Management measures of laying hens with low temperature and lean body and few free-range layers in winter

In recent years, due to the favor of native eggs, more and more farmers have raised native chickens, but the temperature and humidity seriously affect the health and egg production of laying hens, especially in winter, the body temperature of hens dissipates quickly and feed consumption increases, resulting in a decrease in egg production and emaciation. Chickens are prone to disease. Therefore, it is necessary to do a good job in preventing cold and keeping warm in free-range laying hens in winter, and the main measures are as follows:

Free-range laying hen

1. Reduce the heat emission from the chicken house: open chicken house, seal the north window; closed chicken house, ventilation should be reduced as far as possible within the limits of harmful gases.

2. Laying hens lying on moist bedding grass: laying hens lying on moist bedding grass will increase body heat emission, so it is necessary to change bedding grass and spread dry new grass frequently.

3. Prevent the cold wind from attacking the chicken body: the cold air in the house can come from the cracks in the doors and windows, and the local wind speed can sometimes reach 4 / 5 m / s, which must be blocked strictly; sometimes the cold air comes from the manure outlet, and a cold plug board should be installed at the manure outlet. If there is a playground in the open chicken house, it is best to set up a wind barrier in the northwest to prevent the northwest wind from blowing on the chickens. After entering winter, it is generally necessary to release chickens late and circle chickens in the morning to shorten the outdoor time of laying hens as much as possible.

4. Strengthen the feeding and management of the flock: in winter, on the basis of ensuring that the flock eats enough essential nutrients, the metabolic energy level in the diet should be increased as much as possible, so as to facilitate the growth of laying hens and enhance their ability to protect against cold. Try to feed the chickens as much as possible before turning on the lights in the morning, so as to shorten the fasting time of the chickens on a cold night.

5, waterproof material freezing: drinking water should be added frequently and given less, keep water in the sink, it is best to supply warm water, and ensure that drinking water is not frozen. Dry powder can be used for feeding in winter, and materials should be kept in the trough for feeding at any time. If wet materials are fed, they should be fed now and immediately after mixing to prevent freezing.

6. Raising chickens with thick mat grass: after disinfection in the chicken house, the mat grass is 20 cm at a time, which is not replaced at ordinary times, depending on the dirty degree of the mat grass, until half a year later (after the next spring) the weather is warm and then replaced. The advantages of this method: no need to change the bedding grass and remove feces, which can not only save labor, but also prevent chicken colds; there are microorganisms, organic matter and water in the bedding grass, which can produce heat energy by fermentation (the bottom layer can reach more than 60 ℃), the temperature is stable, fuel is saved, the cost is reduced, and it is helpful to keep warm; chickens often pick up bedding, look for food, promote exercise, strengthen metabolism and reduce addiction. As the microbial activity in bedding grass produces vitamin B12, after feeding, the chicken promotes the utilization of plant protein, which is beneficial to improve the laying rate. Straw bedding materials can be chopped with a guillotine for rice straw, wheat straw, corn stalk, rice husk, sawdust, straw powder and so on. Bedding materials should be dry, often turned, and mixed with chicken manure to promote microbial activity and make them ferment to achieve the purpose of thick bedding grass. Laying hens raised with thick mat grass in cold season are easy to get wet and ammonia gas is also increased, which is easy to induce eye diseases and respiratory diseases. Therefore, attention should be paid to ventilation to prevent the drinking fountain from leaking; at the same time, it is best to feed dry powder.