Is it possible to give chickens fish? What types of fish and in what quantity can be used for complementary feeding?

What condition is important to provide to chickens so that they are resistant to disease and highly productive? This is a balanced diet consisting of organic compounds, minerals and vitamins. What about fish? In this article we talk about the intake of salted, boiled and raw fish, as well as the dosages of each.

Organic compounds are presented in the form of proteins. Most of them are found in animal feed and fish. With the help of such feed and fish, the diet of chickens is enriched: iodine, calcium and phosphorus appear.

Is it possible to give chickens fish?

The meat of the inhabitants of reservoirs contains many useful substances for chickens of all ages and breeds.
Farmed birds can consume almost any type of fish as food. The form of preparation of the inhabitants of reservoirs is not important; you can feed the bird raw, boiled or fried fish. However, eating seafood can cause some harm to the chicken. Therefore, the question of whether raw fish can be given to chickens has a positive answer, but it is important to take into account some subtleties

Fish is a valuable source of minerals in the diet of birds. Industrial fish species are the most useful for these farm animals.

You can feed chickens:

• Blue whiting;
• Herring;
• sprat;
• Let's pollock.

Chickens can be fed sprat

Raw fish is easily introduced into the diet of poultry, but may contain pathogenic microorganisms and coelenterates. The freshwater environment is a transitional place in the development of many parasitic organisms. Therefore, before giving raw fish to birds, you need to make sure that it does not appear to have any growths that indicate disease.

On a note! Fish that live in rivers and lakes are often affected by helminths, which, when ingested by birds, can take root there, reducing the quality and quantity of meat. Marine inhabitants are much less likely to be attacked by coelenterates due to an unsuitable environment for their development, but the risk remains.

How to give fish to chickens? You can add up to 10 g of raw product per day. An alternative is 70 g at seven-day intervals. When feeding river products, it is necessary to regularly feed the livestock from coelenterates. Otherwise, the consumed diet of birds will be used for other purposes.

Important! Helminths, and especially tapeworms, have an extremely fast spread rate, so they can very quickly infect the entire chicken coop. Can chickens be given salted fish? Brackish fish are the least preferred fish to feed.

Salt in the poultry diet should be contained in small quantities. The amount of the substance should not exceed 0.3% of the total daily diet. Excessive amounts of salt in food harm metabolic processes

Can chickens be given salted fish? Brackish fish are the least preferred fish to feed. Salt in the poultry diet should be contained in small quantities. The amount of the substance should not exceed 0.3% of the total daily diet. Excessive amounts of salt in food harm metabolic processes.

You can give fish after the salt has been completely removed. It is necessary to pre-soak the food for a long period of time to completely remove the salt. However, breeders usually prefer not to use salted fish as feed. Excess salt in the diet causes liver problems in chickens.

Note! If necessary, feed the bird with salted fish, after soaking, the daily dose should not exceed 10 grams per individual or 70 g every seven days. Moreover, weekly use is preferable

Is it possible to give salted herring to chickens? The rules for salted herring are exactly the same as for any other fish.

Fish in the diet of chickens

Fish and seafood are important components of the diet of chickens when kept in a private household. They serve as a source of protein and calcium, and directly affect the egg production of birds. But when feeding these products, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules, which inexperienced poultry farmers are not always familiar with. More often than not, newcomers to chicken breeding are interested in the question of whether it is possible to feed chickens raw fish.

What products don't work?

Farmers note that chickens are omnivores. They can eat whatever they find in the yard or in feeders. Sometimes they are given food from the table. Experts do not advise doing this. Products can provoke various intestinal diseases. On forums they often discuss whether it is possible to feed chickens bread, rye and oats, buckwheat and rice. Foods and cereals contain large amounts of plant protein.

Bread is undesirable for birds. This is a finished product made from wheat, rye or bran. All grains are good for chickens, but they swell in the crop. Intestinal function is disrupted. The bread may settle in the goiter in a lump, causing a blockage. The pathology will affect the bird's breathing. She might suffocate. Rye bread is especially harmful. It has high acidity, which will negatively affect the process of digesting food.

Excessive amounts of yeast can cause increased fermentation in chickens, which will lead to bloating. The chicken needs urgent help. Bread is given in the form of crackers and crumbs in very small quantities.

Limit the supply of oats. It contains a lot of fiber, which is difficult for birds to handle. It spends a lot of energy digesting grain. Her egg production and immunity decrease. It is recommended to introduce grains in sprouted form in winter. It contains a large amount of protein and vitamins “E” and “B”. You can feed chickens oats, but it is given in the form of porridge, which is made from flakes. The share of oats in the total diet should not exceed 20%.

Do not give birds buckwheat and rice. The grains can swell in the crop, causing respiratory arrest. Buckwheat and rice can be added boiled, but without milk. Porridge is included in mash. Cereals should not occupy more than 20% of the diet.

Rye is given to chickens in limited quantities. The grain contains polysaccharides that are difficult for the intestines of birds. In combination with starch and high acidity, they can promote foaming. You can feed with grain, but in sprouted form in winter, if there is no other protein supplement, sunflower or soybean cake. The volume of rye should not exceed 1 g per 1 kg of wheat grain.

