks (g) 1005 1061 + 6 %Bodyweight at 17 weeks (g) 1340 1435 + 7 %Uniformity 17 weeks (%) 83 87 + 4 pointsConsumption at 119 d (g) 5780 5947 + 3 %ISA 1995

• Lot B with 2 meals (1 in afternoon and 1 in the morning (4 h of empty feeders)

Brown layers experiment

Influence of particle size

Influence of particle size of feed on performance of layers between 2 » and 51 weeks old

Particle size Good Fine Variation in %

< 0.5 mm 9 % 31 % > 3.2 mm 10 % 0 %

0.5 to 3.2 mm 81 % 69 % > 1.6 mm 65 % 21 %

Lay, % 93.9 90.7 - 3.4

Egg weight, g 63.3 62.7 - 0.9 Egg Mass, g/d 59.41 56.85 - 4.3

Feed consumption, g/d

118.1 114.2 - 3.4

F.C.R. 1.989 2.008 + 0.9 Bodyweight at 33 w 1.930 1.883

DRINKING WATER TEMPERATURE EFFECT ON FEED CONSUMPTION

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sem 0

T:22°C

week 1

T:27- 35°C

week 2

T:27- 35°C

week 3

T:27- 35°C

week 4

T:27- 35°C

week 5

T:22°C

week 6

T:22°C

Water temperature:27°C

Water temperature:18°C

……………..Temp.de l'air : 27-35°C………………..

Providing fresh water during hot period improve feed consumption

Impact of light on feed intake and growth

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Ho

urs

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ht

Age (wks)

Dekalb white - cages

light

bodyweight

feedintake

Summary and conclusions

• Bodyweight is a key factor for flock management as this will influence future performance of birds

• As a consequence, bodyweight should be controlled during the whole life of the layer flocks

• Management, in particular nutrition and lighting program can help to control bodyweight and let the birds express their genetic potential at 100%

500

400

300

Breeding for 500 first quality Eggs!

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