Calcium supplementation for laying hens must follow a scientific approach
Laying hens need large amounts of calcium and phosphorus during the laying period. About 90% of the calcium is used for bones and eggshells, and about 80% of the phosphorus, together with calcium, forms the bones. The remaining calcium and phosphorus are distributed throughout the tissues of the body. The eggshell of a laying hen accounts for about one tenth of the egg weight, and 90% of the eggshell is calcium carbonate. An egg weighing about 50-60 grams contains 4.5-5.4 grams of calcium carbonate. Calculated at a calcium utilization rate of 60%, producing one egg requires about 10 grams of calcium carbonate, equivalent to 3.5 grams of pure calcium. However, the calcium in a chicken's body is retained at only about 15 grams. Based on the needs of egg production, the hen's body (including bone calcium) is only enough to supply the requirements for producing 3-4 eggs, so large amounts of calcium supplementation are needed. But when supplementing calcium, it is essential to choose a good source of calcium.
I. Never feed raw bone meal
Because the production processes for processing bone meal differ, the quality of the products varies greatly, so there is steamed bone meal and raw bone meal. Steamed bone meal is a product made by processing to remove most of the protein and fat, then pressing, drying and crushing. Steamed bone meal is white or silver-gray, odorless, and contains 30% calcium, 14.5% phosphorus, 7.5% crude protein and 1.2% crude fat.
The so-called raw bone meal is an inferior bone meal produced under crude equipment conditions. Miscellaneous bones are simply rinsed, then boiled in a large pot for several hours without pressure and without degelatinization, then taken out of the pot, sun-dried and crushed. This kind of bone meal has a foul odor, is black or dark gray, and contains 23% calcium, 10.5% phosphorus, 21% crude protein and 5% crude fat.
If this raw bone meal is fed to laying hens over a long period, because it has not undergone high-temperature and high-pressure treatment, the bone calcium is bound together with bone glue, and the chicken's absorption and utilization of calcium is far worse than with steamed bone meal. Over time, it will cause an imbalance in the calcium and phosphorus ratio in the chicken's body, leading to a decline in the laying capacity of the hens and causing major economic losses to poultry production. Therefore, poultry farmers, especially large-scale poultry farms, must be careful to avoid using raw bone meal in feed for chickens.
II. Choose a high-quality calcium source
Huarui calcium formate: calcium content as high as 31%, high utilization rate in livestock and poultry, neutral pH value, and low moisture content, good water solubility and neutral in nature. Mixing calcium formate into additive premixes will not cause vitamin loss, and under the action of gastric acid it can release free formic acid, lower gastric pH and improve the immune capacity of animals. Calcium formate has a high melting point and only decomposes above 400 degrees C, so it will not be damaged during the granulation process。
[Our advantages]:
Good acid:Produced from 85% Luxi normal acid, not by-product acid
Good calcium:No impurities, high whiteness, calcium content >= 40%
Good absorption:Organic calcium, ionic calcium
III. Calcium supplementation should be appropriate in amount
Supplementing calcium for continuously laying hens is not a case of the more the better. Generally, a hen needs about 4.4 grams of calcium to produce one egg. If the calcium content in the diet exceeds 4%, on the one hand it will cause urate accumulation in the body, resulting in indigestion and diarrhea, and even gout symptoms; on the other hand it will make the feed less palatable, reducing the feed intake and egg production of the flock. Therefore, the calcium content in layer feed is generally best at 3.0%-3.5%. The calcium source can be placed separately for the chickens to eat freely, or it can be mixed into the feed for use.