Peas are good for chickens, but only in boiled form. It is introduced into the diet gradually, starting from 10 g. The cereal must be subjected to heat treatment. It is not given as a separate food. It is part of the mash. Peas stimulate egg laying. It is useful to introduce it into the winter diet. The volume of cereal should not be more than 20% of the total feed table.

Poultry are not given raw potatoes or peelings. This is a heavy food that disrupts intestinal motility. Potatoes are definitely included in the diet of laying hens, but in boiled form. It can be used as an ingredient for mash. A chicken can receive no more than 10 g of potatoes per day. It is also used to feed chickens. Potatoes improve digestion. It has an acidic environment, which kills pathological microflora in the intestines.

In the summer, you need to monitor what kind of grass your chicken eats. Pastures are carefully checked. If a bird eats poisonous herbs, the outcome will be fatal. Birds should not be allowed into the garden. They can reach potato beds or tomatoes. The tops of nightshade crops and the fruits themselves are poisonous to chickens.

Livestock should be protected from the following meadow grasses:

After consuming poisonous herbs, the bird experiences acute intoxication of the body. In this case, the following symptoms are noted: vomiting, diarrhea, severe thirst. The chicken does not stand up and sits with its eyes closed. Case 100%. Poultry meat is discarded and is not allowed to be eaten.

Even though chickens can eat a wide variety of foods, table food is contraindicated for them. It contains a lot of carcinogens, salt, fat, sugar, and seasonings. They are not given products of animal origin; after all, chickens are herbivores. The supply of fish is limited. In order for chickens to lay eggs well, they are given a special diet.

What should you feed chickens to get an orange yolk: what determines its color?

A special diet is what determines the color of the yolk. That is why, if the chicken regularly receives natural and healthy ingredients, then the color of the egg core will be rich. In general, you can follow a simple rule - give your chickens foods that are brightly colored. These are pumpkin, corn, millet, carrots, red beets. Moreover, the more varied the ingredients, the better.

Interestingly, the color of the corn also affects the result - if you feed pale-colored varieties, then the core of the egg will be dull. But it is worth remembering that corn is very nutritious, and when a chicken eats it, it quickly gains excess weight and begins to lay less eggs.

Pumpkin is an excellent natural source of coloring pigments. By the way, it contains almost the same amount of carotene as carrots, and it can be stored well throughout the winter.

The presence of fresh grass in the diet plays a significant role. It is advisable to give it even in winter. For the winter, you can dry it or buy granulated grass flour, which is soaked in water overnight and given to the chicken in the morning along with corn and wheat.

It has been noted that domestic chickens produce eggs with the brightest cores, usually in spring and early summer. This is due to the fact that the chicken pecks young fresh grass, rich in vitamins.

A good coloring of the yolk can be obtained by adding calendula or nettle to the chickens' diet. Moreover, the last type of plant is the cheapest, simplest and most useful option. In summer, nettles are given fresh, and for winter they are prepared as follows: mowed, dried in the shade, then put in bags and put in a dry place. In winter, it is added to chicken feed and mash for chickens. For babies, the leaves should be rubbed with your fingers.

To get a bright yolk, about 5% grass meal should be added to the feed, provided that feed is used that does not include corn.

A too pale yolk color is an indication that the bird is not eating well. Her diet is high in grains but low in high-quality supplements.

Also, the color of the yolk in an egg depends on other factors. This means a sufficient amount of sunlight, good walking, and excellent living conditions. The breed of bird and its age play an important role. Young layers produce brighter yolks.

Can I give it to chickens?

As mentioned above, chickens can eat fish in various forms, but in order for the consumption of this product not to harm the bird, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of each type of fish product. Let's take a closer look at them.

Salted fish

This is the least desirable type of fish product for chickens, since salt is added to chicken feed only in limited quantities (no more than 0.3% of the total daily diet), and excess salt is harmful to the bird.

Salted fish is given to chickens only after it has been soaked in water for a long time, when the salt is almost completely washed out of the fish. But, as a rule, poultry farmers simply do not risk feeding chickens with such a product.

Consumption rates for soaked fish are no more than 10 g per individual per day, or approximately 70 g per chicken once a week. The most common practice is weekly feeding. If you exceed this norm, the bird may develop liver problems.

We recommend reading about how much feed a laying hen needs per day, how to prepare: mash, mineral supplements and compound feed for laying hens.

Raw fish

Fish in this form can be introduced into the poultry diet, but it is necessary to take into account the possibility of infection with helminths (worms). This is especially true for river and lake species; marine species are considered practically safe in this regard, but there is a risk for them too.

Every day one bird can be given up to 10 g of the product, or approximately 70 g once a week. When using a raw product, it is recommended to periodically deworm the chicken population.

Poultry farmers need to consider which foods can be fed to chickens and which cannot.

Boiled

In this form, fish is used much more often than in raw or salted form. This product is completely safe, and fish broth is used in wet mash. As a rule, it is cooked as follows: unpeeled and ungutted fish are thrown into water, brought to a boil and cooked for another 15–20 minutes so that the fish bones soften.

Boiled fish are turned into minced meat using a meat grinder, chopped into pieces or given to the bird whole. Sometimes the carcasses are boiled until the fish bones are completely softened. The nutritional standards for boiled fish are the same as for other types of fish products - 10 g per day, or 70 g per week per chicken.

