Good morning dear farmers. I have about 60 ISA brown layers that I and my mom are rearing. We bought them at day old around March last year and six months later they attained point of lay and they started dropping eggs shortly after. We started with the free range system for a period of time but we were advised to put them indoors so as they don't get stressed. We kept them in a deep litter system for 3 to 4 months but we decided to make considerations for a battery cage because the bedding of the deep litter system was very soggy and oozing out lots of ammonia gas. We eventually got the cage a week ago and took all of them inside.
The problem is from the onset, the range of birds produced is between 31 to 38, in some occasions, they lay 39. We only had an instance where they laid 40 eggs around April. This is a cause for concern because isa brown layers are very productive and a good poultry farm should produce 70% of eggs daily. We collect average or above average number of eggs everyday. We have considered so many options excellently like constant supply of water, nutritious feed ( Fed with Top feed layers mash), exposure to sunlight all through the day, good hygiene and management practices and prevention of diseases and parasites. In a nutshell, our chickens are not sick and are resilient. The issue is their daily egg production doesn't exceed past 38. Please what can I do? What are those things that I'm missing out? Are there any inputs I need to put into consideration that I am not aware of. Please I need your responses on this. Thank you very much bosses.

Akinola100:
Good morning dear farmers. I have about 60 ISA brown layers that I and my mom are rearing. We bought them at day old around March last year and six months later they attained point of lay and they started dropping eggs shortly after. We started with the free range system for a period of time but we were advised to put them indoors so as they don't get stressed. We kept them in a deep litter system for 3 to 4 months but we decided to make considerations for a battery cage because the bedding of the deep litter system was very soggy and oozing out lots of ammonia gas. We eventually got the cage a week ago and took all of them inside.
The problem is from the onset, the range of birds produced is between 31 to 38, in some occasions, they lay 39. We only had an instance where they laid 40 eggs around April. This is a cause for concern because isa brown layers are very productive and a good poultry farm should produce 70% of eggs daily. We collect average or above average number of eggs everyday. We have considered so many options excellently like constant supply of water, nutritious feed ( Fed with Top feed layers mash), exposure to sunlight all through the day, good hygiene and management practices and prevention of diseases and parasites. In a nutshell, our chickens are not sick and are resilient. The issue is their daily egg production doesn't exceed past 38. Please what can I do? What are those things that I'm missing out? Are there any inputs I need to put into consideration that I am not aware of. Please I need your responses on this. Thank you very much bosses.

Myself already opened a thread just to ask a question here https://www.nairaland.com/7928399/how-possible-it-isa-brown-sold

Noticed most say they've got ISA-brown when in reality, they hatched whatever they intends selling to you themselves. My research on ISA-Brown shows it's a hybrid whose genetic makeUp is only known to those who invented it, hence, mating 2 isa-Brown chickens, would never produce ISA-Brown chicks.

Have spoken to a couple of dealers who claims they sell ISA-Brown, but on applying Social engineering, found out they either own their own hatcheries, or patronise another hatchery, most of which are all local and imports nothing.

So chances are, what you bought, ain't the ISA-Brown you read about.

of course, there could be other reasons for poor performance including quality of feed, how often they're fed, housing, medication, qualityy & quantity of lighting, etc.

Except one investigates, wouldn't know for sure.

My own is, I still want to understand if the so called ISA-Brown chickens in Nigeria are imported or what.

Have heard about OLAM, CHI, Obasanjo-Farms, abeg those experienced with them, how quality are Layers sold there ?

Do they really sell ISA-Broown ?

if Yes, do they IMPORT, or Hatch themseles ?

bassdow:


Myself already opened a thread just to ask a question here https://www.nairaland.com/7928399/how-possible-it-isa-brown-sold

Noticed most say they've got ISA-brown when in reality, they hatched whatever they intends selling to you themselves. My research on ISA-Brown shows it's a hybrid whose genetic makeUp is only known to those who invented it, hence, mating 2 isa-Brown chickens, would never produce ISA-Brown chicks.

Have spoken to a couple of dealers who claims they sell ISA-Brown, but on applying Social engineering, found out they either own their own hatcheries, or patronise another hatchery, most of which are all local and imports nothing.

So chances are, what you bought, ain't the ISA-Brown you read about.

of course, there could be other reasons for poor performance including quality of feed, how often they're fed, housing, medication, qualityy & quantity of lighting, etc.

Except one investigates, wouldn't know for sure.

My own is, I still want to understand if the so called ISA-Brown chickens in Nigeria are imported or what.

Have heard about OLAM, CHI, Obasanjo-Farms, abeg those experienced with them, how quality are Layers sold there ?

Do they really sell ISA-Broown ?

if Yes, do they IMPORT, or Hatch themseles ?

When i conducted my research too, I found out that they were developed in France in the 20th century and thus its genetic makeup and the breeds involved to produce this hybrid like you said remains a trade secret. But what else could these so called isa brown hens be if they are not the real isa brown chickens. If your assertion is true then thousands to probably millions of Nigerian poultry farmers have been scammed or deceived for believing the notion that the popular ISA brown chickens they are rearing are the genuine ISA brown chickens.

Akinola100:

When i conducted my research too, I found out that they were developed in France in the 20th century and thus its genetic makeup and the breeds involved to produce this hybrid like you said remains a trade secret. But what else could these so called isa brown hens be if they are not the real isa brown chickens. If your assertion is true then thousands to probably millions of Nigerian poultry farmers have been scammed or deceived for believing the notion that the popular ISA brown chickens they are rearing are the genuine ISA brown chickens.

hmm