Some experts of the global agrarian market forecast that under the 2009 global crisis conditions when population’s incomes are falling, consumption of meat proteins will be decreasing and eggs consumption will increase. In the nearest years, this trend will continue – the volume of consumption of egg proteins will exceed all other proteins of animal origin in view of their low cost for consumers.
Besides, as the world’s dynamics of price-setting for egg products shows, in recent years the prices for majority of egg products in the world market continue to decrease, which trend is accompanied by the growth of prices for other protein-containing food products. It should also be noted that the Ukrainian market of egg products preserves the trend toward the price growth in 2007-2008.
According to the data of the State Breeding Stock Registry, there are over 20 breeds and crossbreeds of egg-laying chickens spread in Ukraine, including 14 breeds and crossbreeds of foreign origin (Lohmann-Brown, Lohmann LSL, Isa-Brown, Isa-White, High-Line, Shever, Tetra-SL, Hisex Brown, Hisex White, Dekalb and other). The use of these crossbreeds made it possible for the leading domestic enterprises to achieve the level of production of 280-320 eggs from one laying hen per year with feed input being 1.15-1.25 kg per 10 pieces.
Despite differences in indicators of hens productivity the level of the use of genetic productivity potential to a large extent depends on the conditions, in which poultry is kept and fed as well as on the epizootic situation at the farm. The enterprises that do not have all the necessary conditions can use only 84-85% of the genetic potential of any poultry crossbreed.
In Ukraine, like anywhere in the world, the most widespread egg-laying chicken breed today is Leghorn.
This breed serves as a basis for development of highly-productive egg-laying lines and crossbreeds that are currently used by the industrial farms in all countries with developed poultry farming industry.
At present, the most widespread in Ukrainian poultry farming are highly productive Leghorn crossbreeds. These chickens lay eggs both with white and with brown shell.
The best indicators are demonstrated by hybrids of the Leghorn chickens received as a result crossing of compatible specialized lines. They have excellent productivity – over 300 eggs per a year each weighing from 65 to 70 g.
Due to the improvements of the Leghorn White breed, these chickens can lay eggs during over 200 days in a year. Leghorn chickens have white feather, leaf-shaped comb (upright for roosters and slightly slanted for hens). These chickens can lay up to 365 in a year each weighing 58-60 g.
Live weight of adult hens is 1.6-1.7 kg; roosters – 2.3-2.5 kg. The highest productivity is demonstrated by white Leghorns with leaf-shaped combs. Egg shell is white, and hatchability is 87-92%. However, these hens are bad brooders – their hatching instinct is weak.
The complete information about the most productive crossbreeds used in Ukrainian industrial poultry can be found in the new research “Ukraine: Egg Poultry Farming and Chicken Eggs Market” prepared by ProAgro. Furthermore, the research covers such issues as the key development trends, problems and prospects of eggs production, breeding farms, reproducers, and hatchers. It also analyzes the leading supplies of eggs and young chicks for the branch, calculates productivity and economic efficiency of commercial eggs production and discusses many other aspects.
