Managing egg weight is essential for farmers and may significantly range relying on market demand. Acquiring an egg dimension consistent with market demand ensures most profit from the manufacturing.
You will need to discover the precise steadiness between market demand by way of egg dimension and the very best shell high quality. The next are the elements influencing egg weight.
Affect of genetics on egg weight
The heritability of the “egg weight” criterion is pretty excessive in contrast with the opposite standards, which signifies that it’s potential to affect egg weight from one era to the subsequent. Genetic choice is essential relating to growing egg dimension quickly at the beginning of manufacturing, with a purpose to acquire marketable eggs as rapidly as potential. This additionally helps in stabilising egg weight on the finish of the manufacturing cycle to maximise the variety of top-quality eggs.
Managing physique weight throughout rearing is a key to handle future egg weight
Flock administration from the start of the rearing interval can have a significant affect on egg weight Physique weight at sexual maturity and at gentle stimulation will play an important position within the weight of future eggs.
A number of research have proven that early gentle stimulation induces a decrease physique weight at sexual maturity, and subsequently a decrease egg weight. Morris (1980) and Koutoulis (1997) have proven {that a} variation in sexual maturity of one-week ends in a variation in egg weight of 1 g and within the variety of eggs of roughly 5 (5) eggs at 74 weeks of age. The desk beneath exhibits {that a} 100 g increment or decrement in pullet weight at sexual maturity ends in a change of about 1 g of egg weight.
Affect of pullet physique weight at 127 days on manufacturing efficiency
With a purpose to acquire an egg weight consistent with the market demand, it is very important test the burden of the pullets on a weekly foundation from Week 1. Weighing pullets at switch, even when they attain the usual physique weight doesn’t imply {that a} good physique weight has been achieved, as it could additionally imply that some hens are too fats. To acquire dependable information on physique weight, the pullet’s weight must be recorded from Week 1. It will be sure that physique growth and progress have been passable all through the rearing interval. Additionally, the physique weight at 7 weeks of age and earlier than is sweet (muscular tissues, organs, skeleton) and that is the perfect time to speculate to advertise pullet progress. At round 8/10 weeks of age, pullets begin to retailer extra power of their fats reserves, primarily within the type of stomach fats.
Due to this fact, physique weight data is important because it facilitates flock monitoring and permits to regulate the lighting programme. Appropriate adjustment of the lighting programme will assist acquire the specified sexual maturity whereas preserving in thoughts that it’s also essential to take care of progress through the begin of manufacturing as much as the age of 30 weeks. The lighting programme is designed so that each one the hens begin laying on the similar time. Adjusting this timing adjusts the longer term weight of the eggs.
Managing egg weight with vitamin
Vitamin can have a substantial impression on egg weight. Completely different dietary methods will be utilized to attain the specified egg weight:
- Egg weight is influenced by the oil content material of the feed. Oil has a transparent impression (direct or oblique) on egg weight. This pertains to added fats not included within the uncooked supplies. To scale back egg weight, lowering the quantity of added oil/fats will be an possibility. Growing the fats content material within the food regimen doesn’t appear to have an effect on the variety of eggs produced. Nonetheless, egg weight will increase considerably, particularly at first of the laying interval. Oils wealthy in polyunsaturated fatty acids have a higher impression on egg weight increment.
- Power ranges appear to affect egg weight. Based on our inner meta-analysis, a rise of 100 kcal can improve egg weight by a mean of 0.85%, even when feed consumption is decrease. Decreasing power consumption by lowering the power in feed might assist scale back the typical weight and the danger of fatty hens.
- Methionine is the amino acid that influences egg weight probably the most. The Methionine/Lysine ratio will be adjusted in response to the anticipated egg weight profile. To scale back egg weight, it’s vital to scale back the quantity of methionine (decrease Met/Lys ratio).
- Protein ranges additionally seem to have an effect on egg weight. Our personal meta-analysis exhibits that an increment of 1% crude protein can improve egg weight by 1.65%. This impression is smaller than that of methionine however shouldn’t be neglected.
- Presentation of the food regimen has an affect on egg weight, layers have choice for coarse particles and tends to go away the superb particles behind. Furthermore, feed granulometry play an important position in feed consumption. Growing the quantity of superb particles within the feed might help in lowering egg weight by way of a discount of the feed consumption, nevertheless it might additionally result in a discount in egg manufacturing.
- All this dietary recommendation must be evaluated frequently with native nutritionist and/or feed provider to regulate egg weights in response to market demand.
Local weather situation
Temperature additionally has an affect on egg weight: above 22-23°C, egg weight begins to lower. Between 24 and 28°C, egg weight is diminished by 0.4% per °C; past 28°C, egg weight is diminished by 0.8% per °C. It’s primarily influenced by a discount of feed consumption as a result of warmth, impacting egg weight in addition to egg manufacturing.
In scorching climates, it’s subsequently essential to have good temperature administration via air flow and feed administration. Excessive temperatures also can trigger warmth stress for the animals.
Conclusion
With a transparent understanding of the market demand, pullet administration will be adjusted to fulfill and outline the typical egg weight profile. It’s all the time simpler to extend egg weight via vitamin or administration than the opposite method round. In reality, when the hens are too previous, wanting to scale back egg weight can imply lowering manufacturing.
Lastly, the continual genetic progress made by NOVOGEN has allowed important positive factors in each egg manufacturing and egg high quality. It has additionally made it potential to have sturdy and resilient birds in all situations of manufacturing. Nonetheless, with a purpose to fulfil the layers’ genetic potential, the administration and vitamin of the flock have to be carefully monitored, tailored to the native setting and market calls for.
