TECHNICALFOCUS

ISSUE 2, MAY 2021

Breeder Issue

Onset of Lay
Ensure egg production begins on time

Feeding Young
Hens into
Production
Benefit from a successful
feeding program

Key Points to Consider

in the Management of
Male Breeders
Achieve maximum genetic potential for
your flock

Production Persistency with

Higher Energy Levels in Feed
Getting the right balance for your female breeders is key
Onset
of Lay
By Paul Welten,
Senior Tech Service
Team Manager and
Breeder Specialist,
Cobb Europe

How to ensure egg production

begins on time?

F
or a young breeder flock,
onset of lay has a big
influence on the output of
total eggs (TE) at 60 weeks.
The objective is to have 3 % daily
production at 24 weeks of age. At
30 weeks, the females should have
produced 27.5 total eggs per hen. If
the onset of lay is one week behind,
total egg production can be reduced
by 2.5% (calculated as 166.4TE *
2.5% = 4.2TE).
Maturity of a nice uniform flock after strong light stimulation.
An on-time and successful onset of
lay is dependent on rearing. Good
stockmanship, following the breeding
rearing profiles, and using the correct Brooding (0 to 4 weeks) feed support as they have a significant
nutritional content in the feed impact on the timing of the onset of lay.
formulation are required to ensure the The brooding period is crucial for the For off-target birds, follow Figures 1 and 2,
birds express their genetic potential and long-term performance of the flock. In this ‘Off-target at 5 Weeks’ and ‘Off-target at 10
will have an on-time start of production. period, the birds must achieve 7 and 14-day Weeks’, respectively (also available in the
This article will discuss the key points to body weights to ensure well-developed Cobb Breeder Guide www.cobb-vantress.
ensure an on-time and successful onset gastrointestinal tracts, support organs, and com/resource/management-guides). Weekly
of lay. immune and skeletal systems. Subsequently, feed increments of 2 to 4 g during the
the body weight gain and flock uniformity maintenance period support a consistent
The rearing farm layout will be achieved by managing the flock to the development of the females.
Cobb standards by controlled feed intake.
The rearing farm objective is to deliver a The aim is to have a maximum variation of Control growth period (12 to 16
uniform breeder flock that is prepared for 5 % of the target weight (520 g at 4 weeks). weeks)
photo stimulation when transferred to the Achieving the four-week body weight goal
production house. It is essential to use a of 520 g will ensure that good tendon At 12 weeks, the frame size is 90 % complete
good dark out rearing house configuration. strength and 50 % of skeletal development and, at this point, the management should
The females and males require a day length is achieved. be focused on body condition and not
of 8 hours from 14 days until 21 weeks with body weight. The fleshing condition of the
a light intensity of 2 to 4 lux. The light should Maintenance period (5 to 11 females should gradually increase from
be uniformly distributed through the house weeks) a score of 2 to 3 but, at the same time,
with a maximum variation of 20 %. The the body weight should be managed to
rearing farm should have the correct feed In the maintenance period, the flock should prevent excessive weight gain. Additionally,
space (chain: 15 cm/female, 12 birds per be developing consistently in body weight uniformity should be maintained at or above
round pan or 14 birds per oval pan) with a by following the Cobb standard very closely. 75 %. To meet weight and condition score
fast feed distribution (< 3 minutes). Train the Stay within +/- 2 % of the target and establish recommendations, provide the correct feed
birds in the rearing period by providing slats. flock uniformity of at least 75 %. If uniformity and water space and a fast distribution of
Install accessory feeders and water systems falls below 75 %, immediately take corrective feed and water (<3 minutes). Be sure that
that are the same as those used in the laying measures. Grading with body weight at 4 that all birds can freely eat and drink at the
house to assist the breeder transition to the and 8 weeks promotes maximum uniformity. same time.
rearing house. Small birds, in particular, need additional Continued on next page...

