In the summer/autumn (early autumn) season, when the weather is hot, layer chickens are prone to loss of appetite and decreased feed intake, and thus their egg production is affected. In order to maintain the high yield of laying hens in summer and autumn, their dietary levels should be adjusted and the following measures should be taken.
Appropriately increase protein feed
In the summer and early autumn, the temperature is high. Due to the heat stress, the feed intake of chickens will drop significantly. If nutrients are not added to the diet, they will not be able to meet the need for growth and production of laying hens due to reduced feed intake. Because of the lack of protein in the summer diet of laying hens, it will directly affect the egg production, so the protein content in the summer diet should be 1% to 2% higher than in other seasons. That is, it is necessary to increase the feed of soybean cake or cottonseed cake in the diet, and the amount can reach 20% to 25%. In addition, the amount of animal protein feed such as fish meal, meat blood meal or fish and shrimp waste can account for 5% to 7% of the feed.
Appropriately increase mineral feed
In the summer and autumn (early autumn), most laying hens are in the middle and late stage of peak egg production. The demand for calcium in the flock increases. Therefore, the calcium and phosphorus ratio in the diet should be appropriate, and the calcium content in the general compound feed should be adjusted to 3.8. %. Excessive or too little calcium content in compound feeds will have an effect on the palatability of the ingredients and the egg production rate of the chickens. In order to increase the intake of calcium without affecting the palatability of the feed, the shell powder can be separated from the feed and fed in a single tank, allowing the chicken to feed freely to meet the needs.
Appropriate increase of green feed and heat stress additives
Adding some green and blue succulent feeds to layer chicken feed in summer and autumn can reduce the amount of multivitamins in the feed, even without feeding multivitamins (obtained from the green feed). Feeding green and blue succulent feeds can also increase feeds. The palatability, saving part of the diet and reducing the cost of raising chickens. At the same time, some anti-heat stress drugs such as VC and baking soda can be added to the feed. To reduce the impact of high temperature on layer chickens. The amount of green feed should be appropriate, generally not exceeding 30% to 40% of the diet.
Reduce energy feed appropriately
Due to the high temperature in summer and early autumn, the energy required for chickens to maintain their own body temperature is much lower than in the cold season. Therefore, in the summer and autumn (early autumn) layer hens' diets, the high-energy concentrates such as corn and sorghum should be appropriately reduced. Generally no more than 50%~55%. At the same time, some bran-type roughage feeds with low energy content can be added, and the amount used is generally not more than 15%-20%.
Chewy Dog Treats,Chewy Cat Treats,Chewy Bully Sticks,Chewy Dog Bones
Jiangxi Welton Pet Products Co., Ltd. , https://www.weltonpetcare.com