Detailed Explanation of Key Points for Laying Hen Management in Winter

In winter, the weather is relatively cold. We laying hen farmers are most concerned about how to raise our laying hens well in winter, and ensure that egg production does not decline and that no major diseases occur. Based on the farming experience of farmers and scientific research results, mastering the following points can effectively help our laying hens avoid the effects of the cold winter season on their health and egg production.

I. Winter Feeding Management of Laying Hens

The optimal house temperature for laying hens is 16°C-24°C, with 20°C being the best. When the house temperature is below 5°C, the egg production rate declines; when it is below 0°C, it decreases significantly. If the temperature is too low, feed consumption will increase markedly. Therefore, winter feeding management of laying hens should focus on cold protection and warmth retention, adopting comprehensive measures to increase the egg production rate of laying hens in winter and improve breeding efficiency.

1. Temperature Control

Solving the contradiction between ventilation and insulation is a major issue. Entering winter, the temperature difference between day and night is large, so attention should be paid to reasonably controlling the temperature and minimizing the impact of sudden changes in outside temperature on the hens. At night, the temperature drops significantly. For open-style chicken houses, cold protection and insulation work should be done well. When the temperature is low, close the windows to strictly prevent cold wind from invading. In addition, in winter, the temperature difference is large, the air is not circulating, and the air is turbid. Various microorganisms are prone to grow and reproduce, inducing respiratory and intestinal infectious diseases. Ventilation should be carried out when the temperature is relatively high at noon to maintain air freshness.

2. Moisture Prevention and Dehumidification

Dampness is not conducive to keeping the chicken house warm, so in winter, more attention should be paid to keeping the chicken house dry. In cage-reared chicken houses, manure should be removed frequently. Faucets in the house should be tightened immediately after use to avoid wetting the chickens' bodies and increasing body heat loss. For floor-reared chickens, the insulation method of deep litter can be used. The litter can be chopped wheat straw, rice straw, corn stalks, sawdust, wood shavings, rice husks, etc. The initial laying thickness should be 10 cm, gradually increased afterward, and completely removed after the beginning of spring the following year; the method of frequent drying and frequent replacement can also be used. In short, the litter must be kept dry. Never let the chickens lie on damp litter, so as to avoid increased body heat loss and chilling of the lower abdomen, which can easily lead to reduced reproductive function and decreased egg production. On snowy days, snow outside the house and in the exercise yard should be removed promptly to prevent ice from forming in the yard, which is beneficial for dryness and insulation.

3. Supplemental Lighting

Light has the effect of stimulating egg production. In winter, the days are short and the nights are long, while laying hens require 15-16 hours of light per day. Artificial supplemental lighting can be used to meet their needs. Once the supplemental lighting time is determined, the lights must be turned on and off on time and persisted consistently. It must not be intermittent, so as to avoid causing stress to the flock.

4. Adjusting the Daily Ration

In winter, the temperature is low, the chickens' body heat consumption is high, and feed intake increases accordingly. To meet the flock's own consumption and egg production needs, the crude protein content in the daily ration should be maintained at about 16%, and 2%-3% oil should be added to the feed, determined specifically according to egg production.

II. Disease Prevention and Control

Major diseases of laying hens are most severe mostly in winter and spring. There are two reasons: first, winter and spring are suitable for the survival, reproduction, and spread of the vast majority of viruses and bacteria; second, the overall level of laying hen breeding in our country is low, breeding conditions are poor, and management cannot keep up. In winter, the contradiction among ventilation, temperature, and humidity in chicken houses intensifies, causing the flock to often be in a harsh environment of oxygen deficiency, low temperature, high humidity, high ammonia, and high carbon dioxide, reducing disease resistance, so various diseases are prone to occur. The common diseases are briefly introduced below:

1. Ammonia Poisoning

To keep warm in winter, chicken houses are often kept closed to reduce the invasion of cold air. However, chickens have relatively vigorous metabolism. This easily makes the air in enclosed chicken houses turbid, and the concentration of harmful gases such as ammonia and hydrogen sulfide increases, affecting chicken health and making respiratory diseases prone to occur. If the keeper feels pungent ammonia upon entering the chicken house, measures must be taken immediately to ventilate appropriately. Cold protection and insulation should be organically combined with ventilation, promptly removing harmful gases such as ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon dioxide retained in the chicken house and bringing in fresh air. Generally, when the weather is good, open the upper ventilation windows. In severe cold weather, open the ventilation windows when it is warmer at noon for ventilation. On sunny days, windows can generally be opened intermittently several times around noon for ventilation, about 10-30 minutes each time.

2. Respiratory System Diseases

In recent years, respiratory system diseases of laying hens have been relatively serious, affecting weight gain and egg production, and even causing the death of some laying hens, affecting the economic benefits of laying hens. The causes of respiratory system diseases in laying hens are relatively complex, mainly caused by environmental factors, feeding management, viruses, bacteria, and mycoplasma, with varying morbidity and mortality. Clinically, symptoms often include tearing, runny nose, coughing, rales, open-mouth breathing, and difficulty breathing.

Mycoplasma is the chief culprit of respiratory diseases and can also secondarily cause diseases such as E. coli, Newcastle disease, infectious bronchitis, and avian influenza. If secondary infection with these diseases occurs, respiratory symptoms will become more severe and are very difficult to treat completely. To reduce the occurrence of respiratory diseases, during ordinary feeding, we must strengthen management, reduce stress, and do a good job in flock immunization and disinfection.

When respiratory diseases occur in the flock, follow these treatment principles: focus on symptomatic treatment and prevent secondary infection; relieve cough and resolve phlegm, and relieve asthma; diffuse the lungs and lower body temperature; strengthen the host's constitution, restore respiratory epithelial function, and prevent deterioration of the body's condition.

3. Do a Good Job in Immunization Based on Local Disease Prevalence

According to the prevalence of infectious diseases in laying hens in various regions in winter, focus on the prevention and control of infectious bursal disease, Newcastle disease, avian influenza, and other or other epidemic diseases.