TECHNICAL FOCUS 2 ISSUE 2, MAY 2021

 Figure 1: Flock weight off-target at 5 weeks (Cobb Breeder Guide page 81. Available at: www.cobb-vantress.com/resource/
management-guides).

Acceleration period (16 to 20 Table 1. Recommended lighting program for flocks going from dark out rearing to dark out
weeks) production houses (Cobb Breeder Guide page 66. Available at: www.cobb-vantress.com/
resource/management-guides).
During the acceleration period, consistent
weight gains are needed to develop the
Age (weeks) Age (days) Light (hours) Light Intensity* Light Intensity
desired fleshing and sexual maturity. In
(lux) (foot candles)
this period, the females should also start
to build adequate fat reserves. To achieve 2 to 21 up to 146 8 2 to 4 0.2 to 0.4
this desired body condition, a body weight 21 147 12 >50 to 100 5 to 10
increase of 36 % is required and must be 22 154 13 >50 to 100 5 to 10
supported by a minimum of 42 % feed
23 161 14 >50 to 100 5 to 10
increase. Use a fixed feed program and
do not feed based on body weight. The 25 175 >14 >50 to 100 5 to 10
objective of the acceleration period is to *If lighting system is not LED, light intensity (lux; fc) can be increased 20 to 30%.
provide enough fleshing and fat reserves at
the moment of photo stimulation that egg The ideal house temperature is 21 to 22˚C. recommended to photo stimulate pullets by
production begins on time and the females Maintain feed increments of 2 to 4 g until increasing day length from 8 to 12 hours and
will have a good peak production and lay the onset of production. The feed level increasing light intensity to > 50 lux. Continue
persistency. should be in the range of 115 to 125 g at 5 to increase day length by one hour per week
% production, depending on the nutritional until 14 hours is achieved (see Table 1. for
Transfer to the production house value (See Cobb Breeder Supplements a recommended light program for dark out
(available at: www.cobb-vantress.com/ houses).
Transferring pullets from rearing to resource/product-supplements).
production can be a stressful period. Extra Summary
attention is required so that the birds find Photo stimulation It is important that the broiler breeders
feed and water in their new environment as begin production at the right time. A delay
soon as possible. Providing them with 20 % Photo stimulation should be initiated in production is difficult to recover. Correct
extra feed the first 2 to 3 days after transfer between 147 to 154 days. The pullets are pullet management will result in birds with
helps to prevent pullets from losing body prepared for photo stimulation when they correct fleshing condition and fat reserves,
condition after transfer. Check feed and are uniform in weight and condition. A which will ensure uniform flock response to
water intake in the first days post transfer by prepared flock will have a dry body weight of photo stimulation. Management efforts will
performing a crop fill test of at least 50 birds 2450 to 2600 g, 95 % of the pullets will have be rewarded with a hen flock with high peak
per day. Training slats in rearing support a a fleshing score of 3 or 4, and 85 % of the production and long persistence of lay.
smooth transition to production houses. flock will have fat on their pelvic bones. It is

Figure 2: Flock weight off-target

at 10 weeks. (Cobb Breeder
Guide page 81. Available at:
www.cobb-vantress.com/
resource/management-guides).

TECHNICAL FOCUS 3 ISSUE 2, MAY 2021

 Feeding Young
Hens into
Production
By Pieter Oosthuysen,
Senior Manager:
Accounts and Technical
(Africa), Cobb Europe

