Calcium supplementation to improve egg yield and quality matters needing attention for laying hens to supplement calcium

Calcium supplementation for laying hens

1. Calcium supplementation can be carried out two weeks before chicken birth.

In order to make chickens produce more high-quality eggs, calcium can be supplemented two weeks before opening. It was proved that 3-3.5% calcium content in laying hen diet was the best. It can prevent chickens from using calcium source in bone marrow due to calcium deficiency, and can meet the needs of chickens for calcium in normal laying period.

2. Feed high calcium feed at 12-18 o 'clock every day.

According to experiments, chickens do not need calcium within 8-10 hours after laying eggs, and only need a large amount of calcium when forming eggshells at night. Due to the limited ability of chickens to retain calcium, excess calcium will soon be discharged. Therefore, at 12-18 o 'clock every day, chickens will be supplemented with high calcium feed. Calcium will be absorbed into the blood and directly used to form eggshells at night without using calcium in bone marrow, which is conducive to maintaining calcium balance in chickens and making chickens lay more eggs.

3. The proportion of calcium and phosphorus in feed is appropriate.

Because the chicken's ability to absorb calcium is affected by phosphorus, calcium can be better utilized when the ratio of calcium to phosphorus is balanced. Generally, the horizontal absorption rate of 2:1-1:1 is higher. At the same time, vitamin D3 should be supplemented, which can promote the absorption of calcium in the small intestine and promote normal calcification of bone marrow, which is conducive to improving egg shell quality and egg production rate.

4. Add proper amount of vitamin C to diet.

Studies have shown that vitamin C can increase thyroid activity function, promote calcium metabolism in chickens, secrete calcium from bones, increase calcium content in blood, thus improving eggshell composition, increasing eggshell hardness and egg production. The optimal dietary supplement of vitamin C was 50 mg/kg feed.

5. Choose high-quality complete feed.

The quality of laying hen feed on the market is uneven. In order to reduce the cost, some factories add a large amount of stone powder to the complete feed, so that the calcium content exceeds 4%. Feeding this feed will affect the eggshell and egg production, make the eggshell color lighter, and the egg production rate decreases. Therefore, when purchasing complete laying hen feed, high-quality complete formula produced by regular large-scale manufacturers should be selected.

6. Pay attention to the influence of stress factors.

The absorption and utilization of calcium in chickens are affected by various stress factors. Stress can prolong the laying process and laying time of chickens, and the eggs will increase calcium deposition and make the eggshell white. Therefore, stress factors should be reduced as much as possible in the breeding process, so that chickens can maintain appropriate density and house temperature, improve eggshell color and quality, and ensure high and stable yield of chickens and increase breeding efficiency.