TechFocus_EGGS 0325 - Manual Egg Collection and Nest Box Ma…

lines indicate the feeding time is too late. Young hens begin laying around 30 minutes after dawn, lights on, and many can lay by 07:30 AM. Oviposition timing is influenced by the start of the dark period, and adjusting this within the natural dawn to dusk period in open-sided housing can affect laying times. Incorrect adjustments can lead to increased floor eggs during feeding. From day 1, proper planning and system setup are crucial to mitigate this issue. Eggs found under the nest may indicate overcrowding or hens accessing the darker area beneath the nest box. This space can also serve as a refuge from male attention. Therefore, nests should be positioned either 45 cm up or 0 cm down, in-between heights can cause floor laying. Placing trays around the facility to collect floor eggs is a best practice. These trays can be attached to nest box rooftops for convenient collection later. Incorporating “A” frames and perches during the rearing phase assists training young hens to jump and develop their perching leg muscles and behaviour. In houses with trough and chain feeder systems, these structures can serve dual purposes, including as perching facilities. However, in houses with pellet feeding systems, perches become essential since other equipment to encourage jumping is absent. Nest Setup in Tunnel Versus Open-Sided Houses In longitudinally ventilated poultry houses, it is recommended to position the nests sideways (image 6). This orientation helps to minimise airspeed and wind on the hens. To ensure females are not deterred from the nests, the central passage between the nests should not be dominated by males (image 6). The extra water line helps keep males in the center, reducing the need for them to move to the sides for water access. Proper male and female mixing enhances fertility.

Image 6: This image indicates the ventilated house layout with nests facing sideways.

Summary • Ensure there is no more than four hens per nest. • Nests must be in a good state of repair and functional at all times. • Collect eggs at least four times per day. • Effectively managing floor eggs from the start ensures a smooth cycle with low percentage of floor eggs. • Nest hygiene is important to produce clean hatching eggs • Sanitise and wash hands after floor egg collections. • House layout and nest access are important to encourage hens to lay inside a nest.

About this author Pieter joined Cobb Europe in October 2012 to support distributors in the Africa region, based in Durban, South Africa, he travels extensively in Southern and East Africa. He holds a BSc Agric (Animal Science) and BSc Agric Honors in Reproduction from the University of the Orange Free State. Additionally, he has management qualifications from the University of Stellenbosch Business School (dux student, 1997) and the University of Cape Town’s Business School (Leadership course in complexity and problem solving, 2010). With over 29 years of experience in breeder management, customer service, and problem solving, Pieter has authored a wide range of technical literature on parent stock management and chicken production in Africa. His objective is to share his knowledge and experience with customers to help them achieve optimal benefits from the Cobb 500.