I
nconsistency in breeder flock b. Do not heavily overfeed pullets in an One of the key elements in feeding pullets
performance reflects variations attempt to improve pullet condition. into production is to change the feed
in rearing management, feed Overfeeding will lead to extra breast ration to meet the flocks changing nutrient
programs or nutrition as well muscle deposition and create requirements as they develop secondary sex
as poor uniformity at the time of complications such as early mortality characteristics and the reproductive tract
photo stimulation. When pullets after photo stimulation. Monitor pullet to prepare for egg production. The feeding
are first photo stimulated, it signals condition weekly but remember that feed strategy helps to reduce mortality as pullets
the end of any attempt to improve changes take 2 weeks to show effect. To mature and commence egg production.
uniformity, maturity and condition correct imbalances, make adjustments in
building. This is the true ‘point of the feeding with 1 to 2 g over the standard The first feed change described in this
no return’ and soon the success feeding curve after 12 weeks of age. article is from the grower ration to the
of the pullet rearing program will developer ration around 16 to 17 weeks of
be revealed. A successful rearing c. Incremental feed increases should peak age. Developer feed is continued until first
program will produce pullets at 21 at 18 to 19 weeks of age followed by egg. This change allows for higher energy
weeks that are: smaller increments. Follow the feed intake to obtain the target growth rate,
recommendations provided in the start building fat reserves, and with slightly
• Physically ready to be photo respective Cobb product supplement more calcium, reduce mortality in early lay.
stimulated due to good conditioning (available at www.cobb-vantress.com/ Underfeeding from 16 to 23 weeks can
• Uniform in weight and condition resource/product-supplements). produce smaller chicks to 27 weeks.
• Even in comb development and level
of early maturity d. Feed increases greater than 3 to 4 g per The next ration change occurs at first egg.
• Low in hen mortality when feed is week after photo stimulation will create This change from developer to breeder 1
increased into production metabolic problems such as multiple ration is important for flock management
• On time with onset of egg production ovulations, increased mortality and as laying starts. Be aware that some flocks
with low levels of double yolk eggs prolapse once egg production starts. mature earlier, and egg production can
rapidly deplete the bone calcium reserves
leading to increased mortality and poor shell
Delayed onset of egg production, low peak quality.
egg production, hen mortality above 2.5 %
at 30 weeks, more than 3.5 % double yolks We recommend feeding in 3
are indicators that all is not well with the start stages after photo stimulation:
of production and could be rearing related.
These conditions are difficult to address 1. From photo stimulation until the first egg,
and can often be made worse by incorrect feed increases must be 2 to 4 g per week
feeding program decisions after photo to maintain development and maturity
stimulation. without gaining additional weight. Do not
exceed 125 to 128 g at 5 % production.
The important principles
in feeding young hens into 2. From the first egg until 35 to 40 % daily
production are: production, young hens are very sensitive
to overfeeding. Therefore, it is important
a. Start preparing pullets for puberty and to feed “slowly” and in smaller increments
A uniform and mature flock.
maturity from 12 weeks onwards. At no until 35 % daily production is achieved.
time in the pullets' life should they have
a breast condition score of 1. In fact, the The latest supplement (2020) to the Cobb 3. From 40 % production, increase the
Cobb 12 week recommendation for pullets Breeder Guide gives very good guidelines on increments as seen in the supplement
with a breast condition score of 2 and 3 feeding and nutrient intake requirements of table without fear of metabolic problems
should be 70 and 30 %, respectively. If the Cobb females from day 1 to the end of until the peak feed level of 465 kcal daily
there is a disproportionate number of production. Many physiological changes in intake is reached.
score 2 birds there is time to correct this the pullet happen during the 3 to 4 weeks
by 15 weeks with supplemental feed. prior to first egg. Continued on next page...

TECHNICAL FOCUS 4 ISSUE 2, MAY 2021

 Slow feed distribution can cause stress to the flock.

Ensure that the production houses are

well prepared and ready to function when
the pullets are transferred. Don’t let any
husbandry issues damage the good work
done during rearing. Feed distribution in
production is important to provide a stress
free transfer. This will maintain uniformity,
growth, and development of the young bird.
Slow feeding and/or lack of track space can
cause unnecessary stress on the young hen.

