Key Technical Points for Raising Free-Range Chickens in Autumn and Winter
Free-range chicken farming is a fairly common method of raising poultry, and free-range operations are generally carried out in woodland. Free-range farming not only allows the chickens to forage for themselves and improves egg quality, but also benefits the growth of the trees. Free-range farming gives the chickens plenty of exercise, strengthens their constitution, reduces disease problems, and also saves on feed costs. So now that autumn has arrived, how should we manage our flocks in autumn and winter? Let's take a look together below!
1. Ensure Adequate Light
Daylight hours decrease in autumn, and the amount of light available shrinks along with it, but chickens have a fairly high demand for light. Chickens need at least about 15 hours of light per day, because our country has a very long history of chicken farming. According to the experience of some veteran farmers, the egg-laying rate of chickens drops noticeably in autumn and winter. This is precisely because there is not enough light in autumn and winter, so if you want to raise the laying rate of chickens in autumn and winter, you must ensure sufficient light hours. The light must not flicker between bright and dim, or be switched on and off erratically; make sure every corner of the coop receives even light, and at the very least the keeper should be able to clearly see conditions in every part of the coop.
2. Nutrition Management
After laying eggs, chickens are relatively weak and their internal nutrient reserves are reduced, so after laying you need to provide enough nutrition to replenish their nutrients. When feeding, mix the nutritional components of the feed sensibly; the feed should contain protein, vitamins, trace elements and various other nutrients. If certain nutrients are lacking, for example the trace element calcium, the chickens will produce soft-shelled or even shell-less eggs, seriously affecting egg yield and quality. Although with free-range farming the chickens can make up some of this from the soil, the amount is far from enough. Also, when feeding, let the chickens eat freely; do not restrict the feed, and let them eat until they stop, to prevent nutrient deficiencies from affecting the laying rate.
3. Ventilation and Insulation
Temperatures drop in autumn and winter, and the air gradually becomes dry, which is very unfavorable for the chickens' growth. Moreover, the coop environment has a fairly large effect on the chickens, so after autumn begins you should strengthen coop management and improve the coop environment. Do a good job of ventilation, because if you fail to ventilate in time, a large amount of ammonia will build up in the coop, and ammonia causes the chickens to lack oxygen and be unable to breathe. This is extremely unfavorable for growth. Timely ventilation keeps the coop air exchanged and maintains fresh air at all times for the chickens to breathe and grow, but while ventilating you must also pay attention to insulation, to prevent drafts from blowing in during ventilation and causing the flock to catch cold, which would affect egg laying.
4. Disease Prevention and Control
Autumn and winter are peak periods for various infectious diseases, such as avian influenza and Newcastle disease. These two diseases are extremely harmful, with a short incubation period, extremely fast spread, and a very high mortality rate. So in autumn and winter you must do a good job of coop management and strengthen prevention, especially since avian influenza can also be transmitted to humans and is difficult to treat. Disinfect the coop regularly and prevent the chickens from coming into contact with wild birds and other flying birds. Reducing virus transmission and lowering the incidence of disease are the only ways to ensure the normal growth of the flock.
The above are the management methods for free-range chickens in autumn and winter. The thing that requires the most attention with free-range chickens is various diseases, and among them the most harmful in autumn and winter is avian influenza. The writer above also mentioned how harmful avian influenza is; our website's previous articles also specifically discuss common chicken diseases and provide an introduction to avian influenza, so those who are interested can go to the website and learn more! That's all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. Thank you all for reading and your support.