Feeding and Management Measures for More Egg Production in Home-Raised Chickens in Winter

1. Cold protection and insulation. Temperature changes have a very large impact on laying hens. The most suitable temperature during the laying period is 14-16°C, and it must not be lower than 5°C. If it is lower than 5°C, the laying rate of the chickens will drop significantly; if it is lower than 0°C, they will stop laying. Therefore, before winter arrives, the chicken coop should promptly adopt cold protection and insulation measures, seal cracks and holes tightly, and spread bedding straw on the ground to raise the coop temperature. In winter, when it is cold, chickens are not fond of activity, so an activity area should be provided, with windproof, rainproof and snowproof facilities. Before letting the chickens out to move around, open the vent window first, and after the temperature is evened out and the air is exchanged, let the chickens out. When it is cold, let them out late and bring them in early. If there is snow in the area, it should be swept away and cleared promptly.

2. Increase lighting. Laying hens need 12-14 hours of light per day to lay normally. In winter, under conditions of relatively little natural light, in addition to letting the chickens bask in the sun during the day, electric lights should be used to supplement lighting artificially. Artificial lighting can be done in the morning and evening. The light does not need to be too strong; the wattage of the bulbs depends on the size of the chicken coop. If a lampshade can be used to concentrate the light, the effect is even better. Turn on the lights on a fixed schedule, without interruption in between. Water and feed should be placed under the lights to attract the chickens to gather toward the light.

3. Rational feeding. Winter is cold, and the chickens' bodies consume a lot of heat, so they should be fed enough nutritionally complete feed every day. The feed should contain a certain amount of animal and plant protein feed, such as fish meal, earthworm meal, silkworm pupae, aquatic product scraps, as well as soybean cake, peanut cake, etc. They should also be fed more feed containing vitamins, such as carrots, vegetables and silage, etc. A little chili powder can also be added to stimulate appetite and enhance cold resistance. In the morning and evening, appropriately scatter some pelleted feed on the ground and let the chickens peck freely, so that they run and jump more, thereby enhancing cold resistance and helping digestion and absorption.

4. Sufficient drinking water. Dehydration has a great impact on the growth and egg production of chickens. If laying hens do not drink water within 24 hours, the laying rate drops by 30%, and it takes 20-30 days to return to normal egg production. Therefore, in winter, laying hens should be supplied with drinking water continuously, and it is best to give them warm water. Never let the chickens peck at ice cubes or drink ice water or snow water, so as to avoid heat loss from the chickens' bodies and causing a stop in laying. Drinking utensils should be washed and disinfected frequently to maintain hygiene. Ren Ji