3 mistakes commercial layer farmers should avoid

Commercial layer farmers have been cautioned against certain common practices that could undermine productivity and profitability in their operations.

Experts say these mistakes, observed on many poultry farms, can negatively affect flock performance and reduce returns on investment.

Do not include fish meal in layer feed formulation

Fish meal is typically excluded from commercial layer diets or limited to between 2 and 5 per cent to avoid imparting a “fishy” flavour to eggs. This is because fish oil contains lipids and trimethylamine (TMA), which can taint egg yolks, according to Ioannis Mavromichalis of WATTPoultry.

Mavromichalis outlined five major reasons why high levels of fish meal are avoided in commercial layer operations:

Egg tainting: Even small quantities of unrefined fish oil can cause eggs to develop a distinct fishy aroma and taste, reducing consumer acceptance and market value.

Feed rejection: Poultry are highly sensitive to fish oil concentrations. Diets containing more than about one per cent fish oil, often reached when fish meal constitutes around 10 per cent of the ration, may lead birds to reject the feed.

Quality and spoilage risks: Fish meal is highly susceptible to rancidity. Stale or oxidised fish meal can produce foul odours and toxic by-products that affect flock health and digestion.

Pathogen contamination: Improperly processed fish meal can serve as a vector for Salmonella bacteria, posing serious biosecurity risks to commercial laying flocks.

Cost and availability: High-quality fish meal is often expensive and subject to supply fluctuations, making plant-based protein sources such as soybean meal a more economical and stable alternative.

Dr James Baba Wageti, Group Manager, Marketing and Sales at Adamore Nig Ltd, who has 31 years of experience in the poultry industry, advised commercial layer farmers to avoid using fish meal in feed formulation.

“For years, I have advised farmers against the inclusion of fish meal in commercial layer diets. Birds often find it difficult to efficiently utilise high levels of animal protein, especially during periods of heat stress. This can predispose the flock to digestive disturbances and may increase the incidence of necrotic enteritis, a condition I have frequently encountered in commercial layer operations,” he said.

Do not purchase or cage replacement pullets at 16 weeks

Dr Wageti said one of the most common and costly management mistakes is purchasing or caging point-of-lay birds at 16 weeks of age.

“From extensive field observations and technical experience, it is professionally advisable for farmers to transfer or cage their pullets between 13 and 15 weeks of age. This practice minimises stress, promotes early adaptation and enhances egg production performance,” he said.

“I have repeatedly emphasised that purchasing or caging replacement pullets at 16 weeks of age is wrong and unprofessional. Cage your pullets before 14 weeks; the earlier you cage them, the better. Any farmer that cages a flock at 16 weeks will never get 300 to 315 eggs in 72 weeks, and such flocks may not attain peak production by 22 weeks under open-pen conditions in Nigeria.”

Stop feeding broiler feed to day-old pullets

Freedom Ranger Hatchery said feeding broiler feed to day-old pullets is generally not recommended. Broiler feed is formulated with significantly higher protein and energy levels than pullet chick starter feed and can cause internal organ damage and skeletal problems in the birds.

Dr Wageti also described the practice as professionally wrong.

“While a farmer may use a properly balanced broiler premix in feed manufacturing under expert guidance, feeding commercial broiler feed directly to pullets is not recommended,” he said.

Farmers are instead advised to use layer starter mash or crumbs specifically formulated for egg-laying breeds. These feeds typically contain 18 to 20 per cent protein to support steady and healthy growth.

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