How farm raised welfare with switch to fully beaked birds
© HQUALITY/AdobeStock Managing a switch to white, fully beaked birds requires close attention to detail but can improve production and welfare, according to Powys-based farmer Phil Davies.
Mr Davies and wife Helen began free-range egg production in 2018 using brown birds.
But the couple decided to move to fully beaked white, Dekalb birds from their second flock after discussions with their egg packer, Stonegate.
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Phil and Helen Davies with their two sons © Phil Davies
With many retailers eyeing a move to fully beaked systems and the promise of a hardier bird with greater longevity, the idea made sense.
Initially, Mr Davies said he was concerned about the potential for increased injury to the birds and what the impact would be on the day-to-day running of the flock.
But using advice from suppliers and making minor adjustments to the management has helped the Davies achieve a seamless transition.
Shed layout
That process began by ensuring the set-up of the rearing shed matched the laying shed to help the pullets settle quickly on arrival.
The farm’s rearer uses a multi-tier arrangement, which matches the system in the Davies’ 16,000-bird laying shed exactly.
“We’ve found that when they arrive, the pullets move up onto the tiers straight away,” says Mr Davies.
This reduces the amount of time spent handling birds to get them to use the system in the first few nights in the laying shed.
In the current flock, just 10 birds are handled each night in the first few days, keeping stress and flock disruption to a minimum.
As well as matching shed layout to what the pullets experienced during rear, ensuring the routine remained the same helped the flock to settle quickly and start gaining weight.
Initially, feeding times and light levels match those from the rearing shed, but can be adjusted as the flock progresses.
For example, lighting starts at 50% and is gradually decreased by small increments, bringing it down to 30% by the time birds come into lay. This helps to maintain calm behaviour patterns among the birds.
Transitioning to a farm with year-round income
Free-range egg production is only one part of the Davies’ strategy to earn a monthly income from their 121ha farm, near Welshpool.
“We originally farmed sheep and beef, but we wanted to move away from only having financial income at two points in the year,” says Phil Davies.
In 2015, they introduced a New Zealand-style dairy system, and now have a 200-cow Jersey-cross spring-calving herd.
The move into poultry came three years later, when the first flock of brown birds arrived.
“The switch to white birds for the second flock reduced the management requirements from the egg production side of the business, as we can keep the flocks going for longer between turnovers,” Mr Davies says.
“Although I was initially apprehensive about keeping fully beaked birds, with enrichment, consistent routines and attention to detail in the lighting in the shed, we have found them to be consistently calm and easy to manage.”
Provision of enrichment
Enrichment is important in fully beaked setups because it allows birds to express natural behaviour traits. Providing this outlet for activity reduces the likelihood of feather pecking.
The Davies provide a mix of plastic bottles, containers and lucerne bales within the shed.
These objects are heavily used on arrival but as the flocks settle in, the birds’ interest wanes and they are used less, Mr Davies said.
However, with the avian flu housing order in place since November last year, the farm has increased the amount of litter available to the birds to peck.
This has again helped birds to express natural behaviour and kept them calm even during the long winter months inside.
Monitoring and feeding
In the four years since taking up poultry production, the Davies have worked closely with Wynnstay consultant Jim Turner.
He explains that Mr Turner and his team supported the farm by monitoring the flock in the first few weeks. Bird weight gain and overall condition were tracked and feed schedules were adjusted accordingly.
Monitoring, along with the resulting tweaks to the ration, have helped to optimise weight gain and egg size throughout a far longer lay than was seen with brown birds.
“Our current flock are achieving 89% egg production at 81 weeks,” says Mr Davies.
This performance far exceeds the average for the breed of 83.8%.
Flock turnover benefits
Part of the plan to switch to white birds was research showing that white birds were generally hardier and easier to maintain than brown hens.
That extra hardiness has contributed to the sustained level of egg production and greater longevity.
The Davies plan to keep the current flock to 93 weeks, which compares well with the industry standard for brown birds of a 76-week cycle.
The extra 17 weeks of production at viable egg production levels means that turnover cost savings are equivalent to an entire new flock after three cycles.
Three consecutive flocks means that there has been about 51 extra weeks of production, Mr Davies explains.
Achieving an additional flock will result in production savings – at £4.95 a bird multiplied by a 16,000-bird flock, this equates to £79,200.
Wash-down and turnaround costs would be another £4,800, which all adds up to the cost of an entire flock, he reckons.
Why environment optimisation is essential in fully beaked birds
Wynnstay poultry manager Jim Turner explains that successful management of fully beaked flocks centres on maintaining calm behaviour.
This prevents problems from arising, such as feather pecking.
In many flocks, the inquisitive nature of hens results in feather pecking.
Beak-trimming was introduced to reduce the effect on the victim bird. But a move back to fully beaked flocks carries an increased risk of the issue developing into injurious pecking.
“Stress can be an influencing trigger for the behaviour, so strategies to minimise stress in the environment are a must,” Mr Turner says.
He advises flock-keepers to begin introducing processes that will limit stress before pullets even arrive on-farm.
Feed regime
Mr Turner recommends testing all equipment – such as fans, lights and computer systems – ahead of the birds’ arrival, to avoid any disturbance due to equipment problems in the first few days.
Once the pullets are settled, managers can gradually start to acclimatise birds to the machinery noises and movements inside the shed.
This will help avoid any stress triggers at the crucial time when they start laying.
Mr Turner also advises tailoring nutrition needs to the requirements of fully beaked birds, as well as feeding times.
With full beaks, birds are more equipped to flick feed around, selecting the morsels they want.
“This can drive up feed consumption figures, due to increased waste as feed ends up beneath the tracks.
“Getting a good consistency of mash to reduce the sorting behaviour can, therefore, control feed costs.”
Another strategy to cut waste is to feed little and often, as this reduces the amount of feed present.
In some cases, research has shown that feather pecking can be triggered by a lack of fibre in the diet, rather than a stress response. Birds pick at the feathers to replace the lack of fibre.
A good indicator of this is the sudden absence of loose feathers in the corners of the shed.
“If this is the case, fibre additives can be introduced to reduce the behaviour,” Mr Turner concludes.