Feeding pullets into production is discussed

in detail in our 2021 Breeder Management
Guide (available at: www.cobb-vantress.
com/resource/management-guides). Table
1. provides a guideline on how to feed
pullets from weeks 20 to 25 (see normal
column). At the point of photo stimulation,
mistakes made in the rearing period cannot
be corrected with extra feed and bigger
increases every week. This will increase the
metabolic problems and result in mortality
(see example below of “Aggressive” feeding).
Chain feeder space is calculated based on the widest part of the full grown hen (15 cm).
Continued on next page...

Table 1. Comparison of a normal feeding program versus an Over or underfeeding around photo stimulation can
aggressive feeding program. lead to issues into production.

TECHNICAL FOCUS 5 ISSUE 2, MAY 2021

It is an art to balance the nutrient
requirements for growth and egg production
without increasing early breeder mortality.
As the young hens start laying eggs, it
is important to maintain growth as they
increase egg production.

From 1 to 3 % production to peak the Cobb

hen should gain 13 to 15 % body weight.
Peak feed should be 465 kcal (166 g feed)
per day. Be aware that house temperatures
can influence feed intake. In warm or humid
climates, the flock requires less feed and 445
kcal may be sufficient. Hens in colder house
temperatures require slightly more feed with
a recommendation of 470 kcal per day.

Flocks that are delayed in onset of egg Table 2. Analysis of 3 scenarios of flocks with normal body weight increase (flock 1),
production should be managed very carefully body weight increase that is insufficient (flock 2) and body weight increase that is too
as the birds are investing no resources great (flock 3).
into egg production. Any attempt to push
feed will increase body weight and lead to
post-peak weight related problems including guides) illustrates 3 different scenarios of Feeding peak feed too early will create extra
egg size, persistency, and mortality. Feed weight management as the hens increase body weight and breast muscle that can
nonproducing breeders as if they are still egg production. Once egg production starts, have a negative effect on persistency and
in rearing and keep them on the projected do not increase feed daily, but rather every contribute to larger eggs. Delays in achieving
weight curve. second or third day to manage weight gain peak feed can result in poor reserves in the
and mortality. hen and a drop in egg production at peak or
Table 2. from the 2021 Cobb Breeder a faster decline in persistency. It is important
Management Guide (available at: www. We recommend that peak feed level is to monitor weekly weight gain and egg
cobb-vantress.com/resource/management- achieved after 75 % daily egg production. production increase.

Summary

The top 8 things that make breeder 3. Follow recommended Cobb feed recommendations provided in guides
operations successful include: specifications and supplements
1. Apply basics very well, especially when 4. Get birds in mature condition on time 7. Analyze results and learn from past
feeding for uniform feed intake mistakes
5. Be present frequently during feeding
2. Manage weight and uniformity using times 8. Based on data analysis, take action, and
good feed management make informed changes to improve
6. Apply all of the Cobb management
performance

