The Principles of High Laying Performance: Insights Shared at Poultry Network Live

At Rosehill Poultry, we would like to share the content of our recent presentation at Poultry Network Live. The event provided a platform to discuss the fundamental principles that have contributed to the achievement of consistently high performance and low mortality in the laying industry. 

Our presentation highlighted the pivotal role of disease and parasitic stress in achieving superior laying performance. We consider it a part of our duty as animal health professionals to offer our clients the knowledge and guidance to understand the financial impact of failing to control stress factors on the modern laying hen, which is a performance athlete. This commitment of a farm manager to create a perfect environment for a bird reaching its genetic potential is always the foundation of consistently high egg output and low mortality. 

Infectious Bronchitis was the first subject of the day, it is vital to understand that IB has a significant impact on bird health, E. coli prevalence, eggshell quality and production. We have worked with the IB vaccines since the very early days of IBH120. With time comes new strains of IB, namely IB793b and IBQX both having a significant presence in the UK laying flock. The Live IB vaccine is very delicate, and our talked centered around the need for perfect vaccination technique. The water must be treated with Aviblue, at the correct rate, to remove any sanitiser remaining. The stock solution must be accurate to a 3-hour maximum consumption window and the priming methods pay back the time taken 10 fold in egg output. We recently found that simply getting IB vaccination technique correct yielded an average 5 egg per bird increase of the following flocks on a large number of farms. 

Red mite was covered in the next section, Rosehill support ever Exzolt treatment personally. We provide full training in the products use, biosecurity protocols, correct administration and most effective ages to treat at. The impact on mortality is an incredibly interesting effect of red mite control, we demonstrated the data attached and the financial returns of good control measures. This was followed by the impact of each level of infestation on production. We became involved in the use of this product from the very first bottles supplied in the UK and Dave Hodson has worked extensively to refine and perfect its usage. We provide a full support service and have access to a great deal of hands on experience of best practice. 

Water quality was discussed, examining the difference between mains and bore hole water management. The treatment methods needed vary dependent on the water quality being used, however borehole water is more prone to higher bacterial and heavy mineral loads. The use of Autoflushing systems and there effect on TVC levels was discussed, the data on this is fascinating, and the associated decrease in mortality makes their use near mandatory in our eyes. 

Our emphasis on staff training and education was also a key focus. Well-trained personnel are essential in ensuring the correct administration of vaccines, a critical aspect of our services. Additionally, our commitment to ongoing education and welfare ensures that your workforce remains motivated, highly skilled, and capable of delivering top-notch vaccine administration for poultry.

The pyramid theory of performance is based around creating the widest most stable base using the most proven stress reducing intervention, properly administered, correctly timed and suited to your site.

Please get in touch if you’d like a farm visit from David Hodson to discuss our work with over 15 million hens.