It is not easy to raise chicken in a subtropical region where winter occurs. In winter, the flock owner should spend more money for electric because they should turn on the light all day. On the other hand, the revenue of flock owner will decrease because the chicken stops to production in winter. Some chicken breed cannot lay in winter such as Asian Chicken and Mediterranean Chicken. Therefore, you should select the breed that has egg-laying ability in winter such as Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire Red and other.
It is because they may suffer from cold. The cold weather also causes the frostbite in chicken. The frostbite often attack the chicken whose has wide single comb.
A hen can lay when it feel comfort and has enough food. The flock owner should do like this to keep the chicken warm. To raise the chicken in winter, you can do like this:
1. Place the additional heater lamp during winter. The lamp can make the cage warmer. The heat of lamp depends on the weather and the coop. Some articles suggest 75 Watt lamp for the cage. I think it is not absolute. You can observe the chicken with the lamp. If the chicken far from the lamp, it means the lamp is too hot. If, on the other hand, the chicken close from the lamp, it means the lamp is not hot enough.
2. Put the warm water inside the cage. Do not let the water frozen because the chicken cannot drink it. Alternatively, you can change the water often. Water is essential for chicken especially layer egg. They need sufficient water to keep laying.
3. In an attempt to produce eggs, you can increase the chicken appetite by pouring water to the feed. The feed is easy to eat.
4. Design the coop for winter that can reduce cold.
5. The ventilation and air circulation inside the cage should be good. It helps chicken to get fresh water and decrease the humidity. Some flock owner think that closing the ventilation can make the chicken warm. They are wrong. The closed cage can caused diseases such as lung disease.
6. Remove the chicken coop to warehouse or chicken house. They will be comfort inside a building.
7. Add the chicken hay bedding. The hay can control the manure stinky. Change the hay when it dirty. You can use the hay and manure as fertilizer too.
Showing posts with label winter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label winter. Show all posts
Friday, October 14, 2011
Monday, August 23, 2010
How to keep your hen laying in winter
In cold winter, hen is difficult to lay. Some chicken cannot lay in winter like Mediterranean class or Asia Class. Naturally, a hen will stop laying in winter. They need to rest their body that it is important for the body. For backyard chicken, you have better to rest your chicken rather than forcing it to lay.
If you have a flock for business, you can "force" the eggs to lay. It is because you will lose if they take the rest. They still must pay for chicken food, human, electric, and others.
If you still want to produce eggs in winter, you can do like this:
1. Add additional light in the cage. It can reduce their cold suffered in winter.
2. Provide warm water. Do not let the water frozen. Lack of water can make the chicken stop to lay. You can put electric dog bowl that keep the water frozen. You can replace the water often.
3. Food the chicken food with high protein. They need consumption for carbohydrate to warm their body. They also need protein and calcium that is very important for egg production. Some article suggest kitchen chow and grind with cracked corn. I think it is not good because kitten chow can affect the taste of egg. You should buy the food at poultry shop or you can mix high protein chicken food. The protein for food is: soy, meat powder, fish powder, and more.
4. The air circulation must be good. Make a good ventilation system so the hen can breath well. Do not close the coop so the air cannot in or out.
5. Put hay inside the coop so the hen can lay in it. It can make the chicken warm.
Notice: Force your hen lay in winter could be loss you. To make the hen lays in winter, you need to provide additional food, light and human power. You must pay more for labor too because only few people who want works in winter. Therefore, you need to calculate the benefit of laying eggs in winter. Compare the cost with the egg prices.
If you have a flock for business, you can "force" the eggs to lay. It is because you will lose if they take the rest. They still must pay for chicken food, human, electric, and others.
If you still want to produce eggs in winter, you can do like this:
1. Add additional light in the cage. It can reduce their cold suffered in winter.
2. Provide warm water. Do not let the water frozen. Lack of water can make the chicken stop to lay. You can put electric dog bowl that keep the water frozen. You can replace the water often.
3. Food the chicken food with high protein. They need consumption for carbohydrate to warm their body. They also need protein and calcium that is very important for egg production. Some article suggest kitchen chow and grind with cracked corn. I think it is not good because kitten chow can affect the taste of egg. You should buy the food at poultry shop or you can mix high protein chicken food. The protein for food is: soy, meat powder, fish powder, and more.
4. The air circulation must be good. Make a good ventilation system so the hen can breath well. Do not close the coop so the air cannot in or out.
5. Put hay inside the coop so the hen can lay in it. It can make the chicken warm.
Notice: Force your hen lay in winter could be loss you. To make the hen lays in winter, you need to provide additional food, light and human power. You must pay more for labor too because only few people who want works in winter. Therefore, you need to calculate the benefit of laying eggs in winter. Compare the cost with the egg prices.
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