Fishmeal

This product is considered the most effective option for feeding poultry; it is usually present in mixed feed. When feeding young chickens, the share of fishmeal in the daily diet is approximately 6%. For adult chickens, this proportion is usually reduced to 3–4%.

Fish oil is known to contain purified fat obtained from marine fish. Find out why you should give fish oil to chickens.

Ducks fall on their feet and die: why and how to help?

There are several reasons that can cause death on the feet and early death. Let's look at them.

Invasive diseases

The first and most obvious is the attack of blood-sucking insects. They are capable of literally destroying a duckling in a short time. To determine the presence of bloodsuckers, simply examine the birds in the belly area and under the wings. If you find insects, you need to act immediately. The most common lice found in these birds are fleas and feather eaters. Purchase and start treating ducks with Butox 50; it must be diluted with water and sprayed onto the entire population. In order to avoid the reappearance of parasites, be sure to completely clean and disinfect the poultry house.

Lack of vitamins and minerals

This problem is solved by using special fortified fertilizers and adding green grass and fresh vegetables to the diet. For example, to replenish vitamin A, offer the birds grated carrots with a small addition of fish oil.

Calcium deficiency also often occurs with an incorrect diet. Its deficiency leads to problems with plumage, the formation of skeletal bones, and so on. But it's quite easy to deal with. The main thing is to promptly offer the chicks supplements rich in calcium: ground shells, bone or fish meal. Please note that some foods can remove calcium from your body.

Selenium deficiency leads to white muscle disease. It causes convulsions, falling on your feet and quick death from cardiac arrest. To compensate for selenium deficiency, use vitamin supplements.

Infectious diseases

There are many diseases that have falling on their feet as one of their symptoms. However, they are always accompanied by other manifestations (feather loss, purulent discharge, etc.). Such diseases include coccidiosis, tuberculosis, and contagious runny nose.

In all cases, if there is a suspicion of infection, it is necessary to separate sick birds from healthy ones and carefully treat their place of residence, since infections are transmitted not only through direct contact, but also through food debris, feces, down and feathers.

The fight against all infectious diseases lies in preventing their occurrence. First of all, pay attention to the living conditions; with high crowding, infrequent cleaning of the poultry house, high dampness, all infectious diseases are transmitted very quickly and you risk losing the entire population where you could get away with a couple of birds. Drafts also threaten decreased immunity and a high risk of colds.

Rules for feeding fish

The norms and rules for including fish in the diet of chickens depend on the age and type of bird. For example, the opinions of poultry farmers on the question of whether raw fish can be given to broilers are divided.

Some feed the bird any fish, including waste and scales, while others are categorically against this. Regarding laying hens, most poultry farmers say that it is impossible to feed them raw fish, as it gives an unpleasant odor to the eggs.

Many poultry farmers continue to feed their chickens fresh fish and claim that this does not have any negative effect on the health of the birds.

In general, you should adhere to the following recommendations from veterinarians and experienced poultry farmers:

1. Game fish frozen in blocks can be given as minced meat by adding to wet mash.
2. Freshly caught river fish cannot be given raw. Meat and entrails can become a source of helminth infection for chickens.
3. It is safer to serve fish boiled. It must be boiled until the bones soften. After boiling, the product must be thoroughly crushed and added to the mash.

Fish in the diet of chickens

Beginning poultry farmers are interested in whether it is possible to give fish to chickens. This product can be included in the diet of chickens, including broilers, starting from the 6th day of life.

• In this case, it must be completely freed from the bones or crushed together with them in a meat grinder. You cannot feed chickens fish with bones, as the chicken can damage the esophagus with the bone.
• Regarding raw fish in the diet of chickens, the veterinarians’ answer is negative.
• Treats for chickens are mixed with cereal or a boiled egg. You need to start this type of feeding with a very small amount, observing the reaction of the chicks.
• If the chickens' droppings have changed, it is necessary to temporarily exclude the product from their diet.

Chickens have snot, wheeze and sneeze: how and what to treat?

There are a number of reasons that can cause a condition in which chickens sneeze, and, in general, a runny nose itself.

Of course, the first thing you can assume is rhinitis. Moreover, it can be caused in chickens by bacteria, fungi, worms, coccidiosis or much more dangerous diseases. However, almost all of these causes cause not only symptoms in which birds develop snot and sneeze, but also many others: from loss of plumage, diarrhea and sudden weight loss to death. If you have not noticed any other symptoms, then it would be reasonable to assume that the disease is ordinary rhinitis.

Besides, there are many more harmless reasons for sneezing. For example, check whether the ventilation in the poultry house is working well enough. The lack of fresh air is harmful in itself, and also creates excellent conditions for the growth of bacteria and fungi. However, try to avoid unnecessary drafts.

It would be a good idea to replace the bedding and clean the chicken coop. Ammonia contained in chicken droppings with prolonged exposure causes irritation of the mucous membranes, and as a result causes the appearance of snot and poisoning.

Given the lack of vitamin A in the body, even a sudden change in temperature in the chicken coop can cause a runny nose. Try to maintain a constant temperature and, before the onset of cold weather, take care of heating and additional vitamin supplements to food in advance.