TECHNICAL FOCUS 6 ISSUE 2, MAY 2021

 Key Points to Consider
in the Management of
Male Breeders
W
ith genetic advances, • Use the same feeder and drinkers in
carcass yields of rearing and production.
today's modern • Correct male feeder height (45 to 50 cm)
broilers have increased and if male feeder pans are used, ensure
by 17 % and breast meat yield by that they are well-fixed and not swinging. By Mert Yalcinalp,
117 % compared to 60 years ago. • If legislation allows, apply beak conditioning Senior Manager Tech
Moreover, todays broilers require in the hatchery or farm at 5 to 6 days Service, Cobb Turkey
38 % less feed due to improvements of age. This will help to improve feed
in feed efficiency. Likewise, breeder consumption and overall male uniformity. weeks 77 % of the skeletal development of
performance has signficantly the males has already been completed.
• Use a light intensity of 2 to 4 lux in rearing
improved. • Monitor weekly the body weight and
to prevent aggression.
Breeder growers often overlook that monitor the fleshing score from 12
half of the genetic inheritance of these Essential rules to maximise the weeks to give the correct feed amounts.
superior broilers is derived from the genetic potential of the Cobb See figure 1. for the fleshing score
male line. By concentrating on the male: explanations.
female line, we fail to recognize the • Prepare the males from 15 weeks
male contribution to reproduction. • Monitor feed intake after the first week onwards for photo stimulation and
This article will focus on male to ensure that males are not underfed support their reproductive development
management issues that require or overfed. Provide consistent feed by giving slightly higher feed increments, 4
more attention to achieve the highest increments for regular development. to 6 g. The males should gain 27 % in body
possible reproductive performance. • Achieve target body weight at 7 and 28 weight between 16 to 20 weeks.
days for correct growth and leg and toe • Remove suboptimal males with
development. This will also promote early phenotypic and physical defects including
Male Management in Rearing uniformity. It is recommended to grade skeletal deformities immediately.
the entire flock at 7 days, 4 weeks and 8 • Sexual synchronization of males with
At 22 weeks of age expect testes size to weeks to promote uniformity. females is crucial for optimum fertility/
be 2 g. Testes growth is rapid after photo
• Attain high frame and body weight hatchability.
stimulation as the male matures. In the
uniformity (> 80 %) at 8 to 10 weeks. At 8 Continued on next page...
period of maximum fertility, around 26
weeks of age, the combined weight of the
testes should be greater than 40 g. As the
males age expect the combined testes
weight to regress to 30 g. An actively mating
male will have a sperm concentration, on
average, of 4 billion sperm/ml. A female will
receive from the male about 150 to 300
million sperm each completed mating.

The basic requirements are very

important to generate a good
quality male:

• Density 3.6 to 4.3 males/m2.

• Feed space:
- Chain feeders: 18 to 20 cm / male
- Round pan feeder: 8 to 10 males / pan
- Oval pan feeder: 10 to 12 males / pan
• Fast feed distribution and equal amount of
feed in each feeder pan, no empty pans.

TECHNICAL FOCUS 7 ISSUE 2, MAY 2021

• It is important to have good dry litter to
maintain good foot quality.
• Use slats in rearing if males are transferred
to a slatted house so they are correctly
trained making the transition to the
production house easier for the males.
• Transfer 9 % of the males to slatted
houses and 10 % of the males in houses
without slats.

Male management in production

Good sexual synchronization between males

and females in the production house is one
of the key factors to obtain good hatchability.
The weight difference between females and
males should ideally be between 15 and 25%.

It is important that all males identify their

specific feeder and water system quickly
and eat and drink within 24 hours so they
don’t lose body condition. In the first few
days, males require the same, or even more,
attention than the females. Check uniformity
of feed and water intake by palpating the crops.

Photo stimulation is normally done between

147 to 154 days. If males are behind in sexual
maturity they can be photo stimulated up
to 2 weeks before the females to promote
sexual maturity. After photo stimulation, a
consistent increase of feed and body weight
is necessary to support rapid growth of the
testes. The objective is to achieve 47 g by
28 weeks. Any severe stress or drop in body
weight or even stagnation of growth from 16
to 28 weeks may result in underdeveloped
and less uniform testes. This impact on
testicular development will produce lower
initial hatches and males will not achieve high
fertility levels.

If males are sexually advanced, mix fewer

males (5 to 7%) and increase the male ratio
later. Another option is to move the males
one week later to keep them on lower light
intensity so the females have an additional
week to sexually mature.

