How to manage laying hens in chicken farms?

1. Physiological characteristics of laying hens

Although the newly-started hens have matured and started to lay eggs, the body has not yet fully developed. The body weight at 18 weeks of age still continues to grow, and the growth will stop at the age of 40 weeks. Different age of laying hens have different utilization rates of nutrient substances. Mature female ovary releases estrogen when 17-18 weeks old, which significantly increases the calcium storage capacity of hens. Till the peak of the egg production, the chicken's ability to digest and absorb nutrients increased, feed intake continued to increase, digestion and absorption capacity diminished when late period of egg laying, and fat deposition capacity increased.

2. Feeding management in pre-laying

In the first 3 to 5 days of the transfer, the laying hen houses are prepared and disinfected, and the hens are immunized and repaired before the transfer. The group is best to be carried out at the age of 16 weeks. When the birds are 17-18 weeks old and their weight is up to the standard, changing the production of eggs immediately can increase the calcium reserve in the body and allow the young hens to have sufficient nutrition and stamina in the prenatal body.

3. Daily management in Egg production period

Every day from 12 to 14 o'clock must have a certain empty slot time to prevent the feed from being stored in the chute for a long period of time, causing the chickens to have an anorexic and picky eating habit. Each time the material is fed, it should be evenly thrown in order to evenly distribute the input material in the feeder trough. About 30 minutes after the input, the material should be evenly distributed. The amount added should not exceed one-third of the depth of the groove.

During the laying period, the water consumption of laying hens increased with the increase of the temperature and egg laying rate. In order to reduce the damage and pollution of eggs, eggs must be picked in time, and eggs are picked 3 to 4 times a day. The best time to observe the mental health of chickens is when feeding and after feeding. Diseased chickens often do not feed or feed slowly. The keeper should also observe the defecation of chickens every day to understand the health of the chicken.

4. Peak Production Management

Keep the environment of the house as stable as possible and minimize the interference of various stress factors. According to the condition of the flock, if necessary, prophylactic administration or a broad-spectrum antibacterial medicine for 3 to 5 days every one month is required, and timely nutrition supplements can ensure high-quality egg production.

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