Actually, changes in diet are also important. And not only the composition, but also the consistency. They also sneeze when mash gets into the nose, or as a result of an allergic reaction to new ingredients or expired food.

Please note that symptoms of a runny nose include more than just snot (mucus from the nasal passages of chickens) and sneezing. If chickens wheeze or make characteristic “croaking” sounds, this also signals rhinitis. Sudden movements of the head, reminiscent of attempts to shake something off, is another symptom.

The most effective prevention of rhinitis in chickens is that it is quite simple and inexpensive. Provide sufficient vitamins, including vitamin A, by using Chaktonic or Premix and adding fish oil, limestone, watercress, and onions to the diet.

The poultry house should be well ventilated, but without drafts, and regularly cleaned and disinfected. Sudden changes in temperature should not be allowed. To smooth out the onset of winter, leave the chickens outside in the fall, and provide heating in the room during cold weather.

What fish products can be given to chickens?

Fish is considered a valuable source of beneficial components for birds. However, for such feeding to be beneficial, you need to feed it to the birds correctly. As a rule, the following types have the greatest value:

In addition, fish waste can be added to bird feed. It must be emphasized that river fish is not as healthy as industrial fish. However, it is recommended to include it in the diet.

It is recommended to add the product in question to the main diet 2 times a week. It’s worth emphasizing right away that after eating fish, birds need to be provided with plenty of fluids. Because they will begin to suffer from extreme thirst. Therefore, care should be taken to ensure that the drinking bowls are full of water.

Other feeds and supplements

It is difficult to imagine a summer diet without greens - a source of important minerals, vitamins, including tocopherol, necessary for the youth of the body and the normal course of processes in the reproductive system. But it is noteworthy that even when fed with a fully rationed compound feed, fresh green feed has positive effects. There is an increase in productivity indicators and an improvement in the general condition of the birds.

As a rule, birds are fed with clover, alfalfa, plantain, nettle, cabbage, and tops.

In winter diets, grass or hay flour is used instead of greens.

As a rule, greens help with a lack of carotene, some B vitamins, ascorbic acid, and protein.

Including greens in feed mixtures is one of the available ways to reduce production costs.

But the percentage of feed in the summer diet is up to 30%, no more!

Laying hens react positively to the supply of meat and bone (bone) meal. The raw material for this feed is the bone and muscle tissue of cattle. If you have meat and bone meal, you can safely refuse fish meal. In the composition of feed mixtures, the share of fertilizing accounts for up to 6%.

There are many benefits in vegetable crops: zucchini, carrots, beets, pumpkins, cucumbers, potatoes. Carrots and beets are best fed in the form of a grated mass; potato tubers are pre-cooked (preferably without peel) and pounded. Other vegetable foods are simply chopped or given whole

For example, the percentage of vegetables in the diet is about 25%.

Now you know how fish is beneficial for laying hens and how to feed it. Do you give fish to chickens? Share your experience in the comments

.

Like

, appreciate the benefits of fish for chickens!

See you later, colleagues! We have a lot of useful information ahead.

Methods for preparing feed for feeding chickens at home

Unprepared food is less easily eaten and digested. Leftover food that has not undergone preliminary preparation worsens the sanitary condition of the poultry house and walking area.

Methods for preparing feed:

• Mechanical;
• chemical.

Any of these methods has a positive effect on the efficiency of feed use.

Chemical methods

Feeds with poor taste and food with insufficient palatability are subjected to malting. This method is based on scalding ground grain. Water temperature – 60 degrees. Then stir and keep covered for three to four hours.

Grain sprouting is used when it is necessary to enrich the vitamin content of the feed. In winter, sprouted grains should account for at least 30% of the diet.

During the germination process, starch is partially broken down. For example, for simpler sugars. The ratio of amino acids in the grain changes, the feed is enriched with B vitamins.

Sprouted grain can be fed to all domestic birds. It is primarily recommended for young animals.

Germination technology includes the following stages:

• 11-12 hour soaking of grain in 15-degree water;
• pouring grain into a tray with periodic moistening.

Yeasting of chicken feed

Feeding chickens at home using yeast feed. Yeasting is a way to increase the nutritional value and palatability of feed, and increase the amount of B vitamins.

Yeast options:

• Sponge;
• unpaired.

In the second case, prepare the following feed mixture. For example, 40-degree water (2 l) + baker's yeast diluted in water (10 g) + flour (1 kg). The whole thing is mixed every half hour. You can feed it after 7-8 hours of exposure.

According to experts, yeast is an excellent method for private owners.

And now about the sponge method.

Preparing the dough.

Warm water (1 l) + pressed yeast (20 g) + concentrates, for example flour (0.4 kg).

Everything is mixed at 30-minute intervals for up to six hours. Water (3 l) and food (1.5 kg) are added to the finished mixture.

This is a more labor-intensive version of yeast. It takes at least seven hours. At the same time, it is quite applicable at home.

Ensilage

The next chemical method of preparing feed for feeding chickens at home is silage. The raw material for such preparation is young greens. Silage can be fed instead of red carrots, grass meal and other valuable feeds. 100 g of silage contains about 2 g of protein and 5 mg of carotene.