Cobb males can eat with the females using be modified according to fleshing scores and Figure 1. Explanation of fleshing scores
separate sex feeding (SSF) until 24 to 26 weight trends. The fleshing score is especially
weeks. The exclusion grill on the chain important to determine how to feed males.
should be 60 mm vertical and 45 mm The average weighted fleshing score
horizontal. In the first weeks, a 26 mm PVC should increase from 2.5 at 20 weeks to
pipe can be used to reduce the vertical 3.0 at 60 weeks (see Table 1). Provide small
height to 50 to 55 mm so the males will be increases of feed to maintain a slight weight
excluded earlier from the female feeder. increase throughout the production period.
During feeding, monitor the number of From 30 weeks until the depletion, weekly
males eating from the female feeder. Male increases of 20 to 25 grams of live weight are
feeders should be carefully monitored appropriate. To control over weight and over
during daily feeding and regularly adjusted fleshing, a male feed with a lower density of
at a height that females cannot reach, but 2700 Kcal and crude protein 13% can help.
at which the males can eat comfortably. Feed allocations should not remain the same
Increase the male feed allocation in the male for a period of 4 weeks as this will negatively
feeder on time to ensure the males don’t impact the uniformity of the males. The daily
lose body condition. energy intake for an adult male is about 85
to 75 kcal /kg body weight.
After 30 weeks, male feed allocations should Continued on next page...

TECHNICAL FOCUS 8 ISSUE 2, MAY 2021

The images above illustrate good
quality males. Clockwise from left to
right: Long shank length; V-shaped
breast and very red in color indicating
good libido and mating activity; A good
example of the coloring of the comb,
wattles and area around the eyes
indicative of a sexually active male; The
cloaca should appear red, moist and
less feathered.

Summary

The Cobb males have a very high genetic 4. Adequate feed increases between 8. Prevent under fleshed and over
potential but make sure these 10 key points 16 to 20 weeks to enhance sexual fleshed males in production but
are in place: maturity provide consistent feed increments
every 3 to 4 weeks, 2 to 3 g after 30
1. Male rearing density of 3.6 to 4.3 5. High sexual uniformity at transfer
weeks
males /m2
6. Smooth transition to the production
9. Rapid and uniform feed distribution
2. Correct body weight at 4 weeks house without losing body condition
10. Correct male to female ratio
3. Always provide correct feeder and 7. Sexual synchronization between
water space males and females

TECHNICAL FOCUS 9 ISSUE 2, MAY 2021

 Production Persistency
with Higher Energy
Levels in Feed
M
Table 1. contains the percentage fat
odern parent stock recoverable from the abdominal cavity
females have shown and around the gizzard of Cobb females at
tendencies to decline in different ages.
production more rapidly
during reduced allocations of post- By Winfridus Bakker, GGP,
peak feed. This makes it challenging Table 1. Standard abdominal fat reserves GP and PS Specialist – World
to balance feed intake needs for of good producing flocks (field analysis) Tech Support, Cobb Vantress
production persistency and body
Age
weight maintenance. In the past, 20 22 25 30 40 50 60 In the past, feed reduction from 30 to 60
(wks)
feed intake was closely monitored weeks of age would be in the 10 to 15 %
because breeder hens would easily Fat
0.7 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.3 2.5 2.7 range but nowadays that is more between 3
become overweight with plenty of (%)1
to 7%. That is quite a change from the past
abdominal fat deposition. Fat % = (abdominal fat + gizzard fat)/ body
1 and simply indicates that females need more
weight energy to sustain their production potential.
There is balance when selecting for broiler Evidence that breeder hens need more
traits along with reproduction potential. Measuring the abdominal fat percentage at energy can be seen from the field example
Modern broiler breeders are genetically critical ages gives a good idea if the females in Table 2. This parent stock flock started out
selected for broiler traits such as feed are being fed correctly. From 30 to 40 weeks very well with a peak production of 89% or a
conversion, yield, and growth. However, due of age, a decrease in abdominal fat often production index (PI) of 118. From 35 to 40
to strong selection pressure on the broiler results in a rapid drop in egg production. To weeks the production dropped 2% per week
side, total body fat content of the females assess this drop, some companies conduct (from 82 to 72%) due to insufficient energy
has been decreasing over the last 40 years. necropsies at 30 and 40 weeks of age of any intake. At 43 weeks of age the decision was
As a result, overweight hens tend to have mortality. Normal mortalities are necropsied made to increase the energy (+100 kcal) in
increased breast muscle deposition and to determine if there is a gain or loss in fat Breeder-2 feed (B-2). Production increased
reduced fat in the production period. percentage and use this data to optimize the and stabilized, and the PI increased from 109
Fat deposition needs to increase slowly in feeding program for the remainder of the to 115 points by 60 weeks of age recovering
production for good production persistency. production period. part of the lost production.

