Key Points of Fine Feeding Techniques for Hens Starting to Lay in Autumn

Autumn is exactly the initial laying stage for spring@#@230@#, and the management of the flock during this period is related to the economic benefits of the poultry farm (household). Therefore, the following management measures should be taken for hens starting to lay:

1. Timely switch to transitional feed. Generally, chickens at 20 weeks of age are switched to pre-laying feed, with calcium at 1% and crude protein at 16.5% in the feed. When switching feed, the transition process should be completed gradually over half a month; never rush it, to prevent diarrhea. When the laying rate reaches 2%-5%, the feed calcium content should be 3.4%-3.5%, and the crude protein content should reach 18%.

2. Control the body weight at initial laying. While switching feed and supplementing calcium, attention should be paid to the uniformity of flock development; large, medium and small replacement hens should be raised in separate groups and regrouped regularly. Never sharply increase or decrease feed, as its effect will only show after 3 weeks, and it should not be done too hastily. The feed amount for lighter chickens should not exceed that for medium and large chickens, so as to avoid affecting sexual maturity due to fat deposition.

3. Control the temperature of the coop. The most suitable laying temperature for laying hens is 18°C-23°C. When the outside temperature is below 18°C, more nutrients are needed for maintenance; when the temperature is below 13°C, it will affect the growth and development and laying of laying hens. Therefore, if the coop temperature is too low and feed is not increased in time, the chickens will delay the start of laying due to insufficient energy.

4. Regulate humidity and ventilation. Chick coops require a relative humidity of 55%-65%; for chickens aged 1-3 days, the relative humidity of the coop is 70%, and after 4 weeks of age it can drop to about 50%. Humidity must not be too high, otherwise the chicks will show dirty and messy feathers, poor appetite, and a weak and sickly condition, thereby delaying the start of laying. If ventilation is poor, harmful gases in the air increase, humidity rises and oxygen content decreases, which will cause poor development of replacement hens and delay the start of laying.

5. Light control and adjustment. Replacement hens generally enter the sexual maturity stage at 15 weeks of age, and at this time supplementary lighting should begin to meet the chickens' needs for sexual maturity. However, the light must not be too strong, to prevent the occurrence of vices such as feather pecking, toe pecking and back pecking. The light duration for hens starting to lay is 13-17 hours per day.