Silage contains such important substances as fiber (5%), lactic acid (1.6-1.7%). If butyric acid is present in the feed, it means that the silage technology has been violated.

The best poultry silage is obtained from alfalfa, nettle, clover, peas, and carrot tops. Edible root crops, such as carrots, beets, etc., would be useful in the silage.

Legumes are ensiled during budding. Cereals - at heading. Experienced poultry farmers recommend including non-marketable watermelons in silage. A good solution would be to add molasses to the silage.

The poultry is fed both regular silage, consisting of only greens, and combined. The second food is preferable, as it is more nutritious.

The moisture content of the silage is reduced by adding hay meal. Can be replaced with pea chaff. The maximum permissible amount of moisture “regulator” is 15% of the total weight of the feed.

Potatoes must be steamed before ensiling. Chickens are more willing to eat silage in the form of pulp. In addition, such food is stored longer.

How is a silo made? The first step is to dig a hole (trench). Then its walls are lined. Brick can be used as a material. If the construction is planned for many years, the bottom is filled with cement.

The silage process is quite simple. The raw materials are laid layer by layer. Each layer is carefully compacted (the denser the better). The top of the mass is covered with a layer of straw, then with film and earth.

Silage is fed in its pure form or with grain and flour.

Mechanical methods

Feed used in poultry farming is ground, crushed and mixed. All of these methods make nutrients more available to the body.

There are fine (up to 1 mm), medium (1-1.8 mm) and coarse (1.8-2.6 mm) grains. Medium grind food is preferable, since flour from smaller fractions passes through the gastrointestinal tract very quickly, and therefore the substances do not have time to be absorbed.

In private household plots, green feed and vegetables are usually chopped. First they are washed, boiled and mixed with flour.

Roots

Root vegetables include: beets, carrots, pumpkin, turnips, etc. Sugar beets can partially replace grain. It is fed raw in an amount of 50 - 60% of the weight of dry food. Carrots contain a large amount of vitamin A and can replace fish oil. Since the vitamin value of root vegetables quickly decreases, it is recommended to salt, dry or ensile them.

Fresh carrots are fed to adult chickens in amounts up to 30 g per head per day, and to chickens - 15 - 20 g. Pumpkin is a good source of carotene. It is crushed and fed to poultry. You can also feed small or damaged potato tubers to poultry. They should be boiled before feeding.

An adult bird can be fed carrion of pears and apples. To do this, it is crushed and given 15–20 g per head per day. In winter, the source of vitamins is the hay of cultivated (clover, alfalfa, cereals) and wild (young nettle, quinoa, etc.) plants.

Good quality hay is obtained when the grass is dried in the shade

You must turn it over very carefully so that the leaves do not fall off. Such hay should be stored in a dark place, tightly packed

Why do chickens need fish and seafood?

Fish, like all animal products, is of great benefit to chickens. It is a source of vitamins, protein, calcium and other minerals.

• It is superior in the content of nutrients to traditional plant-based chicken feed: meal and cake.
• Adding seafood to the poultry diet affects the number of eggs laid by chickens and their quality. The yolks become brighter, and chickens often begin to lay double-yolk eggs.
• The large amount of calcium contained in this product has a positive effect on egg shells. The shell becomes stronger and the eggs last longer.
• Another positive aspect of including the product in the diet of chickens is the bird’s rapid gain of muscle mass due to the intake of protein.

Fishmeal as an alternative to fresh product

Experienced poultry farmers advise including dry animal feed - fishmeal - in the poultry diet. This product is obtained industrially by processing fish waste.

Related publications

Which dog food to choose: what to look for...

Sep 17, 2020

Review of premixes for chickens

May 1, 2020

Based on fat content, fishmeal is divided into fatty (20%) and low-fat (2-3%). Low-fat flour has a longer shelf life and is therefore more valuable.

Fishmeal contains up to 60% protein and a large amount of amino acids and minerals, therefore it is considered a valuable product for poultry nutrition.

ADVICE. It is recommended to include fresh fishmeal in the diet of chickens, in an amount from 3 to 12% of the total weight of the bird.

The product is added to the mash at the rate of 1 teaspoon per head of an adult chicken.

Feeding technique

Knowing what to feed laying hens is not enough to get eggs regularly. Food changes depending on the time of year. How to feed laying hens? If the basic requirements are not met, the bird becomes weaker and produces fewer eggs. Knowing how to feed laying hens can maximize farm productivity.

Summer period

So, how to feed laying hens with the onset of warm days. During the summer season they produce more eggs. The advantage of this time of year is the active growth of green food. It is recommended to give dry food - 20-30%, and the rest of the diet should be greens. Grass can be fed all season long. The summer diet should contain a lot of protein, vitamins, and amino acids. Approximate bird nutrition in spring and summer:

• greens, root vegetables (fresh);
• bran, oatmeal;
• cereals;
• cottage cheese, yogurt;
• bone meal;
• corn, peas.

Ground chalk and table salt are added to the portions.

Winter period

What to feed laying hens in winter is a popular question among novice breeders. In winter, there is not enough fresh greenery, and a deficiency of many minerals begins. The diet should include vegetables, fruits, sprouted wheat, and greenhouse greens.

