The Art of Male Management 种公鸡的管理艺术

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                           The Art of Male Management
种公鸡的管理艺术
The key factors for effective male breeder managment are achieving the correct skeletal size and uniformity; testis development; correct mating ratios and even feed distribution. - Dr Dinah Nicholson, Regional Technical Maanger,
对种公鸡有效的管理，关键是要有适当的骨骼尺寸和均匀度，睾丸的良好发育，正确的配种频率，还包括饲料分配。


The performance of the parent female has improved steadily over the last 5 years.  For example, in Ross flocks depleted in the UK in 2002, average output per hen housed to 60 weeks was 161.6 hatching eggs.  However, there was still a wide range in hatchability, and improving this parameter from bottom to top quartile would yield an extra ten chicks per hen house.  In many cases, lower hatchability was associated with poorly managed separate sex feeding.  In these cases, better hatchability could have been achieved by paying more attention to male management.
Good fertility can be achieved under a range of conditions across the world.  Key management factors in achieving it include:
Correct skeletal size & uniformity
Testis development
Correct mating ratios
Male feed distribution


在过去的５年里，父母代种母鸡的生产性能稳步提高。例如，英国２００２年罗斯父母代种母鸡平均６０周龄的出雏数是161.6。然而，在孵化率方面，还是有很大提升空间的，提高一点，就能多孵出１０个小鸡。在很多情况下，低的孵化率和较差的公母分离管理是分不开的。在这种情况下，多关注一下公鸡的管理，就会有更好的孵化率。在世界各地，都可以通过一系列的条件控制，达到良好的繁殖力。关键点：
适当的骨骼尺寸和均匀度度
睾丸发育
合适的配种率　
公鸡饲料的分配


Skeletal Size & Uniformity　骨骼尺寸和均匀度
If males are to mate effectively throughout the laying period of the flock, they need to achieve good skeletal development during the period 0-20 weeks.  The growth of the birds in the flock should be controlled to match the breeding company's bodyweight profile, and the flock should be as uniform as possible so that sexual maturity will be even at the point of housing and when males and females are mixed, around 20 weeks.
By 8 weeks of age, 85% of the skeletal development of the bird will be complete.  Therefore it is important to achieve or even exceed early bodyweight targets.  If not, the mature frame size of the male will be smaller than the optimum.  Without a good frame size, a male will tend to become over fleshed, fat and have poor conformation in later life, limiting his ability to mate successfully.
Follow your breeder's advice.  The main points which will help in achieving the correct skeletal size of males are:
Achieve target weight of 140 g at 7 days (if necessary by feeding a higher-specification pre-starter)
Grade the birds at 4-5 weeks, at which point the very smallest birds should be culled
Achieve target bodyweights of 1080g at 6 weeks and 1670g at 10 weeks
Perform a final grade & selection at 10 weeks, after which the males are not moved again until they are mated up
Make sure that the males are not overstocked (3-4 males/m2), have enough feeding space (15cm/bird) and that feed distribution is fast enough (maximum of 3 min/colony)


想让公鸡在整个鸡群的产蛋期都可以有效地使用，就必须使它们在０－２０周达到良好的骨骼发育。鸡群中个体的生长应该符合育种公司手册中的体重要求，鸡群要有尽可能高的均匀度，这样同一栋内的鸡群才会统一达到性成熟，大约是２０周左右。　
８周时，骨骼发育的８５％都已经完成。因此，达到甚至超过早期目标体重是很重要的。如果没有达到，公鸡成熟时的体格就比理想的小。没有一个良好的体格，公鸡很容易变得肌肉过于丰满，脂肪过多，后面的生产性能自然会降低，成功配种能力下降。按照育种公司的手册操作。帮助您获得恰当公鸡体尺的因素如下：
7天时达到目标体重140克（如果有必要，就要使用高质量的开口料）
在4-5周时，把鸡进行分级，
低于标准太多的鸡及时淘汰
6周时达到目标体重1080克
，10周时达到目标体重1670克
在10周时，进行最后一次分级和筛选功工作，然后直到配种时再对鸡群进行相同的工作。


Testes Development
Testes development starts in the period between 10 and 15 weeks and accelerates after 15 weeks.  During sexual development, it is extremely important to maintain weekly bodyweight gain because any loss of weight can restrict testes development and hence semen production in later life.  For this reason, stocking rates and feed distribution are critical in the stage 10 weeks to mating up.  Stocking density should not exceed four males per square metre in this later stage of rearing.
The photograph shows a group of well reared males.


