Proper feeding of laying hens at home

How to feed the laying hens to make them run better? This is a very important question for poultry farmers. Since every breeder understands perfectly well that not only the health of the bird, but also its performance depends on nutrition.

In this article, we will analyze the topic of feeding laying hens at home, talk about the composition of the feed for them with our own hands. And we will find out which is better, chicken feed or feed prepared by ourselves.

What can you feed at home so that the chicken can lay

The daily diet for young chickens must be very carefully selected, if the breeder wants to get the maximum number of eggs from each head. To do this, it is worth taking care of the following components that should be included in the diet, the calculation is carried out per bird.

Also, the bird is fed with homemade feed, which is called mash. In addition to the main components, in the form of crushed grain, they are supplemented with mineral content.

For the chicken to fly more actively, experienced breeders know that fresh herbs and vegetables must be present in the daily diet. Everything should be crushed as much as possible, which will make it possible to fully assimilate food.

To ensure that the laying hen receives the correct amount of calcium, her diet includes compound feeds that are specially adapted for this category of poultry.

Types of feed: which is good for laying hens

It is very important for those who breed poultry to remember that the right balance of all vital components will help to grow a healthy and productive livestock. In this regard, when making up the daily menu, it is worth considering the presence of the following components.

1. Protein. This component helps the complete structure of chicken cells and tissues. Also in the egg, this substance plays a very important role and is one of the main components. To do this, the diet includes:
   
   • legumes;
   
   • cake;
   
   • earthworms;
   
   • sunflower meal;
   
   • molluscs;
   
   • bone flour;
   
   • fish waste;
   
   • rapeseed;
   
   • soy.
2. Fats accumulate in the subcutaneous layer and form an energy reserve, which is actively involved in the structure of the egg. In order for the laying hen to receive this important component, the diet includes:
   
   • oats;
   
   • corn.
3. Carbohydrates help to organize the full work of the whole body of the bird, for this it is recommended to add to food:
   
   • pumpkin;
   
   • potato;
   
   • fodder beets;
   
   • carrot;
   
   • whole grains.
4. Vitamins very important for chicken, especially vitamins A, B, D.If there are not enough of them in the diet, then this can cause pain in the body of the laying hen, which will negatively affect its egg production. To avoid this, poultry menus include:
   
   • coniferous flour;
   
   • fish fat;
   
   • green grass;
   
   • silo;
   
   • regular yeast.
5. Minerals are responsible for the structure of the bone corset of the chicken and for the formation of the egg shell. Therefore, it is worth adding to food, birds:
   
   • bone meal;
   
   • wood ash;
   
   • a piece of chalk;
   
   • crushed shells;
   
   • gravel;
   
   • lime.

The composition of some feed for laying hens per 100 g

Corn:

• carbohydrates: 66.7;
• proteins: 10.2;
• fats: 5;
• water: 13.9;
• vitamins: PP, A, E, group B, H;
• macro and microelements: manganese, potassium, boron, calcium, chlorine, sulfur, copper, phosphorus, sodium, chromium, selenium, tin, iodine, iron.

Wheat:

• carbohydrates: 56;
• proteins: 12.9;
• fat: 2.6;
• vitamins: group B, PP, C, A, carotene;
• macro and microelements: iron, sodium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium.

Barley:

• carbohydrates: 9.5;
• proteins: 12.5;
• fats: 2.5;
• ash: 2.3;
• food fiber: 16.9;
• water: 2.4;
• vitamins: group B, K, C, A, E, folic acid;
• macro and microelements: selenium, potassium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, sodium, zinc, calcium, copper.

Oats:

• carbohydrates: 6.4;
• proteins: 58;
• fat: 6.4;
• water: 14;
• ash: 3.5;
• vitamins: group B, PP, E;
• macro and microelements: fluorine, potassium, copper, calcium, iodine, molybdenum, manganese, calcium.

Rye:

• carbohydrates: 61;
• proteins: 11;
• fat: 1.7;
• water: 10.3;
• ash: 1.7;
• food fiber: 14.9;
• vitamins: K, C, group B, A, E, choline, folic acid, niacin;
• macro and microelements: potassium, iron, phosphorus, copper, magnesium, zinc, sodium, selenium, calcium.

Vegetables and root vegetables:

What can not be fed

There is a certain category of foods that should not be fed to chickens.

1. Fresh, white bread or loaf. Bread can be given, but it must be pre-dried and soaked, black stale bread is also suitable. Fresh bread is very poorly accepted by the stomach of the laying hen.
   Before slaughter, the bird can be given a mash of white bread. This is done in ten days, in order for the meat to acquire a special pleasant taste.
2. Salted and fresh fish. Fish is recommended to be included in the diet of chickens, but it should not be given very often in salted and raw form. Before serving, the product is boiled as much as possible so that the bones become soft. Before serving, it is mixed with the main feed.
   On the days when fish is served, you should definitely increase the amount of water to drink, as this product increases the desire to drink.
3. Potato peelings. Potato peel is a rather coarse food and therefore should not be included in the diet of layers. But it is recommended to give boiled potatoes to the bird, this product is very useful and can be introduced into the feeding process, two weeks after the chickens are born, in the form of wet mash.
4. Beets. It is not recommended to give chickens simple beets, this is due to the fact that it can cause severe diarrhea and lead to cannibalism, due to the possibility of staining in the color of blood. But it can be given in feed form and in the form of tops.

