How to extend the laying period of laying hens? Practical feeding and management methods
Laying hens are a major direction in China's poultry industry. When raising laying hens, the main product is eggs. Egg production is directly related to the economic benefits of raising laying hens. Therefore, many poultry farmers want to increase the laying rate of their hens as much as possible. And the best way to increase the laying rate is to extend the laying period. So how do you extend the laying period of laying hens? Let's take a look together below!
1. Nutrient intake
Laying hens need a large amount of nutrients to lay eggs, and their nutrient intake is mainly obtained through feed. However, because the feed intake of laying hens from 4 months to 6 months of age is limited, nutrient intake may be insufficient as a result. At the same time, if the temperature is too high, it will also affect the feeding of laying hens, and in this case, we should increase their feed intake through supplemental feeding at night. We should also maintain the drinking water level of the laying hens; low water intake or deteriorated water sources will reduce their feed intake. During the early laying stage, insufficient feed intake and nutrients will shorten the laying period of laying hens, so everyone must pay attention to their nutrient intake.
2. Feeding technique
Properly adjusting feeding technique is an effective measure to extend the laying period of laying hens, especially for hens in a long laying cycle, where suitable feeding technique is more important than nutrition. Therefore, we should supply about 40% of the total daily ration each morning, keep the feed trough empty at noon for about 1 hour. Then, about 6 hours before turning off the lights, carry out an afternoon feeding, with the amount kept at about 60% of the total feeding amount. If needed, a supplemental feeding should also be given at midnight.
3. Energy requirements
Energy is key for laying hens to maintain body weight, egg production and various growth processes. Energy consumption is also affected by various factors such as energy level and feed feeding. At the same time, there is a certain relationship between feed intake and metabolizable energy intake, because when laying hens eat, the energy proportion in the diet affects their feed intake. Therefore, during the laying period of laying hens, if you want to extend the laying period, you must pay attention to the energy proportion in the feed. Manage dietary energy by regularly testing the feed intake and body weight of the laying hens.
The above is a brief introduction to how to extend the laying period of laying hens. In addition to the above, we should also pay attention to various aspects such as amino acids, mineral supply and liver health of laying hens. These factors will directly affect the laying performance of laying hens, so everyone must pay close attention. That's all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and we hope it can help everyone!