What Factors Affect Egg Quality?

 

Factors Affecting Egg Quality

Eggs play a very important role in embryonic development. On the one hand, it provides a place and space for embryonic development, and on the other hand, it provides nutritional support (sugar, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and trace elements) for embryonic development. Egg quality directly affects hatchability and chick quality. The quality of eggs depends on the physiological status, nutritional status and health status of the laying hens, as well as the frequency of egg collection, transportation conditions and storage conditions.

 

In actual production, there are many factors that affect the quality of eggs, and they are very complicated, and some problems come and go without a trace. 

Some factors of the quality of egg yolk and eggshell, they are the summary of some practical cases, which have certain guiding significance for actual production.

 

 

It is good to add vitamin B12 to breeding hens in late autumn and early winter?

Late fall and early winter are good seasons for hatching chicks. In order to improve the hatching rate, obtain robust chicks, and improve the survival rate, it is necessary to strengthen the breeding of breeding hens, and pay special attention to the supply of vitamin B12.

Vitamin B12 is also called anti-anemia vitamin. It contains 4.5% cobalt and is the only metal-containing element in the vitamin. 

The main function of vitamin B12 is to improve the hematopoietic ability of chickens, increase the number of hemoglobin and red blood cells, and promote blood formation.

Vitamin B12 can also promote the synthesis of protein in the body, so that the chicken body can use amino acids more effectively, which is extremely beneficial to the growth and development of chickens and egg production. 

The lack of vitamin B12 in the hen's diet will not only reduce egg production, but in severe cases, the eggs produced will lose their hatchability completely. 

The hatching rate of the light ones is reduced, and the hatched chicks have weak vitality, poor development and extremely low survival rate.

7 micrograms of feed per kilogram of laying hens, and 10 micrograms per kilogram of feed for chicks and broilers can meet the needs of their growth and development. Fish meal, blood meal, bone and meat meal, peanut cake and crude antibiotic feed contain more vitamin B12.

Paying attention to the supply at ordinary times can prevent vitamin B12 deficiency.

How do farmers manage laying hens approaching the peak of egg production?

Laying hens enter the pre-production period from 16 weeks of age, and can reach the peak of egg production at 25 weeks of age. 

Whether the feeding and management status during this period meets the requirements of chicken growth and egg production has a great impact on the egg production during the entire laying period.

 

1. The characteristics of physiological changes during this period

1) When the chickens enter the laying hen house from about 18 weeks of age, the body weight increases rapidly, and the reproductive system also develops rapidly. 

The follicles on the ovaries grow in large numbers and rapidly, and the fallopian tubes rapidly become thicker, longer, and heavier. 

Weight gain and reproductive system maturation occur simultaneously. At this time, some chickens began to lay eggs. 

The egg production rate of well-developed flocks reached 5% at 20 weeks of age, 50% at 22 weeks of age, and 80% at 24 weeks of age. and external environmental conditions are very strict.

 

2) After the laying hens enter the expected production period, great physiological changes have taken place in the chickens, both physically and mentally, they are in a state of physiological stress, coupled with the influence of group transfer, immunity, deworming, etc., the body resists. The strength is significantly reduced, and various diseases are prone to occur.

 

2. Feeding and management measures during this period

 

1) Timely transfer to groups, inoculation and deworming on time

The work of laying hens into the cage is best completed before 18 weeks of age, so that the chickens can familiarize themselves with the environment as soon as possible. 

Too late will cause some chickens that have already started to stop production, or make the yolk fall into the abdominal cavity, causing yolk peritonitis. 

Newcastle disease oil vaccine plus live vaccine, egg reduction syndrome inactivated vaccine and other vaccines should be vaccinated before or at the same time as basketing. 

After entering the cage, it is best to carry out a thorough deworming work. For surface parasites such as mites, lice, etc., spraying drugs can be used. Ding (worm nemesis) mix to take. 

Multivitamins and antibiotics should be added to the feed before and after group transfer and inoculation to reduce stress response.