睾丸的发育
睾丸的发育起始于10--15周之间，15周后发育会明显加快。在性发育期间，保持每周体重都有增加尤其重要，因为这期间任何体重的损失都会限制睾丸的发育，从而影响后期的繁殖。也是正因为如此，要想有个好的种公鸡，鸡群密度和饲料分配速度在10周就非常关键。此时鸡群的密度应该是4只/平方米。照片是饲养良好的种公鸡。

Mating Ratio
配种率
Mating up offers the opportunity to handle and select every male.  Birds should be selected on the basis of their physical appearance as well as their bodyweight and breast conformation (fleshing) appropriate to their age.  Selected males should have bright eyes, straight toes, a good shank length and a good comb colour, as well as a straight back, good foot pad condition and no damage as a result of beak trimming.
Ideally, at transfer about 0.5% extra males should be moved, with the objective of achieving 8.5-9.0% (8.5-9 males per 100 females) at 22 weeks by selecting out the poorer birds.  Thereafter, about 0.1% per week need to be removed, to achieve 6.5% males by 55 weeks.  Males should be inspected & culled little and often; irregular culling of larger numbers will leave some females unmated and risks depressing fertility for a while.
In closed houses, when the males have been very well reared, low mating ratios (7-7.5% at 22 weeks) can give excellent results.  The males stay active and in good condition, and there is then no need for any culling beyond natural wastage.
It is good practice to move the males into the laying house two or three days before the females. This allows time for the males to familiarise themselves with and adjust to their new home and will ensure that they all know where to find feed and water.


配种为我们提供了对每只公鸡进行挑选的机会。应该根据公鸡的体型外貌和本周龄应该达到的体重和胸肉进行挑选。优秀的种公鸡应该眼亮，趾直，胫骨长，鸡冠颜色正常，背直，脚垫良好，断喙良好。比较理想的情况是在转群的时候，淘汰率为0.5%左右。在22周时达到淘汰率为8.5-9.0% (8.5-9 公鸡/ 100母鸡) 。22周之后，每周淘汰率约为0.1%，在55周时达到6.5%。公鸡应该注意观察，少量多次的进行淘汰；大群时不规范的淘汰公鸡会造成未配种母鸡的增多，在一定程度上有降低繁殖力的风险。
在封闭鸡舍，当公鸡饲养良好时，比较低的配种率(7-7.5% ，22
周)也能有优秀的孵化结果。如果公鸡平时比较活跃，状态良好，那么除了先天性不适合外，就没必要对公鸡进行淘汰。先于母鸡2到3天把公鸡转群到产蛋舍，是不错的选择。这样就可以让公鸡先彼此熟悉并适应新家，以保证它们能找到饲料和水。


Feed Management & Distribution
饲料的管理及分配
The most critical factors during the laying period are to maintain control over bodyweight and to ensure that males remain in good physical condition to carry out mating.
Providing separate feeding systems for the females and the males is the only way to maintain close control over male bodyweight during the laying period. While there are a number of suitable systems available, some basic advice applies to them all.
Retaining a full comb on the male makes it very much easier to exclude males from the female feeding system. With a full comb males will not be able to steal feed from the female feeder and will be excluded completely from it by around 24 to26 weeks.
Any male feeding system for the laying house must fulfil the following criteria:
provide uniform feed levels to all males
prevent females stealing
prevent dominant males stealing from other males
allow males to feed quickly and easily
offer the option to remove feeders as male birds are culled throughout lay, to maintain feeding
space per bird at a constant level


产蛋期间最关键的就是控制种公鸡的体重，维持其良好的身体条件以进行交配。
为公鸡和母鸡分别提供饲料饲喂线是控制产蛋期间公鸡体重的唯一途径。当然有很多种饲喂线，但一些基本的建议都是通用的。给公鸡加个鼻签，这样就很轻松的防止公鸡偷吃母鸡料了。有鼻签的公鸡就不会从母鸡的料线偷吃到母鸡料，一个鼻签可以用到24周到26周。
产蛋鸡舍的任何公鸡料线都必须符合如下标准：
所有的公鸡吃到的饲料都是一样的多，好
可以防止公鸡偷料吃
可以防止公鸡中的强势个体偷吃其他公鸡料
对公鸡的饲喂迅速和简便
在公鸡被淘汰后，可以把该鸡的料槽拿走而不影响其他公鸡的采食
每只公鸡的采食空间大小都是一致不变的


