What should I pay attention to when raising chickens in winter?
2021-01-12
In winter, the climate is cold, which is the off-season for broiler production. However, if the breeding and management are done properly, the chickens can be raised well in winter and obtain higher economic benefits.
1. Keep cold and warm. The climate is cold and changeable in winter, which brings a lot of inconvenience to chicken production, especially the effect of low temperature on laying hens is very obvious. Under normal circumstances, you can increase the stocking density appropriately, close the doors and windows, add grass curtains, drink warm water and heat from the stove to keep the chicken house temperature** between 3°C and 5°C.
2. Moderate ventilation. In winter, due to the low temperature, the doors and windows of the chicken house are tightly closed, and the ventilation is reduced. However, the exhaust gas from chickens and the ammonia, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and other harmful gases produced by the fermentation of chicken manure still exist, which can easily induce respiratory diseases of chickens. Therefore, it is necessary to properly handle the relationship between ventilation and warmth, and remove the feces and debris in the chicken house in time. When the weather is good at noon, windows should be opened for ventilation to make the air in the house fresh and sufficient oxygen.
3. Reduce moisture. In winter, the ventilation in the chicken house is small, and the amount of water evaporation is reduced. In addition, the hot air in the house will condense into a large number of water droplets when it comes into contact with the cold roof and walls, causing excessive humidity in the chicken house and creating a large number of bacteria and parasites. condition. Therefore, we must strengthen management, pay attention to keeping the chicken coop clean and dry, repair the damaged sink in time, avoid overfilling when adding water, and it is strictly forbidden to splash water on the floor of the house.
4. Regular disinfection. The disinfection work should run through the whole process of raising chickens. In winter, the temperature is lower and the frequency of bacterial activity decreases. However, the weather is cold in winter, and the chicken's resistance is generally weakened. If disinfection is neglected, it is very easy to cause disease outbreaks.
5. Supplement light. In winter, the nights are long and the days are short, and the laying hens will decrease the laying rate due to insufficient light. In order to overcome this natural defect, artificial supplementary lighting can be used to make up. Under normal circumstances, the total time of sunlight per day should not be less than 14 hours, nor more than 17 hours. For example, the natural light during the day is 12 hours, and artificial supplementary light is required for 2-5 hours a day.
6, increase energy. Chickens obtain heat energy to maintain their body temperature by eating the feed in the body. The lower the outside temperature, the more heat energy the chickens will use to keep out the cold. It is determined that the feed consumption of chickens in winter is 10% higher than that of other seasons. Therefore, in winter chicken feed must ensure sufficient energy, in addition to ensuring a certain proportion of protein, high-energy feed containing more starch and sugar should be appropriately increased to meet the physiological and production needs of chickens.
7, enhance physical fitness. In winter, the resistance of chickens decreases, so special attention should be paid to epidemic prevention and disease prevention, and regular vaccination should be carried out. According to the actual situation, some preventive drugs can also be fed regularly to appropriately increase the content of vitamins and trace elements in the feed.
