The cold weather in winter and the short light time put forward higher requirements for the feeding and management of laying hens. In order to ensure the egg production rate and health of laying hens, we need to take a series of scientific feeding management measures.
Key points of winter feeding management of laying hens
1. Keep the chicken coop at a suitable temperature
Temperature has a direct impact on the laying of eggs. Winter temperatures are low and measures must be taken to keep the house at a suitable temperature. Laying hens require a temperature range of 8 27, and the optimal temperature is 13 24. Temperatures that are too high or too low can affect the laying performance of laying hens. Therefore, thermal insulation measures should be taken, such as lighting a stove and blocking windows, etc., to ensure that the temperature of the chicken coop is not lower than 8.
2. Keep the light constant
Light has an important impact on the sexual maturation, ovulation and egg production of laying hens. It is generally required to maintain 16 hours of light per day during the laying period, which can be increased to 17 hours by 4 weeks before culling. At the same time, it is necessary to keep the light intensity appropriate and avoid too strong or too weak light.
3. Maintain proper humidity
Laying hens require humidity around 50%. Too low humidity can lead to dehydration and respiratory diseases in chickens;If the humidity is too high, it is easy to make the air in the chicken house dirty and cause various diseases. Therefore, humidity must be controlled by adjusting the temperature in order to improve egg production.
Fourth, strengthen ventilation
In winter, the chicken coop is tightly sealed, which is easy to produce harmful gases. Therefore, the sunroof should be properly opened for ventilation or an exhaust fan should be set up to prevent the invasion of thieves. At the same time, it is necessary to do a good job of environmental disinfection to prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria.
Fifth, reasonable dosing of drugs to prevent diseases
In winter, drugs should be reasonably administered to prevent diseases, and blind use of vaccines or increased vaccine use multiples should be avoided. When the onset of the disease should be prompted** to avoid aggravation of the disease. At the same time, it is necessary to prevent secondary infection of more serious diseases such as mycoplasma, Newcastle disease, and avian influenza.
6. Reduce stress factors
The impact of stressors on the hens should be minimized, such as building sturdy buildings and avoiding loud noises caused by strong winds. In case of stress, vitamin C can be added to the feed to strengthen the resistance.
7. Improve the energy level of feed
In winter, the energy level in the feed should be appropriately increased, and the feed with high energy such as oil and corn should be increased. This helps to improve the cold tolerance and egg production performance of the hens.
8. Provide clean drinking water
Water is an essential nutrient for the growth, development, egg production and health of laying hens. The drinking fountain should be cleaned every day to ensure that the water quality is good and create a high-yield drinking water environment for laying hens.
9. Observe and adjust the chicken flock in time
It is necessary to constantly observe the condition of the flock and eliminate the sick and weak chickens in time. After the detection of sick chickens, it is necessary to isolate, diagnose and prevent the spread of respiratory diseases as soon as possible, and ensure the health and production performance of laying hens.
Lack of qi and blood affects the laying hens
In the process of laying hens, it is sometimes found that the crown is whitish, the inverted crown and the eggshell color becomes lighter. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that this is a manifestation of a lack of qi and blood. The higher the egg laying rate, the greater the loss of vitality, resulting in qi deficiency, blood deficiency and yang deficiency, which is susceptible to diseases. Laying hens have been laying eggs during the laying period, and the reproductive system has been in a state of high pressure, so the diseases of the reproductive system will appear first, manifested as light eggshell color and sandshell eggs. In order to improve the stability of the whole production period of laying hens, the problem of qi and blood must be considered, and it is recommended to add it to the feed of laying hensHealthy blood, replenish the blood of laying hens.
It is very important to do a good job in the breeding management of laying hens in winter to improve the efficiency of breeding. It is necessary to maintain appropriate temperature, light, humidity and ventilation, reasonably administer drugs to prevent diseases, reduce stress factors, improve feed energy levels, provide clean drinking water, and timely observe and adjust the work of chickens. At the same time, it is necessary to pay attention to the solution of physiological problems such as lack of qi and blood, so as to improve the disease resistance and production performance of laying hens.