In the early laying period males should be encouraged to eat solely from the male feeder by making sure that there is enough feed space, which should be distributed evenly throughout the house.  It is also important that the feeder height is adjusted so that the males are stretching for feed, but not having to jump up
The flock should be watched carefully to make sure that the male feeders are high enough to make it difficult for the females to reach.  It may help to run the female feeding system in the dark until one full circuit has been completed.  Then, when the lights come on, feed is immediately accessible to every female, reducing the need to steal from male feeders.
After 24 to 26 weeks when males are excluded, the female feeders should be run first to encourage females away from the male feeder.
The choice of equipment to exclude males from the female feeding system is very important.
Whatever systems are used for both males and females, they must deliver feed uniformly throughout the house and their effectiveness should be monitored throughout the life of the flock. Both sexes should be weighed weekly and their weight plotted on a graph to give a pictorial record of bodyweight changes and allow for precise adjustments in feed allocation to be made.
It is important to observe the females. If they are hiding under the nest boxes or staying up on the slats while males remain on the floor area, there will be little mating activity, resulting in poor hatchability.  Caught early, such behaviour can be corrected by removing surplus males and using an afternoon scratch feed on the litter area to encourage the pullets down.


产蛋早期，应该鼓励公鸡仅采食公鸡料槽内的料，应该保证料线在整个鸡舍内对饲料的分散都是均一的。料槽的高度非常重要，公鸡应该伸脖就可以采食到饲料，而不用跳跃着去吃料。
应该经常注意观察鸡群，确保公鸡可以很容易的采食到它料槽内的饲料而母鸡却很难吃到。在不开灯的情况下，先让母鸡料槽运转直到转完一圈后再开灯，这种的做法也很可取。这样的话，等灯再亮的时候，每个母鸡都会很容易的就采食到饲料，减少了偷吃公鸡料的可能。
24-26周后，先启动母鸡料线以减少母鸡光顾公鸡料槽的行为。为防止公鸡偷吃母鸡料，选择一个合适的设备就很重要。
不管给公鸡和母鸡使用什么样的料线，都应当到达在这个鸡舍均匀分布饲料的目的，而且要经常注意观察设备是否运转良好。公鸡和母鸡都应该每周都称重，然后画出体重图，记录体重变化，达到精确调整饲料分配的目的。
观察母鸡的行为也很重要。如果母鸡躲在产蛋箱下，或者站到产蛋箱顶上，而公鸡却在地面徘徊，那么配种率就会降低，进而导致孵化率差。认真观察及早发现这样的情况，可以通过减少公鸡的数量和使用下午小面积饲喂的方法，鼓励母鸡到地面上来。


In conclusion, managing the male population in a flock is as important a factor in determining chick output as managing the females.  Following the breeding company's weight profile and managing skeletal growth, testis growth, mating ratios and feed distribution, will give the best possible chance of producing a uniform flock of males with the right conformation and maturity at mating up.
Feeding males and females separately during the laying period of the flock will allow effective control of bodyweight and regular observation of bird behaviour will show whether effective mating is taking place.
The stockman who pays attention to detail and makes every effort to understand and monitor what is going on in the chicken house will be rewarded with a successful result.


总之，管理公鸡和管理母鸡一样重要，都对孵化率有重要的影响。根据育种公司的体重标准，对骨骼发育、睾丸生长、配种率和饲料分布进行良好的管理，才会有机会获得整齐的公鸡鸡群，配种期才达到体成熟和性成熟的一致。
在产蛋期间，公鸡和母鸡分开单独饲喂可以很好的控制体重。对鸡群进行日常观察，才可以发现配种是否正常。
只有对细节注意，每天花大力气去琢磨和监视鸡舍情况的人，才会得到最大的回报。


Aviagen Limited, Newbridge, Scotland.
Courtesy of Poultry International, October 2003