In the world of poultry production in the breeding specialty of Laying Hens for the production of eggs for human consumption, we are faced daily with a very common question by those who want to start producing this item: is it true that chickens they put three eggs a day?
Myth or Reality?
The Truth is that commercial laying hens, by their very nature do not lay eggs every day, although they have the genetics to produce an egg every day, they require a little more than 26 hours to produce an egg. On average they reach 26 eggs per month. But this requires a diet that provides high nutritional levels necessary for the hen to produce eggs. So the answer to the question of whether there is a hen that lays 3 eggs is a myth.
Presentation to egg production
The goal of egg production is to obtain the highest percentage in number between (85% and 95%) and the highest quality of the product. Eggs are one of the fundamental foods in the diet because their nutritional importance is unique because it contains proteins, vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids for the daily diet of human beings.
Productive management for laying hens on the floor
Egg production is simple, it only requires having a minimum of roofed facilities, with good ventilation of the pens that is necessary to ensure the proper exchange of air can be carried out in order to keep the floors dry. The floor where the birds will be introduced should be covered with rice husks, wood shavings or sawdust at an average height of 15 to 20 cm, remember that the chicken scratches and manages to reach the ground.
In one square meter it is recommended to introduce between 7 and 8 birds in the productive phase as a maximum, in order to guarantee the displacement of the hens. It is suggested that for every 15 birds a hopper-type feeder and an automatic drinker or enough nozzles should be placed. As well as it is necessary to have enough nests, which must have clean rice husk, which requires that it be replaced at least weekly.
The lighting stimulates the chickens to their egg laying process, for this reason it is necessary to guarantee at least 16 hours of light in their productive phase. The additional exposure to external light is very good; it is necessary only to turn on and keep the complementary lights on before and after dawn and dusk.
The food of laying hens should be powdered, with a minimum of 18% curd protein and 3.5% calcium. It is a recommendation that I give on a personal level, it is necessary to always have components that contain balanced food, depending on that if we buy food deficient in any component, we have the ability to add it, these would be: corn, soybeans, bran, tricalfos, calcium carbonate, methionine, lysine, preservatives, oil and / or palm or soy fat.
The main breed I recommend for egg production is the Isa Brown has shown excellent performance as the best brown layer in the world.
How long is the productive age of a laying hen?
Between 80 and 90 weeks. After that time they are used for the consumption of their meat. The cycle in which it becomes chick takes 21 days, and go from chick to egg production comes at 17 or 18 weeks. It is estimated that in his productive life a chicken can lay between 335 to 340 eggs, however we can confess that we have had chickens in production, up to a year and a half.
And then you dare to produce laying hens next to us?
