Poultry House Management

Table of Contents
Biosecurity.
Cleaning and Disinfection.
Preparation for new flock arrival.
Placement of new flock.
Brooding
Rearing
Onset of Production.
Production.
Peak Production.
Biosecurity
Procedures to prevent the introduction and spread of disease or
contamination must be put in place for feed production, farm
operations, hatchery, general maintenance and personnel.
A breakdown in any single area will endanger the
whole biosecurity program.
All personnel must understand the importance of following the
biosecurity program;
Biosecurity Keypoints
1) Selection of isolated site for new farm.
2) Single age flock should be placed.
3) All in All Out system should be followed.
4) The distance between flocks of different ages should be no
less than 600m (2000 ft).
5) Always work in the youngest birds first.
6) Only authorised personnel should enter the farm.
7) All houses must have concrete floors.
8) Any vehicle that must enter the farm must be washed and
disinfected at the gate.
9) Farm worker or any personnel who need to enter the farm
must shower and change into a clean uniform and farm
boots.
10) Boots, uniforms and work clothing should be color coded
to help control personnel movement within the farm or age
groups.
11) No other poultry, livestock or domestic pets of any kind
should be allowed on parent farms.
12) All buildings must be vermin and wild bird proof.
13) A vermin control program should be practiced at all times.
14) Rotate brands of bait regularly to prevent vermin
developing resistance.
15) Any spilled feed should be cleaned up immediately.
16) It is recommended that dead birds be disposed of by
incinerating the carcasses on farm.
17) Keep a record of all visitors.
18) Keep all wild birds away from poultry house areas.
19) Use an integrated pest management program.
 Cleaning & Disinfection
Dry Cleaning.
Cleaning Watering system.
Cleaning Feeding Systems.
Wet Cleaning.
Application of surfectant.
Application of Disinfectant.
Fumigation.
Disinfection of litter for new arrival.
Closing of poultry house untill new placement.
 Preparation of new flock arrival.
Key management Timetable
Age (days) Action

Preheat the house.

Temperature and Humidity should be stabilized for at
Before Chick
least 24 hours prior chick arrival.
arrival
All housing and equipment should be cleaned and
disinfected.
Efficacy of the biosecurity operations verified prior to
chick placement.
 On Chick Arrival
Age
(days) Action
1) Achieve optimum environmental conditions.
2) Establish a minimum ventilation rate.
On chick 3) Monitor chick behavior to ensure that
temperature is satisfactory.
arrival 4) Weigh a sample of chicks.
5) Crop assessment for almost 100 chicks within 24
hours of arrival.
6) It must be 100%.
Placement of new flock
Age (days) Action
1) Develop appetite from good brooding practice.
2) Provide good quality feed and fresh water.
0-7 3) Maintain optimum temperature.
4) Ensure adequate drinker and feeder space.
5) Regularly monitor bird behavior.
 Brooding
Age Action
(days)
1) Achieve target body weights.
7-14 2) Obtain body weight sample.
3) Provide a constant (8 hours) daylength by 10 days of
age.
1) Start recording individual body weights.
14-21 2) Calculate Uniformity %age.
3) Calculate CV %age between 14 & 21 days/2 & 3
weeks of age.
1) Full House grading of Males and Females separately.
28 2) After grading, revise body weight profiles to achieve
targets.
 Rearing
Age (days) Action
1) Adjust daily feed allocation for the male and female.
28-63 2) Maintain target body weights, body weight gains and uniformity.
3) Monitor and record body weight weekly.
1) Movement of birds between populations should stop.
2) Adjust daily feed allocations for male and females.
63-105 3) Stictly monitor and record body weight weekly.
1) Re-examine body weights in relation to target.
2) Revise profiles as necessary.
105-126 3) Remove any sexing errors as they are identified during visit in the
house.
4) Place perches in the house.
1) Replace perches with nest stand and nest in the house.
2) All populations should achieve similar body-weight gains.
126-147 3) All populations should achieve similar body weights by light
stimulation.
4) Remove remaining sexing errors.
5) Deworming of the flock.
Onset of Production
Age (days) Action
1) Photostimulation based on relative maturity of male and
females.
147-168 2) First light increase given (not before 147 days/21 weeks of age.
3) Mating-up- the exact time of this will depend on the relative
maturity of both males and females.
4) Monitor and record body weight weekly.
5) From first egg, increase feed anounts according to the rate of
daily egg production, daily egg weight and body weight.
6) Manage males by observing bird condition.

1) Introduce the breeder feed from 5 % hen-day production at the

168-175 latest.
2) Romove non-working or immature females.(Non-layers).
3) Monitor and record body weights weekly.
4) Strictly monitor uniformity and CV of the flock regularly.
 Production
1) Regularly monitor behavior of the male with their counter-
parts and vice versa.
2) Monitor body weights and uniformity %age.
3) Replace non-working males from the flock.
4) Observe successful mating of birds with cloacal kiss.
5) Monitor fleshing of males.
6) Feeding and drinking space must be managed according to
body weight and age of the flock.
Peak Production-Depletion

1) Manage males by observing bird condition.

2) Spiking is done if required.
3) Maintain appropriate mating ratios.
4) Monitor and record body weights.
5) Feed reduction should be started approximately 35 days/5
weeks after peak production is achieved.
6) Feed intake should be reviewed weekly and any reductions
in feed should be based on egg production, daily egg
weight, egg mass and body weight.
 Bird Handling

1) It is important that all birds are handled in a calm and

correct way at all times.
2) All people handling birds (for catching, weighing, physical
assessment, crop fill assessment, or vaccination) should be
experienced.
3) All personnel handling birds should be trained.