How to raise chickens that start laying in autumn? Sharing breeding experience
New hens brooded in spring, from the start of laying to the peak of production, are mostly in the crisp autumn season, and the following points should be noted in feeding.
Supplement lighting. Entering autumn, the number of daylight hours decreases each day. For chickens just starting to lay, the lighting time should be 16 hours to 17 hours per day, especially for high-yielding hens. When natural light is insufficient, artificial supplemental lighting should be used. Half can be added in the morning and half in the evening, with one 25-watt incandescent bulb installed per 15 sq m to 25 sq m of house, with the bulb 1.5 m to 2 m above the ground.
Microenvironment. Create a good microclimate environment for laying hens. The optimal temperature for laying hens is 15°C to 25°C, and the relative humidity is 60% to 65%. Too high or too low temperature and humidity are both unfavorable for egg production. Autumn has large temperature differences, so attention should be paid to cooling during the day and cold protection and warmth in the evening, and temperature and humidity should be adjusted at any time. Clean inside and outside the house every day, remove manure, and reduce the ammonia smell. Do a good job of ventilation to keep the air fresh. Collect eggs 3 times to 4 times a day to reduce breakage.
Disease prevention. Keep the inside and outside of the house clean and hygienic, disinfect regularly, and prohibit unrelated outside personnel from entering.
Skillful feeding. Adult chickens should be fed 3 times to 4 times a day, early in the morning and late in the evening, lengthening the interval between each feeding, and feeding should not be advanced or delayed. Adult chickens should be fed about 120 grams of compound feed per bird per day, avoiding sudden increases or decreases. After starting to lay, each chicken should be additionally fed about 50 grams of pelleted feed every evening, and every 100 chickens should be additionally fed 500 grams to 1000 grams of sand grains each week. Whether raised in cages or on the floor, the density should not be too high, and each chicken should occupy about 10 cm of trough space. In the morning, drink water first and then feed. In late autumn and winter, drink warm water, and the daily water intake per bird should not be less than 180 milliliters.