Dry food should account for 70-80% of the winter diet. It is necessary to mix rich foods so that the chickens receive vitamins, minerals and nutritional components. Proper feeding of laying hens at home in winter is carried out in the presence of a greenhouse.

It is recommended to feed laying hens in winter taking into account BZHU. Proteins should occupy 3 parts, fats - 2, and carbohydrates - 5

It is also important to take into account the peculiarities of keeping laying hens in winter. The temperature in the chicken coop is maintained at the same level

It must have windows. In the evenings it is necessary to turn on the lamps. The conditions are similar to raising rabbits.

Products for feeding in winter:

1. meat waste;
2. bone meal;
3. boiled potato tubers;
4. cereals;
5. curdled milk.

Add ground chalk, shells, and salt to the main food.

Spring period

In spring, greenery is just beginning to appear, and insects are crawling out of the ground. Young plant shoots will not be enough for adequate nutrition. Because of this, you need to focus on feeding dry chickens. Additionally, you can add foods high in vitamins to them:

• cereals (45 g);
• floury ingredients (20 g);
• legumes (5 g);
• greens, potatoes, vegetables (55 g);
• meat components or bone meal (5 g);
• protein supplements (7 g);
• fermented milk products (10 g);
• shells, crushed chalk (3 g);
• salt (0.5 g).

Young grass, insects and worms will help replenish vitamin reserves. Therefore, it is recommended to organize free-range poultry.

Autumn period

Feeding laying hens at home in the fall is easier than in winter or spring. Greenery fades into the background. Most of the diet consists of dry food and root vegetables. During this period, molting begins. The process can last up to 2 months. Experienced farmers recommend:

1. saturate your diet with proteins;
2. increase the share of processed meat products, insects, larvae;
3. add more vitamins;
4. be sure to increase the amount of juicy components by adding more tops, root vegetables, vegetables and herbs to the diet.

Nutrition for laying hens and broilers:

• ground part of leguminous plants;
• eggshell;
• skim milk, cottage cheese;
• cabbage and beet greens;
• vegetables: carrots, boiled potato tubers, pumpkin;
• melon seeds.

It is not recommended to increase the volume of grains in the diet and reduce the volume of juicy foods. Laying hens will begin to get fat, which will negatively affect egg production.

Chickens peck each other until they bleed: why and what to do?

Chickens can peck and pluck feathers from each other for various reasons, let's look at the main ones:

• unbalanced feed (lack of protein);
• intense lighting and too long daylight hours;
• stocking density in the chicken coop;
• lack of feeders or drinkers;
• keeping without walking;
• high humidity or air temperature in the chicken coop;
• the presence of external parasites or mechanical damage to one of the individuals.

Having learned about the main reasons why chickens peck feathers and each other, let's move on to the question of what to do about it and how to help chickens get out of this state.

Nutrition

Try changing your diet, make it more balanced in protein:

add animal protein to the feed: earthworms, fish or meat and bone meal, whey, skim milk, cottage cheese, buttermilk, fermented milk products;

Attention! To prevent zinc oxide poisoning, the listed products should not be stored or fed in galvanized containers.

include vegetable proteins in your diet: peas, soybeans and beans, sunflower meal and cake, rapeseed, feed yeast;

add premixes to the mixture;

Give sulfur at the rate of 0.5-1 g per head.

Content

make the lighting red or blue, the duration of daylight hours should be 12-14 hours, the power of the light bulbs should not be bright;

place birds at the rate of 10 per square meter;

check if there are enough feeders and drinkers for everyone;

organize good ventilation of the chicken coop (but without drafts);

organize ash “baths” for chickens - ash with river sand and sulfur;

let your chickens go for walks more often;

In the poultry house, hang nettle brooms, bunches of tops or heads of cabbage.

Sometimes owners have to trim (debeck) the upper beak of chickens by 1/3 of the length.

Treat injured individuals with green paint and remove them from the general flock for a while until they heal. If the main instigators of bites do not calm down after changing the diet or living conditions, use it for meat.

A little history about feeding birds

In Russia at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries. Special poultry farming schools appeared, under the patronage of members of the royal family. In these schools, everyone was taught the basics of poultry farming. The books of the famous Russian poultry farmer I.I.Abozin most often served as teaching aids. Here, for example, is what he wrote about poultry feed.

Poultry feeds mainly on a variety of grains. In addition, they eat the stems of various herbs and their seeds, as well as the leaves of many trees and shrubs. Various vegetables, berries and fruits serve as a treat for them.

In addition to plant foods, poultry eat animal foods. They eat a lot of earthworms, slugs, various insects and their larvae.

They eagerly eat fish and meat of various animals, crushed bones, and frogs. This omnivorous nature makes it easier to keep poultry and helps reduce the cost of their food. Grain feed serves as their main food; the rest of the feed can be called supplementary feed. It goes without saying that the grain feed must be of good quality, i.e. not rotten, not spoiled by worms, not burnt, etc.

Chickens lose feathers on their back and neck: why and what to do?

Perhaps chickens have the disease “alopecia”. It affects poultry and primarily causes hair loss in the tail, neck and back areas. Without the proper reaction, the chickens' feathers will completely fall out and they will even lose their down.

