5 Layer Chicken Management Practices for High Productivity
Layer chicken management starts with quality chicks, careful brooding, nutritious feed and a clean coop. Here are 5 practices that boost egg production.
The quality of the eggs your layer chickens produce depends heavily on how you manage them. The better your management, the more successful your farming business will be. Unfortunately, not every farmer knows how to manage layer chickens properly. That is why news reports so often say layer farmers keep losing money. Of course, no one in business wants to take a loss; everyone wants a profit, and that only comes with good, proper management. You can't jump into farming without the know-how, just as any other business requires knowledge before you get into it. To avoid losses, here is how to manage layer chickens the right way:
Also read How to Store Chicken Eggs After Collecting Them From the Coop
Contents
Layer Chicks
The first step in layer chicken management is choosing quality layer chicks. Why do quality chicks matter? Because the chicks determine whether your chicken business succeeds or fails. Choosing chicks is the first management decision, and it has a major impact on your farming venture. To pick quality chicks, you can visit a layer farm in person and choose the ones you want to raise.
Chick Care Management
Next, you need to know how to manage chick care. As with other chickens, layer chicks go through a vulnerable stage. During this stage, you need to watch your layer chicks extra closely so that few of them die or get sick. If even one chick falls ill, the disease can spread quickly.
Feed
Feed is one of the most important management factors. Quality feed produces quality eggs. Layer hens whose nutritional needs are met will reliably lay better eggs than hens fed a poor diet. Feeding chickens is not just about filling them up; the feed also has to be highly nutritious. Give feed that is high in protein, along with vitamins and minerals, so the chickens don't get sick easily.
Coop Hygiene
The last management point is coop hygiene. The coop must be kept clean, and its technical condition also needs attention, because a poorly built coop is bad for the chickens' growth and development. There are several coop types you can consider for layer farming, such as raised stilt coops (kandang panggung), dual-purpose coops and many others.
How to Increase Layer Chicken Productivity
Besides good management, there are several ways to increase your layer chickens' productivity. Higher productivity shows in more eggs, normal egg sizes and eggs without defects such as damaged shells. To raise productivity, meet the birds' nutritional needs through their feed and provide clean, fresh water so their digestion stays healthy. Dirty water carries bacteria that can disrupt the digestive organs, so nutrients are not fully absorbed.
Also read 3 Things to Consider When Meeting Your Chickens' Nutritional Needs
To produce quality eggs, apply the layer chicken management practices above properly and consistently.
