What kind of food for laying hens is desirable to use in the household

In industrial poultry farming special rations are prepared, which are checked by time and practice. In domestic poultry farming, it is not always possible to provide chickens with feeds according to industry standards, but there is a set of feeds that will give the necessary productivity and provide high-quality nutrition for birds.

There are such types of feed for laying hens:

• Mixed fodder;
• Cereals;
• Greens, vegetables and table waste.

Mixed fodders for poultry are produced at specialized plants. In their composition, crushed (crushed) grain, vegetable fats, premixes (vitamin supplements), salt and meat- and -bone meal. For chickens in the compound feed is often included and crushed shell rock. In the sale of feed for laying hens can be in the form of crushed stone, and also in the form of granules. Practice proves that the granulated food is better stored, since air circulates freely between the individual granules. In crushed feeds, air circulation is difficult, so their storage time is low, they often absorb moisture from the air, get warm and sour.

Mixed fodders for birds fed in dry form or in the form of barnacles. Here, the preferences are different. Some believe that steamed fodder is better absorbed by chickens, while others believe that in natural conditions birds do not have the ability to consume wet food, so breeders prefer to use only dry food. Who is right? Observations of the bird showed that moist food is faster and better absorbed, and feeding only with dry food leads to the fact that the body part of the eaten food displays without digestion. Therefore, in poultry farming mixed fodders it is better to give in the form of sticks with preliminary steaming. In this case, cellulose in the composition of the feed is partially broken down into short molecules, which also contributes to better digestion of the feed.

With home- grown chickens, the share of mixed fodders is no more than 50% of their diet, since some of them can be replaced by other feeds available on the farm. Feeds for laying hens are supplemented with ordinary grain, and wheat is glued together with great pleasure by the bird. But to give only one wheat, means, not to give a number of the necessary components, which initially is not in it. Seeds from sunflower will add the necessary vegetable fat, barley - fiber, which is necessary to improve digestion. Corn is squeezed only after partial crushing, otherwise it is almost not digested by chickens.

How much grain do you need? Researchers have proven that feed for laying hens should contain at least 0.12 feed units daily. For one feed unit the energy value of 1 kg of oats is accepted. But oats almost do not peck chicken, it is practically not digested by them. Therefore, the recalculation is performed on wheat, which has a high energy value. It is believed that the hens should be given 115-117 g of feed in recalculation for wheat.

Fodder for laying hens in the household is supplemented with greens. In summer, birds on a free range constantly peck all kinds of grasses available to them. In winter, they eagerly eat cabbage, nettle brooms, harvested in the summer, cut into slices of pumpkin and other similar lures.

In winter, the cooked potatoes will also be a useful addition to the mushrooms, but it should not exceed 30% of the total composition. It is important even in winter that the mash should be given chilled, otherwise the birds can burn the esophagus, which will lead to diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and case. To prevent gastric diseases in winter, you need to give the chickens chopped hot pepper. It contains many different vitamins, and also helps to destroy any infection in the stomach of the bird. In the feed for laying hens, river sand should also be included, which helps mechanical grinding of coarse food, including grain, increasing the efficiency of feeding.