Key Technical Points for Spring Feeding and Management of Laying Hens

In spring, temperatures rise, pathogens begin to multiply in large numbers, and the temperature difference between day and night is large; moreover, after a long winter, the chickens' constitution is relatively weak, so spring is a season of high incidence of chicken diseases. At this time, the physiological functions of chickens also become increasingly vigorous, and egg production rises rapidly, so spring is also the peak season for laying and breeding. The central tasks of spring feeding and management of laying hens are two: first, to ensure the health of the flock, and second, to ensure relatively high egg production. The key technical points of spring feeding and management are summarized as follows:

I. Key Technical Points for Feed Nutrition

In early spring, it is warm yet still cold, so the proportion of energy feed such as corn should be appropriately increased in the feed to enhance the chickens' cold resistance. The suitable energy level is 2.75-2.85 megacalories per kg. If energy is too high, the chickens' feed intake is low, and protein intake will be insufficient, which not only wastes energy but also affects the chickens' protein intake.

In the mid-spring period, when temperatures rise somewhat and the laying rate of the chickens also increases somewhat, the nutritional level of the daily ration should be appropriately raised to increase the flock's laying rate. The crude protein content must not be lower than 16.5%. For every 10% increase in the chickens' laying rate, the crude protein in the daily ration should be increased by about 10%. When the laying rate rises, feed a high-protein feed one week in advance. If the eggs produced at this time are to be used as hatching eggs, attention should be paid to comprehensive feed nutrition, with appropriate addition of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B, etc.

The late spring period is the most suitable period for flock production, as environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity are most favorable for laying. Chickens in the pre-laying period and the early stage before the peak of laying need large amounts of nutrients to meet the needs of laying and weight gain. According to measurements, the average daily weight gain of chickens during this period is still about 4 grams, while feed intake at this stage is not yet at its maximum, with average daily feed intake of only about 100 grams, so the nutritional level of the daily ration should be appropriately raised during this period; otherwise, it will be difficult to meet the chickens' nutritional needs. At this time, the daily ration energy should reach 2.65-2.80 megacalories/kg, and crude protein should be 17%-18%. The protein level is raised because hens consume relatively large amounts of protein during the laying period, and their consumption is related to the laying rate, so the protein ingredients in the feed should be increased according to the rise in the laying rate. The method is to appropriately add high-quality fish meal, soybean meal, etc., to the daily ration, and to add as few miscellaneous meals as possible when cost permits.

II. Key Technical Points for Daily Management

In early spring, attention should be paid to keeping the chicken house warm, and the temperature of the laying hen house should be maintained above 10°C as much as possible; at the same time, ventilation should also be taken into account. Open doors and windows when the temperature is high at noon each day to discharge harmful gases. The cold-proof facilities should be gradually removed according to conditions, but care should be taken to avoid the flock catching cold. The daily temperature difference for growing and laying chickens should be controlled within 6°C to avoid losses in production caused by unstable temperatures. In addition, attention should be paid to lighting duration. For laying hens, turn on the lights at 5:00 a.m. (5:30 or 6:00) and turn them off at 9:00 p.m. (9:30 or 10:00) every day, so that the lighting duration is stabilized at 16 hours. If red light is used, the effect is even better. The light intensity should preferably be 10 lux, that is, install one 25-watt incandescent lamp every 3 m throughout the house from front to back and left to right, with the lamp height at 2.1 m, and fit lamp shades. The bulbs should be wiped once a week to maintain sufficient illumination. Set up an adjustable transformer so that the electric lights gradually brighten and dim when switched on and off, reducing stress on the flock. At the same time, install a lighting time controller to make management more convenient.

In mid-spring, there are few diseases, so the opportunity should be seized to strengthen pathogen purification. To maintain a high laying rate, all management systems should remain relatively stable to prevent stress from reducing the flock's laying rate. Stress is the source of all diseases. During this period, capricious temperatures, sudden cold and heat, and the stress of starting to lay itself keep the flock in a sub-healthy state for a long time, thereby inducing various diseases. In production, measures should be taken as much as possible to reduce the impact of stress on the flock. The feeding and management procedures should be standardized, feeding should be at fixed times, water supply should be sufficient, and work procedures should not be changed at will. For example, confusion in tasks such as feeding, egg collection, and manure cleaning can all lead to a decline in egg production or even disease outbreaks.

Late spring is a season of massive microbial reproduction, and insects such as mosquitoes and flies also begin to breed. The windy and rainy climate characteristics are also conducive to the spread of diseases, so doing a good job of environmental sanitation and strengthening epidemic prevention should be listed as the focus of daily management work. Thoroughly clean once inside and outside the chicken house and the entire chicken farm to reduce the threat of disease. In addition, select and cull diseased, weak, disabled, and non-laying chickens from the flock, strengthen disease prevention work, frequently remove manure, frequently disinfect, and increase the number of egg collections. Chicken farms with the conditions should carry out antibody monitoring for diseases such as Newcastle disease and infectious bronchitis, and immediately immunize when abnormalities are found; preventive medication may also be administered.