Hy-Line W-80 Plus

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Facility Cleaning and Disinfection

Facility Cleaning & Disinfection

The optimal downtime between flocks is 4 weeks. At least 2 weeks downtime is strongly recommended to allow for sufficient cleaning and disinfection.
Clean and disinfect brooding areas, building interior, attached service areas, and equipment.
All feed and manure should be removed from the facility before cleaning.
Clean and disinfect feeding system, allowing it to dry before new feed is delivered.
Wash the upper portion of the facility and work downward toward the floor.
Thoroughly clean air inlets, fan housing, fan blades and fan louvers.
Heating the facility during washing improves the removal of organic matter.
Use foam/gel disinfection/detergent to soak into organic matter and equipment.
Use high pressure warm water to rinse.
Allow the facility to dry. After it is fully dry, apply foam/spray disinfectant followed by fumigation.
Place rodent bait where it will not be consumed by chicks.
Confirm effectiveness of cleaning and disinfection with environmental swabs.
For more information, see Pre-Housing Cleaning, Disinfection and Maintenance Checklist for Rearing and Layer Facilities.

Transition Period from Rear to Peak Egg Production

Variety-specific Transition Period graphs are located in the Performance Guides on each variety's Literature page.

Avoid excessive weight gain during the transition period.
Body weight gain from 18–25 weeks should not exceed 20%. If you have a 1.59 kg bird at 18 weeks, the goal should be to stay under 1.91 kg by 25 weeks, otherwise there is a risk of fatty liver.
During the transition period, nutrient requirements increase dramatically and diets should be adjusted to accommodate this phase. See Pre-Peak Diet in Nutrition section.
The following occurs during the transition period:
Rapidly increasing egg production
Increasing egg size
Increasing body weight
Feed consumption may increase slowly during transition:
In underweight flocks
In flocks lacking uniformity
During high environmental temperatures
Poor uniformity prolongs the transition period and may result in delayed onset of egg production, low production peaks, and poor persistency of egg production.
It is essential to monitor feed intake carefully during transition and adjust dietary nutrient concentration according to actual feed intakes.

Body Weight Loss of Birds in Transit

Weigh prior to transfer and monitor weight loss during transfer.
It should be noted that at the time of transfer from rearing to production houses, there will be some loss in body weight (which is normally 10–12%). This loss is mainly due to reduced water intake and some dehydration of the pullet.
To help regain these losses, the following factors should be considered.
Age of transfer (earlier transfers are less stressful).
Good availability of fresh, potable water, monitoring intake levels to ensure good uptake.
Good availability of fresh feed, similar in physical quality and nutrient profile to the feed used in the rearing house just before transfer.
Match lighting programmes between rearing and production houses.
Match drinker and feeder type between rearing and production.
Care must be taken in hot or cold ambient conditions to maintain an appropriate house temperature.

Space Recommendations

Metrics of Flock Performance

Weekly Flock Body Weight (g): Average bird weight of a 100-bird sample
Flock Uniformity % (see Uniformity Calculation Tool): [(Total number of birds weighed) - (Number of birds ≤ 10% of average body weight) - (Number of birds ≥ 10% of average body weight)] / (Total number of birds weighed)
Coefficient of Variation (CV) % (see Uniformity Calculation Tool): Standard deviation of 100-bird sample) / (Average bird weight of same sample)
Weekly Weight Gain (g): (Average body weight at end of the week) - (Average body weight for previous week)
Feed Efficiency of Body Weight Gain: (Total feed consumed / Number of birds in the flock) / Average weight gained
Body Score (see Body Score Chart): Average body score of a 100-bird sample

Percent Hen-Day Egg Production (HD%): Number of eggs produced in one day) / (Current hen inventory)
Hen-Housed Egg Production (HH%): (Number of eggs produced in one day) / (Hens housed)
Weekly Egg Mass (EM) (kg): (Weekly hen-housed percent) x (Average egg weight in g) / 1,000
Cumulative Egg Mass (HHEM) (kg): Sum of weekly egg mass

Feed Conversion Rate: Kg of feed consumed during the period / Kg of egg mass produced during the period
Feed Utilisation: Kg of egg mass produced during the period / Kg of feed consumed during the period
Feed Consumption per 10 Eggs (kg): (Kg of feed consumed / Total number of eggs produced) x 10

Air

Production facility should be at 18–25°C and 40–60% humidity.
The general rule for determining required fan capacity—4 m³ of air movement/kilogram of body weight per hour.
Ventilation is essential to:
Provide each bird with adequate supply of oxygen
Remove moisture from facility
Remove carbon dioxide produced by birds
Remove dust particles
Dilute aerosolised pathogenic organisms
Positive pressure facilities where exhaust air is exiting through vents and popholes prevents cold damp air from entering the facility in winter and causing wet litter.
In tunnel ventilated facilities, if birds are confined inside the facility due to hot or cold weather, ensure that the stocking densities are appropriate for bird confinement.
Allowable levels of noxious gases at floor level in the facility are based on local regulations; however, the minimum standards are:
Ammonia (NH₃): < 25 ppm
Carbon dioxide (CO₂): < 5000 ppm
Carbon monoxide (CO): < 50 ppm (measured over 8 hours)