You also can't:

• citrus fruits and their peels;
• celandine;
• sweet and savory foods;
• ragweed;
• tomato tops.

How to start feeding hens

To prevent chickens from losing their egg production all year round, it is very important to feed them correctly and in a balanced manner. The bird should receive food three times a day:

• the first feed should be dry mix or grain;
• the second feeding includes wet mash and vitamin formulations;
• the last feed consists of grain.

The intervals between meals should be the same.During cold weather, the mash should be warm.

When chickens begin to molt, they stop laying well. During this period, it is worth improving the diet by increasing minerals, it is especially recommended to add sulfur.

How to feed by month for proper care: tips for farmers

Winter. The cold season is very difficult for the bird, so it is worth paying special attention at this time to nutrition and the norms of its components:

• grain - 50 gr;
• mash - 30 gr;
• potatoes - 1 medium root vegetable;
• cake - 7 gr;
• nettle and chopped hay - 10 g;
• serum - 100 g;
• seashells, chalk - 3 g;
• bone meal - 2 g;
• salt - 0.5 gr.

In the winter period, it is necessary to periodically give fodder beets, cabbage, turnips. You should be especially careful so that the bird does not get fat. Egg production in cold times decreases noticeably, but you should not worry about everything to recover with the arrival of warm days and an increase in daylight hours.

Spring. With the arrival of spring, it is recommended to increase the diet of green and vitamin-rich food. At the beginning of the last month of winter, poultry farmers are advised to start germinating grain, which will help restore the lack of vitamin E:

• sprouted grain - 40 gr;
• yeast - 3 g;
• grain - 50 gr;
• straw, hay - 15 gr;
• cake, waste - 15 g;
• seashells, eggshells - 25 gr;
• bone meal, salt - 3 gr.

Summer. Summer is the most convenient period for bird feeding. At this time, chickens can feast on various herbs, insects, worms. It is also very important to give eggshells, which will help increase the egg production of layers:

• grain - 50g;
• bone meal - 1.5 g;
• hay flour with vitamins - 9.5 g;
• mineral additives, salt - 6 g;
• flour mixture - 50 gr;
• protein feed - 12.5 g;
• solid feed - 40 gr.

Autumn. During the molting period, it is important to correctly formulate the diet of laying hens, this will help to avoid large losses in egg production, which greatly decreases during this season. Autumn is the time when the bird becomes weakened and all metabolic processes suffer from it, so every breeder of birds must diversify and properly balance the diet. To do this, they recommend:

• increase the amount of proteins;
• include waste meat and worms;
• to make food more fortified;
• give more greens, roots and vegetables.

Add to the main feed:

• whey, cottage cheese;
• eggshells, well crushed;
• legumes, in the form of greens;
• beet tops and cabbage leaves;
• chalk and shells;
• pumpkin seeds and boiled potatoes;
• sprouted grains;
• yeast.

During moulting, chickens are recommended to feed at least three times a day.

• Morning. The bird is offered 1/3 of the grain norm per day.
• Dinner. Chickens are fed with a special mash, to which minerals and vitamins are added. The rate is calculated so that the laying hen eats everything within half an hour.
• Evening... Chickens are fed with simple grains.

Make sure that the bird does not get fat, as this will have a very negative effect on the performance of the chicken.

How many times to feed in summer and winter?

The number of meals for a bird is calculated based on the season and individual characteristics. If the chicken is intended for eggs, then it is absolutely forbidden to overfeed it. Therefore, the delivery of food is calculated so that the bird does not get fat. Usually feed is given twice a day., this is under positive weather conditions. During molting and the onset of cold weather, feeding is increased up to three to four times.

Diet in the table

The table below shows a possible diet for laying hens per bird in grams by age.

At 48 weeks, it is recommended to reduce the dietary intake, as egg production decreases markedly. After a few more weeks, the bird is sent to fight.

How to calculate the norm by weight

How much feed to give can be calculated by the weight of the bird, they do it as follows. If egg production = 100 eggs. Weight = 1800 grams. Feed = 125 grams, divided in equal portions per meal per day.

For every extra 100 grams, add 5 grams of feed daily. If the hen brings 130 eggs, the feed is increased by 5 grams from the norm. For 160 eggs add 10 grams of feed.

Age when chickens begin to lay eggs and how to increase their number: external signs

Now let's talk about external signs when chickens begin to lay eggs. It is believed that the chicken begins to lay eggs when its weight reaches 75% of an adult bird. Approximately this age occurs at 17 - 20 weeks.

