1. The ovaries of birds have a lot of blood vessels.
a) Sometimes one of these blood vessels will break leaking blood.
b) It is this blood that may contaminate the egg yolk.
c) Blood or meat spots that appear in the albumen and away from the surface of the yolk arise from the oviduct rather than the ovary.
2. The incidence of blood spot eggs is often related to the stress level of the hens.
Stress factors can include:
a) Sudden loud noises,
b) Poor housing,
c) Inadequate feed, and water, etc.
3. Other factors that may affect the frequency of blood spot production include :
a) The activity level of the hens,
b) The age of the hen,
c) Vitamin balance
d) and genetics.
4. A suggestion that diet might be associated with the incidence of blood spots in chicken eggs was noted when in experiments on vitamin A and Vitamin K.
a) A requirement of laying hens, diets with a low level of this vitamin produced eggs with numerous small blood spots.
5. The occurrence of increased
Blood spots were attributed to a possible vitamin K deficiency.
a) Deficiency of vitamin K may cause an increase of blood spots in eggs, hemorrhages in the legs and breast, and a failure of blood clotting.
b) Please check the Levels of vitamin A and vitamin K in the diet.
Control:
c) Keep vitamin premixes cool and dry.
d) If you prepare your own, they must be properly formulated and mixed.
6. Vitamin K antagonists (e.g. the drug sulphaquinoxaline and a component of Lucerne meal)
a) Layer diets should not contain high levels of Lucerne meal.
b) Withdraw the drug sulphaquinoxaline from layers at least 10 days before collecting eggs for human consumption and follow any other requirements for the correct medication.
7. Fungal toxin:
a) Do not allow feed bins or feed lines to become contaminated by stale, wet, or mouldy feed.
b) Please use Toxifree of Norel, Toxin Binder, which is able to neutralize or immobilize harmful chemicals, mycotoxins within a bird’s gastrointestinal tract, thus avoiding negative consequences.
c) Dose is 1 to 2 kgs for a ton of feed.
8. Lighting program:
a) Do not use continuous light,
b) or light programs consisting of short, intermittent light periods.
9. Frights and disturbances:
a) Fear can also affect the chicken’s egg production as a frightened chicken may lay soft-shell eggs or may not lay any eggs at all.
b) Provide them with electrolytes till they recover.
b) Please control all types of disturbances in the shed.
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