Table 2. Production index performance in field flock guaranteeing enough energy intake with B-2 feed
Flock Age Production Percentage (%) Production Index (PI) Feed (type and energy)*
29 89 118 B-1 = 2840 kcal
30 88 118 B-1 = 2840 kcal
35 82 117 B-1 = 2840 kcal
40 72 112 B-1 = 2840 kcal
41 70 111 B-1 = 2840 kcal
42 77 109 B-1 = 2840 kcal
43 66 109 B-2 = 2940 kcal
44 65 109 B-2 = 2940 kcal
45 67 112 B-2 = 2940 kcal
46 66 112 B-2 = 2940 kcal
50 64 114 B-2 = 2940 kcal
60 55 115 B-2 = 2940 kcal
*B-1 = Breeder 1; B-2 = Breeder 2
The objective is to maintain the PI value constant from peak production until depletion. Example: Peak of 89 % at 29 weeks equals a PI = 118. At
60 weeks of age that PI should still be around 118 equalling a production of 118 - 60 = 58 %.
Continued on next page...

TECHNICAL FOCUS 10 ISSUE 2, MAY 2021

Considerations for feed reduction • Because energy is lacking, consider occurs faster at 45 weeks due to lack of
with insufficient production increasing the energy level in B-2 feed by energy, then feeding the hens more after
persistency: at least 50 kcal/kg. 50 weeks will not recover production
efficiently.
• B-2 feed should never have a lower energy
• Apply a feed reduction program using the level compared to B-1, rather it should at • Prevent production drops by using feed
Cobb breeder supplements as a guide least be maintained the same as B-1. with the recommended energy levels
(available at: www.cobb-vantress.com/ from 35 to 55 weeks of age (see breeder
resource/product-supplements). • In the period from 24 to 45 weeks of age,
supplements). For that reason, consider
production is fueled by protein tissue and
changing to B-2 feed with a higher energy
• Do not reduce feed allocations when after 45 weeks, production is supported by
content between 35 and 40 weeks of age.
production starts decreasing faster than energy availability (fat).
normal, especially when body weight is not • Egg weight can be an indicator of when to
• From 45 to 55 weeks, body weight
increasing. change to B-2 feed. For example: In fast
increases are necessary to maintain
feathering parent stock, change to B-2
• A higher female body weight requires persistency.
feed at 35 weeks of age when egg weight
more energy for maintenance. • It is important to detect higher than is greater than 61 g. In slow feathering
• Keep weighing females consistently during expected production decreases early flocks, change to B-2 feed at 35 weeks or
production. Be sure that body weight is and take corrective actions quickly. The when egg weight is greater than 63 g.
gaining slowly but consistently to maintain corrective action needs to occur within a
production persistency. week or two of the production drop. The Figure 1. presents an example of how
efficiency of production recovery weakens controlled feed reduction can continue by
• If breeder body weight starts to plateau or if corrective measures are delayed. increasing the kcal content in B-2 by 50 kcal.
decrease, increase feed allocations (+5 g). For example, if a production decrease

Figure 1. An example of how increasing the kcal content in feed saves costs by reducing feed cost in production (600 g less /
female).

Summary

Production persistency is driven by enough with this feed reduction, the females can and amino acid levels in combination
energy intake. Feed reductions after peak become energy deficient inducing a drop in with feed reduction is a good option for
to control body weight and egg weight gain production. Increasing the energy level in maintaining better production persistency.
are important to implement. However, B-2 feed and applying the reduced protein

C O B B - VA N T R E S S . C O M

TECHNICAL FOCUS 11 ISSUE 2, MAY 2021