1. Small breeds produce the first egg much earlier than larger meat breeds.
2. The bird that appears in February and March ripens faster than the May and summer chickens.
3. If the laying hen is born too late, then she may begin to lay only after a year.
4. Egg breeds of chickens begin to lay from 17 weeks and do it for ten months without a break.
5. The average laying hen produces about 200 eggs per year.
6. The most productive is the English Leghorn breed; it is her that is loved by domestic poultry farmers who breed chicken for eggs. The norm for this breed is 340 eggs per year, and for especially gifted ones, the productivity can reach up to 370 pieces.
7. Hybrids carry 2% more, but their offspring do not adopt these qualities, therefore, in this case, it is recommended to renew pullets every 24 months.
8. Meat and egg breeds bring up to 170 eggs per year, but their maturation begins at 22 weeks.
9. Meat breeds begin laying eggs later than all other chickens, at about the eighth month. Their productivity is much lower, but eggs are much larger in size. Such breeds rush no more than seven months. Such chickens can produce up to 120 eggs per year.
10. Fighting breeds are very rare and all of their eggs are primarily intended for hatching chicks.

Chickens can lay eggs for up to fifteen years. But it is worth knowing that every year the number of eggs decreases, which ceases to be beneficial to the breeder, and the old bird does not go to slaughter. Therefore, many try to keep the bird for no more than two years.

Egg production of different chickens per year and how to increase it

Factors that affect egg production:

• poultry health;
• lighting;
• breed;
• air temperature;
• the age of the chicken;
• food.

To increase the productivity of the bird, it is recommended to adhere to the following feeding rules.

1. Meals should be served regularly and in equal portions.
2. The first meal should be as soon as the hen wakes up, that is, in the early morning.
3. Birds should not be underfed and overfeed, all this can negatively affect the productivity of the bird.
4. The second feeding is carried out one hour before the chickens sleep.
5. The diet should be varied and enriched with vitamins and minerals.
6. The number of eggs obtained depends on the quality of the food, so it is imperative to maintain a balance between carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and fats.
7. It is recommended to maximize the nutritional value of the feed in the spring, since at this time the incubation period begins and this helps to get healthy offspring.
8. It is very useful to include in the main diet: whole grains, corn, barley, wheat, oats.

Good lighting is essential it is this factor that can positively affect the productivity of chickens. It is advisable for birds to provide 17 hours of daylight hours.

The air in the room where the birds are kept should be dry and as warm as possible. In this regard, the chicken coop should be well insulated. During the cold weather, you need to take care of the heaters in advance. If the laying hen regularly freezes, it will stop laying well.

The most productive breeds include:

Compound feed

Compound feed is an important food for poultry, where several components are collected including minerals and vitamins. Such nutrition is important for proper maintenance and care of the bird.

PC 1: the content of nutrients in grain for poultry nutrition

This compound feed contains wheat, corn, barley and bran as a base. Bone meal, which is also part of the compound feed, helps the bird to develop and grow more actively.

How to do it at home. For 1 kg take:

• wheat 640 gr;
• meat and bone meal 40 gr;
• soda 7 gr;
• salt 1 g;
• sunflower meal 170.5 gr;
• premix P1-2; 10 gr.

Mix everything and add a small amount of ordinary yeast and sunflower oil, about 20.5 grams each.

PC 2 composition for proper feeding

Compound feed PC 2, as well as the previous one, contains corn and wheat as a basis. Also, sunflower oil, fat and fish meal are added to it, which helps to increase the productivity of poultry.

How to do it at home, an approximate calculation for 1 kg:

• wheat 550 gr;
• barley 300 gr;
• bran 50 gr;
• sunflower cake 50 gr;
• fish meal 40 gr;
• sunflower oil 20 gr;
• shell 50 gr;
• salt 3 gr;
• chalk 27 gr;
• premix P-5 1 gr.

Mix everything thoroughly and use for feeding the layers.

Chicken feed recipes for layers and young chickens

Mix the following ingredients:

• corn - 450 gr;
• peas - 70 gr;
• barley - 120 gr;
• wheat - 120 gr;
• sunflower meal - 70 gr;
• herbal flour - 20 gr;
• meat and bone meal - 60 gr;
• fish meal - 60 gr;
• chalk - 20 gr;
• soda - 0.5 tsp;
• salt - 2 tsp

Connect the following components:

• wheat - 640 gr;
• meat and bone flour - 40 gr;
• sunflower oil - 25 gr;
• feed yeast - 25 g;
• soda - 7 gr;
• soda - 1 gr;
• limestone - 75 gr;
• sunflower meal - 175 gr;
• premix P1-2 - 10 gr.

Conclusion

Chicken is a bird that is very popular among poultry farmers. She is unpretentious and has the property of having everything she is given, whether it be waste from the table or special food. Also, very often breeders prepare a special mash for them, which it is desirable to feed at one time or divide by the daily rate. All of these feeding methods, if properly designed and calculated, will help increase egg production.

Also, do not forget to add special, necessary for chickens, vitamins, macro and microelements, tops, greens, root crops, vegetables to the food.

So that the chickens do not transfer the feed for other purposes, it does not cost much to fill it up.If the bird has the opportunity to walk, then the supply of greens can be reduced.

Nutrition is a very important factor in the productivity of a laying hen, so this issue should be taken very seriously. Below we suggest watching a short video from which you will learn tips on how to feed chickens in the summer.