Recently, most parts of the country have experienced a significant cooling, which has brought a series of challenges to layer farming. At low temperatures, both the laying rate and egg quality of laying hens can be affected, as the weight and number of eggs laid by laying hens are closely related to the ambient temperature.
First, let's focus on the energy aspect. The energy requirements of laying hens are divided into maintenance, egg production and body weight gain. After a significant drop in winter temperatures, the amount of energy used by the hens for egg production is significantly reduced due to the need for more energy to withstand the low temperatures, resulting in a decrease in egg production rates if the energy content in the feed is not correspondingly increased. In addition, winter is also the time when laying hens are prone to respiratory diseases, which can lead to a decrease in blood oxygen and reduced energy utilization, which further affects egg production rates. Therefore, farmers should take precautions to isolate and ** laying hens with respiratory diseases in a timely manner.
Secondly, the protein requirement is also affected by the temperature of the external environment. When the external environmental temperature changes by 1, the maintenance of the ME demand of laying hens will change by about 8kj per kilogram of metabolic body weight per day, and the energy consumption ratio is increased by 20%-30% at the appropriate temperature. Therefore, in order to meet the daily protein requirement of the laying hens, the protein level needs to be adjusted according to the energy concentration of the diet.
In addition to energy and protein, other nutrients are also important during the winter months. Due to the low temperature in winter, the immunity of laying hens may decrease, and problems such as respiratory diseases and decreased ovarian function can occur. At this time, vitamin C and vitamin E can be supplemented in moderation to enhance immunity. In addition, the temperature is low in winter, the cage chicken house needs to be closed and the laying hens are not exposed to sunlight for a long time, and they are prone to vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency affects the absorption and utilization of calcium and phosphorus, which in turn affects egg production. Therefore, farmers should pay attention to appropriate vitamin D supplementation.
In summary, in order to cope with the challenges posed by the significant cooling in most parts of the country, farmers need to pay attention to the changes in the energy, protein and other nutrient needs of the laying hens and take corresponding measures to ensure the health and performance of the laying hens.