If we think that management in poultry production houses is only needed during the day period, then we have the wrong mindset here. It is strongly recommended to observe bird behaviour after sunset and just before sunrise as well. Unexpected things may arise here - things which can influence hen management badly if we don’t know it occurs. Think about deteriorated circumstances in ventilation and unwanted moments of laying eggs.
Winter and summer periods require different ventilation settings to achieve optimal hen behaviour during nighttime (while resting). Normally, when hens roost on the perches at the top of the system, the incoming air should not hit the hens. But when this does occur, hens can become sick and suffer from E-coli. This can result in higher mortality numbers. Besides the health of the hens, it can also affect the place the hens choose to rest comfortably. This means that the hens go find a better place for resting, without incoming air hitting them. They could go down within the system and stay at a more attractive place – a place where we don’t want them at night. When the ventilation is a constant problem, hens could go down frequently and get used to these places. This causes mislaid eggs on the system surface or in the litter.
At the start of the production, the hens don’t have a certain moment of laying eggs yet. They can even lay eggs before sunrise starts. In this case, it means we’re dealing with early layers. The problem with early layers is that they cannot find the nest boxes as they are still closed during nighttime. This results in eggs never being laid in the nests, but rather on the system surfaces or straight from the perches (falling down). These are all lost eggs. When we enter the poultry house after the lights have been turned on, these mislaid eggs will never be found. The eggs are most of the time broken or end up on the manure belts or in the litter. All the rests of the broken eggs will be eaten by the hens, just after the lights are turned on. This problem will only be signalled when we empty the manure belts – then the many broken eggshells or yolks are becoming visible. This problem has to be solved, but how? Our poultry specialists have a lot of knowledge and practical experiences in their pocket. Feel free to contact us if you face any challenges - because little adjustments can make a big difference.