This disease is caused by the most banal reason - a lack of minerals. Or rather calcium, iodine, phosphorus, sulfur and sometimes manganese. Although it is possible that birds may be attacked by lice and feather eaters.

The methods of dealing with the first reason are simple. Mineral baits and vitamins, which are sold in pet stores, must be added to the daily diet of chickens. During the molting period, add sulfur to your chickens' feed (0.2-0.3 grams per laying hen per serving) or Glauber's salt (1 gram per bird per day). Solutions of potassium permanganate and potassium iodide restore the balance of minerals well. You can simply add them a little to the drinking bowl in the morning.

And you can get rid of parasites by treating them with special drugs, the name of which will be given to you at the veterinary pharmacy.

To prevent the appearance of parasites, be sure to install a trough with a sand-ash mixture in the area where birds are accessible - this will help the chickens protect themselves from the scourge. If possible, install several ultraviolet lamps. This will help not only protect against parasites, but also increase egg production and the winter period.

Do not forget that the poultry house needs to be cleaned and disinfected. Check that the ventilation is good and that there is enough sunlight entering the house, as it is an excellent disinfectant.

How to prepare feed for laying hens?

At home, of course, it is best to prepare feed for laying hens with your own hands. It is both cheaper and easier to maintain. All food is divided into two groups: soft and hard. We consider all grain mixtures to be solid. They are prepared taking into account the number of birds for each day. To do this, various types of grain and seeds are purchased and mixed according to standards.

We include all vegetables, root vegetables, steamed grains and bran, chopped greens with the addition of flour as wet food. All this is easy to prepare with your own hands. For example, for daily feeding, you can grate vegetables or boil potatoes, add finely chopped herbs, steamed bran and season everything with cake. From grain or bone meal you can make a mash containing whey.

Here are some more tips on how to properly prepare chicken food:

• potatoes and peelings need to be boiled and mashed;
• all vegetables are grated on a coarse grater;
• The bird eats shell rock and mineral feed crushed;
• fish and meat waste, as well as from the table, cannot be fed raw;
• Young animals eat grain in flattened and ground form;
• In winter, grains can be sprouted, increasing their value and nutritional value with your own hands;
• soak the legumes and boil the beans;
• In order for chickens to lay eggs, you can use yeast - correctly 5-10 grams of yeast per 1 kg of feed.

Daily ration of laying hens in different months of the year (per 1 bird)

The daily portion (ration) for one hen can be as follows:

Diet of laying hens in December-March

In the morning - a lukewarm mixture:

• potatoes - 80 g,
• wheat bran - 40,
• kitchen waste - 20.

At lunch or in the evening:

barley, oats or wheat (alternately - 40 g.

Diet of laying hens in April-May

In the morning:

wheat, barley or oats - 20 g.

For lunch soft food (mash):

• potatoes - 70 g,
• bran - 30 g,
• bone meal - 20 g.

In the evening - barley or wheat - 40 g.

Diet of laying hens in June-September

In the morning:

For lunch, mash:

• potatoes - 60 g,
• bran - 30 g, k
• bone meal - 20 g.

In the evening:

barley, wheat or oats - 40 g (alternately).

Diet of laying hens in October-November

In the morning: lukewarm, moist mash:

• potatoes - 60 g,
• wheat bran - 30 g.

In the evening:

barley, oats or wheat - 40 g.

Crushed eggshells, gravel, and old plaster are constantly available.

These tips on feeding laying hens were given by a famous Russian poultry farmer back in 1902. So many years have passed, but his advice is still worth listening to today.

I recommend you a new interesting video that may be useful in your hobbies!

Types of feed: which one is good for laying hens

For those who raise poultry, it is very important to remember that a correctly selected balance of all vital components will help raise a healthy and productive flock. In this regard, when composing the daily menu, it is worth considering the presence of the following components

1. Protein - this component helps the full 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; • shellfish; • 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 organize the full functioning of the bird’s entire body; for this it is recommended to add to the food: pumpkin; • potato; • fodder beets; • carrot; • whole grains.
4. Vitamins are very important for chickens, especially vitamins A, B, D. If they are not enough in the diet, this can cause pain in the laying hen’s body, which will negatively affect her egg production. To avoid this, the poultry menu includes: pine flour; • fish fat; • green grass; • silo; • regular yeast.
5. Minerals are responsible for the structure of the chicken’s bone corset and for the formation of the egg shell. Therefore, it is worth adding to poultry food: bone meal; • wood ash; • chalk; • crushed shells; • gravel; • lime.

Feed mixture for laying hens

Chicken eggs have thin or soft shells: what should you do, what should you feed your chickens?

A thin shell of a chicken egg, especially in the spring, is one of the first signs of a lack of vitamins and minerals necessary for the bird. Of particular importance for chickens are elements such as phosphorus and calcium, as well as vitamin D, or the “sunshine” vitamin, as it is also commonly called. The presence of the first two substances in the correct ratio is responsible for the normal formation of bones in young animals and shells in laying hens. For example, the rate of calcium and phosphorus for chickens is 0.7-0.9% of the total daily feed volume.

Also signs of calcium deficiency are decreased appetite, delays in growth, development, and light bones.