 

2) Timely change the egg-laying material

In order to adapt to the increase in chicken weight, the growth of the reproductive system and the demand for calcium, the laying hens can be fed from the 18th week of age, and the egg-laying peak season can be fed from the 20th week of age. At the same time, double the amount of multivitamins was added to the feed. During this period, the method of restricting feeding should be removed, and the chickens should be allowed to eat freely. There is always material in the tank while the lights are on. 

 

3) Increase the light time 

Rural professional households mostly use natural lighting during the breeding period. At 18 weeks of age, if the flock is at standard weight, light can be increased by 30 minutes every two weeks until the total number of hours of light reaches 15 or 16 hours per day when egg production is at its peak. 

If the flock weight is light and the growth is slow, the feeding time can be delayed until 20 weeks of age to increase the light time while increasing the feed. The principle of light during egg laying is that the time cannot be shortened and the intensity cannot be weakened.

 

4) Create comfortable environmental conditions for chickens

The most suitable temperature for laying hens is 13°C to 23°C, preferably above 10°C in winter, and below 30°C in summer. Keep indoor air circulation and prevent all kinds of noise. Maintain the stability of the environment and feeding, drinking water, light, etc.

 

5) Do a good job in epidemic prevention and control in Poultry

(1) Add antibiotics, such as norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, etc., to the feed or drinking water after the chickens are put into the cage, for one week every 4 to 5 weeks, to prevent colibacillosis, salmonellosis, enteritis Wait.

 

(2) Additional multivitamins are regularly added to the feed to meet the egg-laying needs of chickens, reduce various stress responses, and improve resistance to various diseases.

 

(3) Strengthen sanitation management, implement reasonable immunization procedures, and adhere to the system of bringing chickens and environmental disinfection to prevent the introduction of epidemic diseases. 

Pay close attention to whether the rise in egg production is in line with the standard, and pay close attention to any small effects of the external environment on the flock.

 

How to prevent disease in laying hens in winter?

In winter, laying hens are prone to diseases such as fowl cholera and Newcastle disease, and it is particularly important to do a good job in disinfection. 

It is necessary to do a good job in the disinfection of the internal and external environment, sinks, feed troughs, utensils, etc. of the chicken house on a regular basis. The disinfectant should use broad-spectrum, high-efficiency, non-toxic, no side effects and high-adhesion drugs, such as 100 toxin, glutaraldehyde, etc. 

It is necessary to choose more than three different dosage forms of disinfectant for cross rotation to prevent pathogens from developing drug resistance. 

Generally, disinfection is carried out at noon and afternoon when the temperature is higher, and disinfection is usually carried out once a week. If the chicken has an infectious disease, the temperature in the house is low or there is a lot of dust, it can be disinfected 2 to 3 times a week, and the drug concentration should also be reduced by 30% to 50%.

How can Regular immunization of hen can be done? 

Regular immunization can be done by the following methods:

1. Subcutaneous injection of Newcastle disease 1 vaccine, infectious bronchitis vaccine or chicken Newcastle disease, chicken bursa, chicken infectious bronchitis vaccine, and drinking water immunization with clone 30, renal infectious bronchitis and bronchitis triple vaccine .

 

2. Immunize chickens with Newcastle disease IV vaccine drinking water once every 2 months.

 

3. Add a certain amount of tylosin or enrofloxacin to the feed of laying hens to prevent and cure chicken mycoplasma disease.

 

4. Add broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs, such as oxytetracycline, to the feed of laying hens every 1 week or so, and feed them continuously for 3 to 5 days.

 

5. Add appropriate amount of levamisole, insecticide and other drugs to the feed of laying hens to prevent parasitic diseases. At the same time, it is necessary to carefully observe the flocks, timely detect, isolate, diagnose, and treat sick chickens, and properly handle sick and dead chickens. 

Always keep an eye on the epidemic situation in nearby areas so that you can take appropriate measures.

Technically / medically reviewed by:

Name: Ramona Khan

Education: Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics

Experience: 11 Years of experience as a nutritionist / dietician

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