Layer poultry3 min read
Raising layer pullets: from day-old chick to the first egg
A layer's whole laying life is decided in its first 18 weeks. Brooding temperatures, light, feed changes, body weight and vaccination, explained simply.
Many farmers put all their effort into the laying period, but a poorly grown pullet never becomes a good layer. Birds that are underweight or uneven at 16–18 weeks start late, lay smaller eggs and peak lower. Here is how to raise a flock that is ready to lay well.
Before the chicks arrive
- Clean and disinfect the shed, then leave it empty for at least 2 weeks.
- Spread 5–7 cm of dry, clean litter (rice husk or wood shavings).
- Pre-heat the brooding area for 12–24 hours so the floor is warm when the chicks arrive.
- Fill drinkers with clean, slightly warm water and put feed on paper or chick trays.
Brooding temperature
| Age | Temperature at chick height |
|---|---|
| Days 1–7 | About 32–35 °C |
| Week 2 | About 29–31 °C |
| Week 3 | About 27–29 °C |
| Week 4 onwards | Lower slowly to about 21–24 °C |
Watch the chicks, not just the thermometer:
- Huddled under the heater, chirping loudly: too cold
- Far from the heater, panting, wings spread: too hot
- Crowded on one side: a draught is coming from the other
- Spread evenly, eating, drinking and resting: just right
The first week matters most
- Make sure every chick finds water and feed in the first hours. Dip a few beaks in the water to teach them.
- Use bright light (close to 24 hours) for the first 2–3 days, then reduce it step by step.
- Check crop fill: after 24 hours, most chicks should have a soft, full crop.
- Weigh a sample at day 7. A good flock roughly doubles to quadruples its day-old weight in the first week; follow the target in your breed's management guide.
Feed by stage
| Stage | Typical age | Feed |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | 0–6 weeks | Chick starter, high protein |
| Grower | 7–15/16 weeks | Grower feed, lower protein |
| Pre-lay | About 16–18 weeks | Pre-layer feed with more calcium |
| Layer | From about 5% production | Layer feed (about 3.5–4% calcium) |
Change feed gradually over 3–4 days by mixing old and new.
Light during rearing
Keep day length short and constant during the growing period (follow your breed guide, often around 10–12 hours by the end of rearing). Then increase light step by step from about 16–18 weeks, when the birds reach the target weight, to reach about 16 hours in the laying house. Increasing light too early in underweight birds brings small eggs and prolapse.
Weigh, don't guess
From week 4, weigh about 5% of the flock (at least 50 birds) every week at the same time of day.
- Compare the average with your breed's target weight.
- Check uniformity: the share of birds within 10% of the average. Aim for 80% or more.
- If uniformity is poor, sort birds by size and give the small ones more feeder space.
Vaccination and health
Follow the vaccination schedule from your hatchery or vet. In Bangladesh it usually covers Marek's disease (often at the hatchery), Newcastle disease (Ranikhet), infectious bronchitis, Gumboro (IBD) and fowl pox, with boosters before lay. Give vaccines at the right age, with the cold chain kept and the right method (eye drop, drinking water or injection). Keep litter dry to prevent coccidiosis.
Space
Enough feeder and drinker space is as important as enough floor space. Crowded pullets grow unevenly because the weak birds can't reach the feed.
Record the whole rearing
In FarmFlows, create the flock under Layer flocks on the day the chicks arrive, record daily feed and deaths in the Daily log, and record every vaccine under Flock health. When the flock starts laying, the same flock keeps its full history.
Quick checklist
- Pre-heat 12–24 hours; 32–35 °C in week 1
- Read chick behaviour, not only the thermometer
- Starter → grower → pre-lay → layer, changed slowly
- Weigh weekly from week 4, uniformity 80%+
- Light stimulation only when the target weight is reached
- Vaccines on schedule, litter dry