How to give your pullets the best possible start!

Here at Potters we have over 55 years’ experience in the poultry industry, and during that time we’ve developed our pullet-rearing techniques to ensure we give all our chicks the best start in life.

As experts in our field, we rear all the major hybrid layer breeds including Hyline, Lohmann, Bovans, Shaver, H&N and Warren and understand that every flock is unique – but what should you think about if you want to ensure you give your pullets the best possible start? Here are our top five tips on rearing pullets.

1. Preparation is key

Ensuring your pullets get the best start is critical, so we always prepare the rearing house ahead of time. We line all of the brooding areas with chick paper to ensure that the pullets only eat food and not litter, as well as ensuring there’s a plentiful amount of food placed on the paper, and a large number of supplementary drinkers available.

For farmers looking to buy their first pullet flock, it’s important for them to visit the rearing site where their flock will be reared. This will help them understand the environment and ensure it is similar to the laying house they will transfer into, minimising stress. It is also key to visit your pullets at least once during the rearing stage, to take an interest in their progress.

2. Pay attention to their health

Paying attention to the health of your pullets and giving them the TLC they need during their first few weeks, is crucial. At Potters Poultry we walk around all our rearing houses at least four times per day, to ensure the health of our pullets. We regularly monitor their feed and water intake and take action if needed.

There are several signs to ensure you are looking out for whilst caring for your pullets. Just like humans, pullets will go off their food and water if they are feeling unwell. You may also notice them looking sorry for themselves with drooped wing feathers. Abnormal droppings can signify different diseases or enteric challenges, or more significantly, ill health may result in mortality. In most cases, minor tweaks, such as an increase in the house temperate or a course of vitamins can be all that is required to get them back on track.

3. Give your pullets a nutritional diet

All our pullets begin on the supplementary feed, which will be a super starter crumb. When they are a few days old, we begin operating the automatic feed system once a day, which is increased to five times a day by the time they are 16 weeks of age. Our pullets are moved onto a starter crumb at four weeks of age, which changes to a meal at six weeks. A rearer meal is then introduced at seven to ten weeks before a grower meal is used for the final few weeks of rear. These different diets ensure that the pullets are getting the right nutrition at the right time.

4. Have top-quality equipment

The key difference between Potters and our competitors is our Premium Rearing Aviary, we are very passionate about the high-level of welfare that our equipment provides for our pullets, as it helps to give them the best start in life. Compared to other rearing systems the Premium Rearing Aviary ensures high availability of feed and water per bird in their first few weeks, meaning their early growth is optimised.

5. Understand the key factors

When rearing pullets, the most important factors to consider are feed, water, temperature, air quality and light. We’ve learnt if you get all of these factors right and react quickly to any potential health issues, they should grow into healthy and resilient, strong pullets.

During more than five decades in the industry, we have been able to master these key factors and develop our Potters Package. This includes a combination of top-quality equipment along with pullets which have been reared to ensure that they will thrive when they are ready for laying.

Find out more about the services Potters Poultry can provide by visiting https://www.potterspoultry.co.uk/ or calling 01788 536161.