Most laying pullets are housed in cages and should be moved to these facilities at least 1 wk before egg production begins. Breeders moved from a growing house to an adult house should also be given at least 1 wk to adjust to their new environment before the stress of egg production begins. Beaks should be retrimmed as necessary, and cull birds removed at the time of rehousing.

Feeders and waterers should be of the proper type, size, and height for the stock and management system. Feeders that are too shallow, too narrow, or lacking a lip or flange on the upper edge may permit excess feed waste. Uneven distribution of waterers or lack of water space results in reduced intake and thus reduced performance.

Artificial Lights

Day length should be increased gradually as the pullets come into egg production and should reach a 14- to 16-hr light period/day at peak production for both market-egg and hatching-egg layers. An intensity of at least 1 foot-candle of light (10 lux) at the feed trough should be provided; this is about equal to one 60-watt light bulb to each 100 sq ft (~9 sq m), hanging 7 ft (2.1 m) above the birds. Production may decrease if day length or light intensity is reduced during the laying period. With cage systems of all types, illumination is more even if smaller wattage bulbs placed closer together are used, rather than large bulbs suspended over the center of each aisle. With tiered cages, the bulbs are suspended 6–7 in. (15–18 cm) above the level of the top cage.

Record Keeping

Successful intensive poultry keeping requires good records of all flock activities, including hatch date, regular body weights (to ensure that the pullets will have reached optimal body weight when they are brought into egg production), lighting program, house temperatures, disease history, medication and vaccination dates, quantity and type of feed given (important in calculating efficiency of feed utilization), and mortality.

Floor Space, Feeding, and Water Requirements

Egg-production birds usually spend their entire lives in cages. While some broiler breeders are similarly housed, most are reared on litter floors or in pens in which up to two-thirds of the floor is slatted. For egg-strain pullets that are reared in cages, there is little chance of altering the feeding and watering space available, but periodic checks are necessary to ensure that feed and water are being continuously supplied. With the success of nipple- and cup-waterers and the various types of automatic feeding systems, it becomes more difficult to give specific recommendations for feeding and watering space. Decisions must be made about optimal floor space and feeding and watering requirements based on advice from equipment manufacturers, primary breeders, careful observation, and past experience as to productivity. see Nutrition and Management: Poultry: Minimum Space Requirements for White Leghorn Egg-Strain Birds a and see Nutrition and Management: Poultry: Space Requirements for Meat-Strain Birdsfor space requirements for egg-strain and meat-strain birds. Environmental housing and various types of ventilation may alter these specifications.

Table 17
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Minimum Space Requirements for White Leghorn Egg-Strain Birds a Age (wk) 0–6 7–17 18 onward Cages Floor area per bird (sq in.) 25 45 60 Straight trough feeder space per bird, not less than (in.) 2 2.5 3 Waterers Birds per nipple 15 10 8 Birds per cup 25 15 12 Trough space per bird (in.) 1 1 2 Litter and Slats Floor area—litter only or combined with slats (sq ft/bird) 0.5 1 1–1.5 Straight trough feeder space per bird (in.) 1 2 3.5 Pans (15 in. [38 cm] diameter) per 100 birds Full fed 3 4 5 Restricted — 5 — Waterers Birds per fount 100 50 25 Trough space per bird (in.) 1 1 2 a Requirements for White Leghorns and brown-egg layers are different. Minimum Space Requirements for White Leghorn Egg-Strain Birds a Age (wk) 0–6 7–17 18 onward Cages Floor area per bird (sq in.) 25 45 60 Straight trough feeder space per bird, not less than (in.) 2 2.5 3 Waterers Birds per nipple 15 10 8 Birds per cup 25 15 12 Trough space per bird (in.) 1 1 2 Litter and Slats Floor area—litter only or combined with slats (sq ft/bird) 0.5 1 1–1.5 Straight trough feeder space per bird (in.) 1 2 3.5 Pans (15 in. [38 cm] diameter) per 100 birds Full fed 3 4 5 Restricted — 5 — Waterers Birds per fount 100 50 25 Trough space per bird (in.) 1 1 2 a Requirements for White Leghorns and brown-egg layers are different.

Table 18
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Space Requirements for Meat-Strain Birds Age Floor Space Feeder Spacea Cups or Fountsa (per 1,000 birds) From day 1 Heated area 5 sq ft brooder/100 chicks 10 trays/1,000 (feed little and often) 8 From wk 1 1 sq ft/bird 2 in./bird 20 From wk 8 2 sq ft/bird 4 in./bird 30 Mated adults All litter: 3 sq ft/bird ½ to ⅔ slats: 2¼ sq ft/bird 4 in./bird 30 (60 in hot weather) a For feeder and drinking trough space, both sides of the trough should be counted. Drinking trough space (all ages) is 1 in. (2.5 cm) per bird but doubled for adults in hot weather. a For feeder and drinking trough space, both sides of the trough should be counted. Drinking trough space (all ages) is 1 in. (2.5 cm) per bird but doubled for adults in hot weather.

Layers per Cage

Within the guidelines indicated in see Nutrition and Management: Poultry: Minimum Space Requirements for White Leghorn Egg-Strain Birds a and see Nutrition and Management: Poultry: Space Requirements for Meat-Strain Birds, most colony cages house 5–10 layers. The ideal flock size depends on several factors, including labor and cost, and is best determined by the individual poultry manager or producer.

Last full review/revision March 2012 by Alex J. Bermudez, DVM, MS, DACPV; Mahmoud El-Begearmi, PhD; Steven Leeson, PhD; Kirk C. Klasing, BS, MS, PhD