2.5. Production of eggs for consumption

Consumer preference in the matter of egg shell colour varies from country to country and sometimes from region to region in the same country.

In Senegal and Mauritania, white shelled eggs are preferred whereas other countries do not care about eggshell colouring (Mali, Burkina Faso).

From day-old chick to laying hen

One must never lose sight of the fact that the period (about 20 weeks) before the day-old chick starts to lay is decisive for the longevity and productivity of the pullet. One can never stress enough the importance of this pullet-rearing period, as it prepares the bird for its future laying function.

Characteristics of a good pullet

When they start to lay, pullets should:

- Be in good health

- Be of a weight approximating to that recommended by the breed supplier (adequate bodily development)

- Be immunized against the diseases to which they are likely to be exposed.

Recommendations

- If you rear your pullets yourself, which is highly recommended, follow carefully the advice given by your supplier of day-old chicks. Weigh your pullets regularly. Keep to the sanitary programme advised by the supplier (preventive treatment, vaccinations). Make sure that feeding is adequate to reach the weight standards laid down by the breed supplier around . 17 to 18 weeks of age.

- If you have to buy pullets which are ready to lay, choose a reliable supplier with a good reputation in the profession. Place your order when he is starting off a batch of day-old chicks. In this way, you will know the real age of your pullets when they take their place in your hen house. Check on delivery that their weight corresponds to the standard recommended by the breed producer.

- If the weight of the pullets is lower than that recommended by the breed supplier when they start to lay, which most often happens in the Sahelian zone, one can never obtain a very high laying peak as the hen is still immature and the food ingested at the beginning of egg-laying will serve to cover growth requirements at the expense of egg production. This negative effect on productivity is compounded by the risk of oviduct reversal (prolapse) with increased mortality and loss of profit.

- Specialists in poultry farming estimate that 85% of the success of a farm is acquired when the birds reach the age of 17 to 18 weeks.

- Egg collection: three times per day minimum.

Production levels

Generally speaking, peak laying occurs between the 28th and 32nd week of age and the higher and more sustained the laying peak, the greater total productivity will be.

Mortality

This should not exceed 10% during the pullet rearing period, including the elimination of pullets which do not meet the standard.

It should not exceed 0.5-1% per month during the laying cycle (52 weeks) in relation to the number of hens which have begun to lay.

Example:

Purchase of pullets

A producer of eggs for consumption wishes to sell an average of 4,000 eggs per week. What quantity of pullets should he order?

Let us assume production of 270 eggs/hen/year over a laying cycle of 52 weeks and monthly mortality of 0.7%.

1. Calculation of the production of one hen per week: 270/52 = 5 eggs per week.
2. The number of hens needed is therefore 4,000/5 = 800 hens.
3. Estimated total mortality is 0.7% x 12 = 8.4%.
4. The number of pullets to start laying is 800 + (8.4 x 800)/(100-8.4), i.e. 874 pullets

Production of pullets

How many day-old chicks must be purchased to raise 1,000 pullets over 20 weeks if mortality during the rearing phase is 10%, including pullets to be eliminated from the flock?

As the chicks have been sexed: the producer will theoretically only sell female chicks; in this case, you have to order 1,000 + (10 x 1,000)/(100- 10) i.e. about 1,110 day-old chicks.