Why do free-range chickens need fine sand spread for them and why do they eat sand?

As life gets better and better, there are more and more ways to raise chickens, but cage rearing and net rearing are still not as good as free-range chicken farming. However, raising free-range chickens requires spreading a layer of fine sand. Why do free-range chickens need fine sand spread for them? What is the purpose of the fine sand?

1. Why do free-range chickens need fine sand spread for them?

1. Sand has the function of draining water and absorbing moisture. It can keep the site dry. It prevents dampness from adversely affecting the growth, development and production of chickens.

2. Sand has the function of draining water, which can keep the chickens' activity area dry and hygienic. It can also keep the air fresh. Moreover, after the sand bedding is exposed to the sun, it can cause pathogenic microorganisms to lose their vitality, thereby reducing the occurrence of diseases.

3. It allows chickens to take sand baths. Chickens like to rummage around in piles. It can keep the body clean and hygienic and prevent the occurrence of parasites. It is also very beneficial to the growth, development and production of chickens.

4. Anyone who has dissected a chicken should have seen that small stones are present in the gizzard. This can promote the digestion and absorption of the chicken's feed and improve feed utilization. This is also why sand is added to the feed of housed chickens.

2. Adding sand for laying hens has the effect of increasing the egg production rate.

6. Under normal circumstances, the surface temperature of sand is lower than the ambient temperature. When the temperature is high, if sand is used as bedding in the chicken house, the chickens can lower their body temperature through contact between their skin and the sand. This prevents chickens from suffering heatstroke.

2. Why do chickens eat sand?

Chickens do not like to eat sand, nor can a chicken's stomach digest sand. They merely use this sand to help themselves digest food. When people eat food, they always first chew the food with their teeth, and then it is digested through the stomach and intestines. However, because chickens have no teeth, after swallowing rice grains and millet they cannot digest them, so they have to eat some sand to grind the food with the sand and help themselves digest and absorb it. When food enters the chicken's stomach, it mixes with the sand. The chicken's stomach is thick and tough, and under its repeated peristalsis, the edges and corners of the sand constantly rub against the food. In this way, before long, the food is ground into a very fine, soft paste.

When raising free-range chickens, the sand must be kept hygienic and replaced in a timely manner. Damp sand should be cleaned of some debris in a timely manner before it can be used again.