HOUSING SYSTEMS BIOSECURITY HOUSING & BROODING EARLY MANAGEMENT LIGHTING NUTRITION HEALTH HATCHING EGG MANAGEMENT 67 67 LOHMANN › MANAGEMENT GUIDE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PULLET Muscle growth reaches its peak, and skeletal development in the pullet continues. LIVE WEIGHT OF THE PULLET This stage represents the peak of daily weight gain. The diet must deliver the appropriate nutrient levels (mg per bird per day) to effectively support this growth phase. STRUCTURE-SIZE OF THE PULLET By approximately 11 weeks of age, 90% of a bird’s structural size is established, making this developmental stage especially critical given the extended production cycles of modern laying hens. LIVE WEIGHT OF THE PULLET Growth curves show that this phase involves reduced average daily gain and therefore lower nutrient requirements. FEED INTAKE CAPACITY Pullets aged 16 to 17 weeks are expected to have developed sufficient consumption capacity to accommodate the transition period and initiate egg production successfully. At the end of this period, it is important for the pullet to reach the correct body weight or slightly above according to the standards. However, it is also crucial to achieve the correct body composition and uniformity at the time of light stimulation. DEVELOPMENT OF THE PULLET The live weight and uniformity will indicate how effective our management, health, and nutritional choices are during this phase. During both the preparation period and in production, monitoring body weight and uniformity will be a key factor in decision-making. REACHING THE RECOMMENDED LIVE WEIGHT for each line is crucial, because there is a high correlation between live weight at 5 weeks and productive parameters such as the number of eggs, viability, and persistence. THE MAIN ORGANS will be developing, such as the liver, lungs, heart, and digestive system, which are fundamental for the hen’s productive life. It is important to note that nutrition has a limited capacity to solve problems due to inadequate management and/or health. It’s important to bear in mind that change in feeding phase should be based on the birds’ body weight and uniformity, not on age (see feed specifications for preparation period). THE FIRST 5 WEEKS: THE BASIS 5–10 WEEKS: FRAME DEVELOPMENT 10–16/17 WEEKS: GUT & FEED INTAKE DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT OF STRUCTURAL BONE Structural bone develops until weeks 15–16, after which production begins depending on the lighting programme. TILL 30 WEEKS: END OF PREPARATION PERIOD
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