//02 Mar 2011
The onset of lay has long been an important characteristic for birds to mark the start of their productive life. Extending the laying cycle seems to be a possible and attractive new approach however. Institut de Sélection Animale (ISA) has the breeding programme in place to further improve laying persistency and egg quality at the end of the laying cycle. Longer cycles for birds, producing 500 eggs in 100 weeks, are well within reach.
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By Frans van Sambeek, Technical Director ISA, Hendrix Genetics, Boxmeer, the Netherlands
Research and development (R&D) is the basis of a successful and profitable breeding programme for layers. It is also the basis for profitability of distributors and for the customers of the breeders’ customers: poultry farmers. R&D and genetic improvement are the core business of ISA. In all products the main breeding goal is maximum number of saleable eggs per hen housed. This is achieved through selection for long-term persistent laying rates, high liveability and excellent egg quality.
Developments in the layer business
The layer business is fast changing. In 2012 EU producers are compelled to adopt alternative housing systems as standard laying cages will no longer be permitted. In the USA, animal welfare activity is changing the production systems for table eggs. In some countries there is legal pressure for banning bird treatments such as beak trimming, de-combing and de-toeing. In many countries there is pressure on increased regulation or outright banning of the use of antibiotics.Increasingly, there is more emphasis on animal welfare involved with bird management, such as molting adult birds and killing male day old chicks in the layer hatcheries. More by-products such as distillers’ dried grains and canola from the biofuel industry are used as feed ingredients in layer diets. The call for more efficient use of resources continues to increase for feed, water, energy and land. Carbon footprint is also becoming an important issue.
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