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ANSCI2 (Judging Good Layer and Poor Layer)

1. The document discusses characteristics used to evaluate laying hens, including feather condition, pigmentation, handling quality, and abdominal capacity. 2. Pigmentation fades from certain body parts in a specific order as egg production decreases, and returns in the reverse order during molting. 3. Good layers are identified by bleached vent and feet, thin pubic bones, and larger abdominal capacity, while poor layers retain pigmentation and have thick pubic bones and smaller abdominal space.

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Madelyn Arimado
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46 views32 pages

ANSCI2 (Judging Good Layer and Poor Layer)

1. The document discusses characteristics used to evaluate laying hens, including feather condition, pigmentation, handling quality, and abdominal capacity. 2. Pigmentation fades from certain body parts in a specific order as egg production decreases, and returns in the reverse order during molting. 3. Good layers are identified by bleached vent and feet, thin pubic bones, and larger abdominal capacity, while poor layers retain pigmentation and have thick pubic bones and smaller abdominal space.

Uploaded by

Madelyn Arimado
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Animal Science 2

Dr. Edita C. Cornejo


Asso. Prof 2
Department of Animal Science
The Past Production Hens
Evaluating Laying Hens (Characteristics
Looked into):
1. Feather condition/molt – shedding of feathers
2. Pigmentation – skin has xanthophyll pigment,
which is mobilized when producing eggs
- pigment is lost (bleached) in a particular
order
3. Handling quality – the condition of the pubic
bones and abdomen
4. Abdominal capacity – the distance between the
pubic bones and the tip of the keel
Order of Pigment Loss

1. Vent
2. Eye ring
3. Beak (corner of the mouth towards the tip)
4. Bottom of the feet
5. Entire shank (front, back and sides)
6. Hock and top of toes
Pigmentation
 Hens regain pigment when egg
production ceases, as in molt
 Pigment returns to the body parts in the
same order that it faded (vent, eye ring,
ear lobe, beak, bottom of feet, shank,
hock and top of toes)
 Pigment returns nearly 3 times quicker
than it took to fade
1. Check your layer for molt
 A good producer shows all old, worn feathers
indicating she has not molted.

The appearance of the wing feather, the more


primaries molted, the longer the hen has been
out of production and the fewer eggs laid
Feather condition/Molt
Feather condition/Molt

Example of a one-feather molt


Replacement feather not yet visible
Feather condition/Molt

Example of a four-feather molt,


With the four new feathers visible
2. Look at the comb, wattles, eyes and head
 Comb and wattles should be bright red and glossy,
eyes bright, alert and round; balance of head

Good layer Poor layer


The good layer has no pigment in beak, eye ring and
ear lobe

Good layer Poor layer


 The good layer has bleaching of the eye ring, ear
lobes and beak
 Comb and wattles are bright red and glossy
 Has good balance of the head
 The poor layer has yellow pigment present in all
parts of the layer’s head
 The comb is small and pale, the eye is dull and
sleepy
 The head is too long or shallow proportion to its
depth
3. Check the bottoms of the feet
 Bottoms of good layers feet are pink and show a
loss of yellow pigment; too much dirt on the foot,
gently bend the toes and look in the skin cracks
at the joints.
 Too much pigment is noted at the bottom of the
foot of poor layer

Good layer Poor layer


4. Check the front of the shanks of the
birds you are judging.
 The good layer loss pigments/bleached
from the top of the shank down the front
toward the foot
 The poor producers has more pigments

Good layer Poor layer


Pigmentation in the front of the shanks

Good layer Average layer Poor layer


5. Check the back of the shanks of the
birds you are judging.
 The good layer has bleached from the foot
up to the hock; no pigment is seed in area
up to the hock
 The poor producers has more pigments

Good layer Poor layer


6. Further in-depth examination of hock
scales, hocks and feet
 The good producer is bleached in the hock and toes
(seen by curling one toe back to see if pigment is in
the top of the toe).
 The poor layer is yellow in the hock and toes

Good layer Poor layer


7. Vent examination is best observed
through the presence of pigments
 The good producer has a bleached vent; vent is
large and oblong in shape and very moist
 The poor layer has yellow pigment in the vent; has
some moistness, but small and round in shape

Good layer Poor layer


Vent examination
 The vent of good layer should be: bleached, moist,
large and oblong in shape

Good layer Poor layer


Handling qualities- the condition of the pubic
bones and abdomen
Abdominal capacity – the distance between the pubic
bones and between the pubic bones and the tip of the
keel
Abdominal capacity
Measuring the distance between:

Pubic bones Pubic bones and keel


Abdominal capacity

Pubic bones pubic bones and keel


Abdominal capacity

Pubic bones pubic bones and keel


Abdominal capacity

Pubic bones pubic bones and keel


Good: Thin and pliable Poor: Thick pubic bones,
pubic bones, lean skin thick skin, hard abdomen
and soft abdomen (means fat in the abdomen)

Good layer Poor layer


Determine the condition of the hens by
looking into the following:
Hen # 1
Determine the condition of the hens by
looking into the following:
Hen # 2
Determine the condition of the hens by
looking into the following:
Hen # 3
Determine the condition of the hens by
looking into the following:
Hen # 4
Arrange the following condition of the shanks from
good layer to poor layer
Layer # 1 Layer #2 Layer # 3 Layer # 4
THANK YOU.

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