What is RTL Chicken Cage?

RTL means ready to lay eggs, and the RTL cage is a chicken cage specially prepared for hens ready to lay eggs. Pullets in the chick stage grow to about 110 days to start laying eggs. But in large-scale RTL chicken houses, 110-day-old hens also have only a few early sexually mature hens that start laying eggs. When the hens reach 120 days of age, most RTL chickens begin to actually enter the laying period. After reaching about 160-180 days of age, the hens will usher in the peak of egg production. At this time, about 95%-98% of the hens in the RTL cages of the large chicken house will start to lay eggs.

Why does RTL Chicken Need to Change Groups and Cages?

In poultry farms, chicks from one day of birth to 110 days of age belong to the young chicken stage and need to be raised in special chick brooding cages. There are drinkers and feeding troughs that can be adjusted in height according to the different growth stages of the chicks, and many details are specially designed according to the growth characteristics of the chicks.

Chick brooding cage

When the chicks gradually grow up and mature, they are about to enter the laying period, that is, RTL chicken needs to be sent to a special cage convenient for hens to lay eggs. RTL cage is what we often call chicken layer cage. The RTL cage is designed with a special support plate to undertake eggs. The whole RTL cage system can be equipped with automatic egg collection equipment, which is more suitable for the breeding of RTL chicken.

Chicken layer cage

When to Transfer to RTL Cage?

The hens need to be transferred to the RTL chicken cage at the right time to continue feeding. Changing cages too early or too late will have a certain impact on hens laying eggs. How to change the cage at the right time?

We recommend that adult chickens should be transferred to RTL layer cages when they are 90-115 days old. Depending on the breed of laying hens and climatic conditions, it can also be delayed to 115-125 days old. Try to change the cage for RTL chicken a few days before it starts laying, so that the laying hens can have enough time to get familiar with the environment and recover from migration stress as soon as possible.

In addition, the temperature should be suitable when moving layers into the RTL cage. If you encounter hot weather, it is best to change it to a night when the temperature is slightly lower. When catching chickens, the light of the chicken house should be lowered and handled with care to prevent the chickens from being frightened and fractured. It is also necessary to pay attention to picking out chickens that are sick, weak, vicious, prolapsed, and broken feet for single-cage rearing or direct elimination.

How do You Know When a Chicken is Ready to Lay an Egg?

• Before laying eggs, hens will be more impatient, walking around in the chicken cage, jumping up and down.
• The hens will continue to make low-pitched calls. This constant humming lasts a long time before laying eggs.
• Looking at the hen's face, there will be red cheeks.
• The hen will return to the fixed laying area and wait quietly for laying eggs.

How to Increase the Egg Production of Laying Hens?

Keep the chicken cage clean

To increase the egg production of laying hens, be sure to clean the house regularly. Avoid laying hens from getting sick and affecting egg production.

Maintain proper house temperature

The temperature of the chicken house needs to be maintained at about 10-15 °C, and at the same time ensure sufficient light time in the chicken house. Add one hour of light per week to the original light time, up to the daily limit of 16 hours.

Feed adjustment during laying period

Increase the addition of calcium and vitamins to the feed of laying hens. In the early stage of laying eggs, the content of crude protein should be emphasized, and the content of crude protein should be appropriately reduced in the later stage.

Reduce stress

Provide a quiet environment, comfortable temperature, and plenty of water for RTL chicken. From 120 days of age to the peak of egg production, it is strictly forbidden to change the cage again, change the feed and change the breeding staff. Complete the epidemic prevention work ahead of time.

Grasping the egg-laying law of RTL chicken and rationally utilizing the advantages of RTL chicken cage can help breeding farms to increase egg income and better laying hens. As a professional enterprise in the field of poultry cages such as chicken cages, AGICO has always been committed to providing you with the highest quality breeding consulting. Welcome to contact us for more chicken raising knowledge.