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Our top tips for minimising floor eggs

With over 50 years’ experience in the poultry industry, we’ve learnt that minimising floor eggs takes careful management and swift reactions. With the advantage of catering for the requirements of all areas of the poultry industry, we have a great understanding of the factors to take into consideration when trying to minimise floor eggs – from the poultry equipment to the rearing of the pullet. So, we’ve put together a handy guide on how to avoid floor eggs:

What causes floor eggs?

There are many different factors that can cause floor eggs. These can include:

  • Poorly trained pullets – they’re not trained to be mobile in the rearing house, resulting in them not exploring their surroundings when transferred to the laying house.
  • Lighting – low-level lighting in the laying house and the set-up of light timing may increase floor eggs.
  • Equipment layout – poor design of equipment can make it difficult for the pullets to navigate, making access to the nests difficult.

What are your top tips for reducing floor eggs?

Our top tips for reducing floors eggs would be:

  • Choose the equipment for your laying house carefully. It should be easy to manage on a daily basis, with an easy clear view of all tiers. This will allow the pullets to find the nests easily.
  • Walk through the laying house regularly to keep the birds active and moving around the environment.
  • Consider the house lighting carefully. Ensure it’s evenly distributed, without shadows or darker areas; this will attract the birds to lay here. It’s also important to stagger the different light line times to ensure the birds are encouraged to be in the right place at the right time and aren’t drawn away from the nests.

What are the key factors to take into consideration to reduce floor eggs?

A lot of people think that breed is the biggest factor to consider, however, whilst some breeds aren’t as active as others, this varies, and every flock is unique. It’s critical to work hard in the first few weeks of laying, and usually, your efforts will be rewarded with a reduced level of floor eggs. Ensure you are keeping an eye on what % the floor eggs are of the total production, as opposed to the number of eggs. Providing this is reducing whilst the total % of eggs is rising; then things are heading in the right direction.

Can the feeding of the pullets have an impact on floor eggs?

 Absolutely, the time of feeding can have a big effect or floor eggs. It’s important not to disturb the birds from laying during the morning. Therefore, we advise feeding them within 15 minutes of the house lights being switched on, then leave an approximate three hour gap before their next feed. This will ensure the birds aren’t drawn out of the nests at a critical time.

How often should you be checking for floor eggs?

Generally, you should be in the shed hourly during the first few weeks. However, this varies with each flock and some will get too acclimatised to you walking through and won’t move when they see you. With these flocks it’s better to reduce the frequency of walking through, to ensure it has more of an impact.

 

Should you leave the nests open or closed when the birds are housed?

An option that can work well is to leave the nests open for the first ten weeks. This creates a safe area for the birds where they aren’t disturbed. There is a theory this would cause broody hens, however, if you are concerned about this, we would recommend closing the nests during the second to last feed.

How does an aviary reduce floor eggs?

An aviary allows the birds to be more spread out within the system, resulting in them finding the nests easier. Hens like to go up high as they would in the wild, so it’s more natural for them to want to lay in the nests off the ground, explaining why they favour the top nests in two-tier nest systems.

 Are there any steps you can take during the rearing stage to reduce floor eggs?

Definitely! Rearing can have an influence on the mobility of the pullets when they are transferred to the laying house. The more active they are in rear; the more active they are likely to be in lay.  If the birds are active, they will explore the laying house and find the nests easier. Therefore, it’s important to get pullets from a rearing house that encourages mobility and activity, e.g. tiers at different heights. The most ideal for this would be an aviary rearing house.  Other rearing house designs will work to a degree, but the farmer will usually have to work harder to get the birds to find the nests.

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