For year-round poultry breeding, when compiling a diet, it is necessary to take into account not only the characteristics of crosses but also seasonal restrictions. In winter, it is necessary to adhere to a balanced diet enriched with vitamins. By creating favorable housing conditions, for example, additional lighting, and using high-quality feed, it is possible to maintain high egg production of laying hens and stable growth in the weight of meat birds even in the cold season. In this article, we will look at the basic recommendations for feeding chickens in winter and tell you about specialized feed from the Bryukhovetsky plant “Southern Crown”.
What Are The Main Requirements For Food?
If the poultry house is not heated, then, accordingly, with the onset of cold weather, the temperature there drops, so the chickens need more energy for heating and egg production. In addition, hypothermia increases the risk of developing colds. To support the bird’s immune system, the diet must contain a balanced amount of vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and minerals.
When selecting a diet and setting the daily amount of food, you need to remember that excess nutrition can also negatively affect productivity. Due to excess weight, laying hens lose activity and reduce egg production, and in broilers, fat mass begins to predominate.
On average, the daily feeding rate in winter is increased by 15%. The correct indicator is if by the next feeding, there is almost no food left in the feeders. If you use factory feed mixtures, then controlling calorie intake will not be difficult.
Optimal conditions for keeping poultry during the cold season:
- air temperature in the range of +10…+18 degrees Celsius;
- The duration of daylight is at least 12 hours. With the help of the duration and intensity of lighting in the chicken coop, it is possible to regulate the development of birds, ensure proper rest, and control the quantity and quality of eggs;
- high-calorie feed. In winter, chickens are given wet mash twice a day, and grain mixture at night;
- space (optimally 1 chicken per 1 sq. m) and well-established ventilation in the chicken coop – supplies clean and fresh air, and removes excess moisture.
What To Feed Chickens In Winter At Home?
An abundant and balanced diet for chickens in winter at home should include grass and pine flour, cabbage, and root vegetables. The largest percentage of the diet comes from grain crops: wheat, barley, or corn. Before feeding, the grain must be crushed.
In addition to grains, the bird’s diet should also include root vegetables – pumpkin, carrots, beets, zucchini, and potatoes, which are best given boiled. It is recommended to add protein feed, especially if you are going to use the eggs to hatch chickens.
To compensate for the lack of greens in winter, prepare dried herbs. Bundles of nettles, clover, chicken millet, and mouse peas are hung in the chicken coop at a short distance from the floor so that the chickens can reach it. For normal digestion, both laying hens and broilers must be given crushed shells. In addition, they increase the quality characteristics of the egg and participate in the formation of bones of the young. The average consumption rate of the additive depends on the type of bird. It is recommended to give laying hens about 5–6 g per head daily. When added to mash, they should make up approximately 5% of the total volume.
When raising birds, certain periods are followed, according to which the bird gains weight. It is important to diversify the diet with several types of feed, the composition of which changes as the chickens grow. Even experienced farmers note that if you give chickens all the necessary components for food, it is quite difficult to track the balance of vitamins and important elements. The problem can be solved using ready-made factory mixtures.
