Egg producers discuss cage-free production challenges

A panel of managers from four egg producers share tips and lessons learned from their cage-free flocks.

Industry professionals agree that pullet training is crucial in running a successful cage-free system. | Photo courtesy of Big Dutchman

Industry professionals sat down at the 2018 Egg Industry Center Issues Forum to offer perspective on the management of cage-free transition. Training, for both the birds and employees, is one of the keys for successful cage-free egg production.

Managing aviary systems

“Management of birds in an aviary system has been a hot topic for a while now, and figuring out how to get birds to succeed in these systems is a challenge,” said Darrin Eckard, complex manager with Iowa Cage Free.

Eckard explained that trying to follow the way things have always been done is not going to let the birds succeed. “Think outside the box,” he said. Being able to change and adapt is a very important step in being successful, he added.

“Pullet rearing success is the most important key to get cage-free birds to understand how to move throughout similar systems,” Eckard said. When a properly trained pullet comes to the layer site, bird management is easier.

Pullet training includes movement in the system so they can easily find feed. Another aspect of the training includes jumping: “You don’t want your birds using more energy trying to fly,” he said. Dimming of light allows birds to get into the system better at nighttime.

It is important to bring birds to the layer site at the right age, Eckard explained. This allows them to adjust to the new system without the pressure of laying eggs. “When birds are trained properly at the pullet site, the transition is usually smooth; within two to three days birds should be moving freely in the system and off the floor at night,” said Eckard.

Light and feed are the key factors in getting birds to move. Understanding the changing lights on different levels in an aviary system can encourage birds to move in a way that works best for producer’s individual systems.

Figuring out the best feeding for your breed is important, too, Eckard said. By managing feeding, producers can encourage layers to stay in the nest box at certain times, thus decreasing the chance of floor eggs. “Once you get your birds moving, it will become natural to them, and you’ll have less floor eggs,” Eckard explained.

Movement also helps keep dominant birds busy, reducing their aggression.

Each flock will give a different challenge. Being with the birds and watching them is crucial, Eckard explained. “The birds will tell you when things are right and when there is an issue,” he concluded.

Disease and health risk associated with cage-free production

“Cumulative hen mortality in an aviary system was approximately double that of caged systems,” said Dan Krouse, general manager, Midwest Poultry Services, when referencing the 2015 Coalition for a Sustainable Egg Supply study. With cage-free housing systems, air quality can be poor, freedom of movement can contribute to injuries, manure access is ideal for parasites and feather and vent pecking increase, Krouse explained.

Cannibalism and coccidiosis are the top two health issues in cage-free egg production, two issues that don’t often show up in caged houses, he explained. In addition to those issues producers see more keel bone injuries, feather and vent pecking, piling, and biological issues such as parasites and peritonitis.

Producers may also be faced with birds that fail to thrive; proper training of pullets eliminates this issue, Krouse explained.

Antibiotics are useful for health-related issues, but are increasingly getting harder to use, especially in cage-free settings. Probiotics and prebiotics may help, but Krouse added, “We haven’t found any to be all that helpful.”

Cage-free housing will continue to evolve

“If you are building a cage-free operation right now, and you think what we have right now is going to be here for 20 years, remember, things change,” said Mike Gemperle, vice president, Gemperle Family Farms.

Gemperle explained that producers need to be flexible with their aviary designs. It is also important to understand the trade-offs that come with hen welfare and efficiency. Cage-free hen welfare usually comes at the cost of feed efficiency, energy efficiency, environmental impacts and worker safety.

“Over the years, we have developed a collection of different systems at our facilities,” Gemperle explained. These systems include elevated floor, open aviaries and next generation aviaries. Each housing system offers its own pros and cons to bird health, egg production, employee safety, lights, air quality and other variables.

Moving forward, producers may be forced to consider new variables. “We need to look at doors,” Gemperle said. As people are building new cage-free barns, producers need to be flexible in their design and ask themselves if automatic doors be allowed. One might also consider if doors need to be hinged or removable, he said.

Producers should also consider AstroTurf versus integrated mats, he explained. “Questions we need to ask ourselves are: Does either one have a high prevalence of mites? Does either one have a higher chance of coccidiosis? Is there better adaptability from one to the other, and are there alternatives?” Gemperle said.

Nest space regulations will also play a role going forward, as the United Egg Producers (UEP) reinstated them in 2018. Producers will have to consider if increasing flock size will minimize water and feeder availability, or if potentially adding more waterers and feeders could create higher risk for employees to trip over.

Scratch is another thing to consider. “At one-point, UEP was talking about going to 30 percent,” said Gemperle. Producers need to consider if their building design can accommodate for systems with inspection aisles or two-story systems that rely on air to pass through openings and still leave room for litter space.

Potential regulations and audits are also something for producers to consider. These may include but are not limited to Water Board, Air Board, customer audits and insurance companies.

Employee engagement while transitioning 

The panelists were asked how much more labor is required to manage cage-free hens. The consensus answer was three to five times more labor, depending on the type of cage-free housing system used. “Having an employee that can pick up on issues and be on top of things is a key to cage-free production,” Eckard said.

There are significant labor differences between cage and aviary production, explained Brett Pickar, regional operations manager, Daybreak Foods. “Employee stakeholders are important as we balance animal welfare, public perception and profitability,” said Pickar. The industry must think ahead because this transition won’t be the last, he explained.

In a cage-free system, not only is it important for the birds to adjust, but employees must also. It is important to understand that in the transition employees will be dealing with labor differences, direct bird contact, dusty conditions, floor eggs and mortality and different hours of operation as you can’t do certain things when the birds are out.

Pickar said it is important to expose employees to the cage-free housing systems early in the process. Employees may benefit from training at another facility before they care for hens in a new system themselves.

To prevent producers from potentially feeling offended when transitioning an existing farm from cage to cage free, Pickar explained that it is important for all the staff to understand the reasons for the changes that have nothing to do with the already existing farm.

“We need to be able to define what success looks like for our employees, and we need to be able to give them the tools to feel comfortable in their job,” Pickar said.