Vitamin D has a significant effect on the absorption of both elements. With its deficiency, they are not absorbed by the body, resulting in rickets, deterioration of the bone tissue of the extremities (lameness appears in chickens, weakness of the legs). Chickens lay eggs either without a shell or with a film coating. Vitamin D deficiency can be further aggravated by a lack of essential minerals for chicken. You can compensate for its deficiency by giving chickens Tetravit, Trivitamin, which can be bought by going to a specialized store.

In order to strengthen the shells of eggs and to prevent a lack of vitamins and minerals, chickens should be given supplements containing phosphorus and calcium: shell rock, chalk, meat and bone meal, fish oil, slaked lime, etc. You can treat birds with ash, cottage cheese, or their own crushed shells, which must be boiled, dried and crushed into powder.

It takes about 2.1-2.3 g of calcium to form the egg shells of a chicken, which means that she needs to receive about 4.5 g of this element per day. At the same time, the bird should eat at least 50% of calcium-containing supplements after lunch (at about 2-3 p.m.) - this option will allow the chicken’s body to receive calcium in accordance with its physiological needs for shell formation. This way it will be stronger and better quality. It is better to give limestone in the morning, and crushed shells in the afternoon, since it will linger in the digestive system longer than the first feeding option. Also, the chicken must have the opportunity to walk in the sun.

The correct calcium-phosphorus ratio is also very important for chickens. Optimal for laying hens is 3-5:1. Disruption of this balance can also cause shell fragility.

A lack of manganese and zinc can also reduce the strength of egg integument. An excellent source of the first element is bran, root vegetables, and grass.

It should be remembered that the quality of the shell is greatly influenced by the calm, measured life of the bird. Under stress, as well as during illness, the chicken will not be able to lay good eggs. The quality of the product is greatly affected by bird flu, bronchitis, and encephalomyelitis.

Prohibited foods for chickens and chickens

Exotic fruits

The contraindication is relative: it is unknown how the bird’s body will perceive the “exotic”. So it’s better to leave yourself pineapple, kiwi and other essential oil oranges with starchy bananas.

Dairy

Chickens do not have the enzyme to digest lactose, so whole milk products, cheese, and butter are strictly excluded. Fatty fermented milk too (see above for permitted fermented milk).

Sweets

Sweets, especially flour, are only harmful to birds. Just like bread, it provokes fermentation and unfavorable changes in flora in the digestive tract of birds.

Potatoes and tops

Potatoes, as already stated, can only be boiled, ungreened and very rarely, in small quantities. It is also better not to give cleaning to chickens.

Food from the table

Of all the foods on the table, the only foods the chickens will eat are salads without dressing and vegetable soups. We also wrote above about bread crusts and all kinds of pasta. But always collect and grind the shells, especially in winter.

Frequently asked questions

The answers to the most common questions are as follows.

Is it possible to feed chickens bread?

Bread is a product rich in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are a source of energy. You can feed stale white bread to birds. However, no more than once a day in an amount of no more than 40% of the daily ration. A fresh loaf of bread is good only for humans, but it is not useful for the feathered inhabitant of the farmstead. Black bread has high acidity, which disrupts the normal functioning of the bird's stomach. Sweet baked goods cause fermentation in the gastrointestinal tract, so they are contraindicated for laying hens. Moldy bread for chicken feed is a prohibited product, since mold fungi can cause poisoning.

Bread

Is it possible to feed chickens cheese?

Cheese is a product made from milk. The chicken body is designed in such a way that it does not have enzymes that process lactose. Feeding poultry cheese can provoke the development of dysbacteriosis.

Is it possible to feed chickens fish?

Including fish in the diet of laying hens has a beneficial effect on the quality of the shell. However, due to inexperience, this product can harm the bird. Do not feed poultry salted fish. The product must be well boiled, as hard bones can damage the internal organs of the bird. Fish as food strengthens bones and allows you to quickly build muscle mass. But frequent feeding of this product to birds can lead to dehydration.

Is it possible to feed laying hens oats?

One of the obligatory products in the diet of chickens is grain. Oats, barley or wheat should be present in the daily diet in an amount of more than 50 g. Another product that is recommended to be fed to poultry on a regular basis is mash. It is a mixture of bran and flour. The mash contains ground oat or wheat grains.

These are the most common questions that beginner poultry farmers have. However, there is one more question that requires an answer: is it possible to feed chickens bread every day? Since bread is a nutritious and satisfying product, it is possible and necessary to feed chickens, and especially laying hens, with it in winter. It is better to do this in combination with additives of plant origin or mash with millet, grains and cereals. To do this, stale or dried bread products are soaked and then mixed with other ingredients. For chickens, in particular laying hens, who have the opportunity to roam, such additives, together with boiled potatoes and other leftover food, are also well suited at other times of the year.

Vegetables in the diet of chickens

Having a vegetable garden for a novice poultry farmer is a good help for providing birds with food. The chicken willingly pecks at the boiled potatoes. Any vegetable peelings are tasty food for chickens. You can also feed with small potatoes, which were often simply left in the garden as future fertilizer. You can feed chickens with any root crops growing on the site:

• beet,
• carrot,
• potato,
• turnip;
• radish.

To increase the egg production of a laying hen, she is specially fed carrots in the amount of 30 grams per day. The bird eats this food together with potatoes very quickly.