Practical strategies to increase individual layer hens feed efficiency

Reportedly, a lot of variation exists between individual commercial laying hens. Hens of the same flock will have varying body weight, feed efficiency, persistency of lay, egg production and egg quality. In this research project, a flock of hens was monitored throughout lay on an individual basis in order to characterise the production traits of each animal and understand the factors associated with egg quality in commercial laying hens. The tendency for production traits to persist from early to mid-lay within an individual animal was also investigated. The research revealed that feed efficiency and egg quality are inextricably linked. In this project high feed efficiency hens produced higher quality eggs including albumen height, albumen weight, haugh units and albumen: yolk ratio. Inefficient hens had heavier, fattier livers, greater abdominal fat and were more prone to fatty liver haemorrhagic syndrome. Inefficient hens also spent more time eating and walking and significantly less time resting when compared with efficient hens. The findings of this study suggest that strategies to improve whole cycle flock uniformity in terms of production traits and egg quality must attempt to control bodyweight in early lay, as early increments in bodyweight are associated with entire lay cycle inefficiency.