How to feed chickens in winter: diet composition, norm, home cooking

With the advent of cold weather, many farmers are faced with the problem of selecting food for their pets. So that feathered animals do not lose their plumage and do not lose their ability to lay eggs, comfortable conditions should be provided and the diet should be carefully selected. Therefore, the question arises: how to feed chickens in winter so that they rush. What matters is not only the quality, but also the quantity of food, as well as the frequency of feeding.

Features of feeding laying hens in winter

During frosts, there are difficulties in caring for birds due to the following factors:

• reducing the temperature in the chicken coop;
• reducing the mobility of the bird itself;
• lack of the possibility of self-replenishment of the level of protein food in the body.

The norm of food in winter is 3-4 times a day. When switching to winter food, it is important to follow the rules:

1. It is better to feed chickens with warm food in the morning.
2. In the daytime, you can give compound feed by mixing table s alt and chalk into it.
3. In the evening, a mixture of different types of grains will be the optimal nutrition. The grain should be carefully crushed, since in this case the bird will not need to expend energy on swallowing and digesting food. A hearty dinner will help you stay strong and stay warm until morning.

These simple feeding rules will help you avoid a lot of problems.

What to feed chickens in winter?

The diet should be complete and varied. It must contain root crops, legumes, grains, greens, mixed fodder, mineral complexes and always a sufficient amount of water.

Bean feed

Because legumes contain protein and beneficial amino acids, they should be included in the diet to replenish poultry stocks. They should be given boiled. To cook, the beans should be soaked for a couple of hours, and then boiled over low heat. In some cases, beans are added to the feed in the form of grains. The heat-treated substance can be absorbed by the chicken without much effort.

Root crops

Root crops, which are common for poultry, will also not interfere with the diet. The best option would be potatoes. It is essential for eggshell formation due to its high starch content.

Important! It is recommended to organize stocks of potatoes for birds in advance. It is enough to set aside small root crops that are not suitable for cooking.

In addition to potatoes, the following root crops should be included in the diet:

1. Carrots. It can be grown in beds intended directly for growing crops for animal feed. You can give preference to fodder varieties. They are inferior in taste, but contain all the necessary substances.
2. Beets. Such a crop is needed for feeding birds, however, storing fodder beets is quite problematic, as it dries quickly. To correct the situation, the use of a covering in the form of burlap will help.

Adding a few root vegetables will help improve egg production.

Green feed

For vitamin and fiber intake, chickens should eat greens. Recommended plants for poultry:

• dandelion;
• alfalfa;
• quinoa;
• clover;
• nettle.

During the frost period, these components are added in dry form - as an additive to nutrient mash.

Coniferous components

Don't forget about pine flour. It is added to feed mixtures. Needles are necessary to keep the bird in good shape during a period of weakened immunity. Providing feed with the necessary vitamins will increase the intensity of reproductive processes.

Food of animal origin

For feeding poultry in winter, it is recommended to introduce animal products into the diet. They are rich in beneficial amino acids necessary for the formation of eggs. Fermented milk products are the most accessible for poultry farmers:

• cottage cheese;
• kefir;
• curdled milk.

You can also add meat and bone meal, fish and meat waste to the feed.

Gardening waste

Chickens are great at eating gardening waste. These can be rotten pears, apples, plums, which were placed in cellars for long-term storage. Usually they are added to the mix. Despite some defects, fruit fruits do not lose vitamins and amino acids.

Mineral complexes

To replenish the mineral balance in the body of a bird, feed additives are needed. Optimal: chalk, crushed shell rock, ash and eggshells. All of them are necessary for the reproductive function of the chicken. S alt is also used as an additive. It contains a large amount of sodium and chlorine.

Water

No matter how good the feed is, poultry nutrition is impossible without water.In drinkers it should always be enough. Chickens independently regulate the amount of fluid they consume. They drink after every meal. In some cases, instead of water, snow is used in winter, which melts and becomes clear water.

Important! Water should be replaced regularly with clean water.

He althy Supplements

For proper care, it is necessary to introduce special vitamin supplements into the diet. These can be ready-made mixtures offered by stores. They do not contain harmful growth hormones or preservatives, but they do contain amino acids, vitamins and minerals.

Vitamin supplements can be the following foods:

• dried kelp (seaweed). They nourish the yolk and strengthen the eggshell;
• fish oil - essential for birds storehouse of fatty acids;
• apple cider vinegar, to improve the quality of plumage and increase the overall tone of the bird;
• probiotics to boost immune defenses;
• berries (rose hips, hawthorn, red ashberry) as a source of vitamins.

It is advisable to add baker's yeast to food. They promote weight gain and improve productivity.

These additives are given to birds in powdered form or mixed with dry food.

Forbidden foods for chickens

There is a certain list of products that are harmful to laying hens. Includes:

• sausage products that can cause disorders of the cardiovascular system of birds;
• milk - to avoid the development of dysbacteriosis;
• cheese. Its high fat content causes obesity, and spices and preservatives negatively affect the well-being of chickens;
• chocolate and coffee;
• alcohol, since birds cannot digest alcohol;
• compote - because of the destructive sugar content.
• oil, which is also indigestible by the body of the chicken.

All these products are detrimental not only to the reproductive function of poultry, but also to its entire body.

How to prepare feed for layers in winter?

To save money, you can cook food at home. First you need to choose the consistency of the future mixture. It can be dry food or mushy. The basis of any of them is grain. Desired foods are added to it: dry grass, vegetables and fruits, as well as bone meal, dairy products and vitamin supplements.

It is important to achieve the desired consistency, which will not impede the process of swallowing and digestion of the bird. To do this, use a crusher, grater or secateurs. If necessary, the consistency of the feed can be alternated. This will diversify the poultry diet.

Use of electric feed preparation machines

To prepare feed of the required quality, you should grind the food correctly. It is difficult to do this manually, therefore, with a large number of poultry, you should think about purchasing special equipment. An electric chopper is able to crush not only root crops, but also grains and legumes. The best is the unit with a two-phase motor. It is more powerful and will provide food for the entire livestock.

The steamer will become an indispensable assistant in the household. This is a device designed to prepare feed from food waste, greens and succulent feed. With it, you can prepare he althy and high-calorie food in the shortest possible time.

What to feed to increase egg production in winter

In order for chickens to lay eggs in the winter, it is necessary to replenish the diet with those products that are involved in egg formation.Switching to grain-only feed is not recommended. It does not satisfy the full need for a varied diet of laying hens, which is why their productivity is reduced. The content of vitamins, minerals and amino acids should be approximately the same so that there is no deficiency of one of the elements.

Properly organized nutrition of laying hens in winter will ensure high egg production and help poultry maintain he alth at low temperatures. Don't forget about the chicken coop. If it is sufficiently insulated, then the amount of food will not have to be increased

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