Feeding in hot weather Diluting the feed with raw feed
ec te
d
The more time chickens spend feeding and foraging for food (scratching, scraping the ground and pecking), the happier they are. In a non-cage system you can encourage this behaviour with raw feed (e.g. lucerne hay) or loose grains in the scratching area. In a cage system you can dilute the laying feed with ground raw feed. Chickens compensate for the diluted feed by eating more of it. Diluting down to 10-15% has no adverse effects on production. Supplementary feeding or diluting usually produces healthier chickens, lower mortality and less risk of feather pecking.
Hens often eat less in hot weather. This mainly has implications for older rearing hens and hens aged up to about 35 weeks. An energy or protein deficiency will soon result in slower growth, lower egg production and higher mortality. A period of two hot weeks can cause financial losses of as much as 80 euro cents per free-range hen. The shell quality is also poorer because of the extra excretion of minerals, higher blood pH and lower calcium intake. They also need more vitamin C than they can produce or absorb themselves. Modified feeds can help, as can adding vitamin C to the drinking water. Ask your feed supplier about the modified feeds available.
Are there down feathers in the litter? If the hens are eating the down, there is stress in the flock. This stress causes the gastrointestinal-system of the hen to malfunction. The animal wants to compensate this by eating parts with structure. These are, among others, feathers. This stress can be caused by: ● house climate ● lack of structure in the feed ● shortage of nutrients ● infections. Often it is a combination of these factors. Always involve your feed supplier and change the feed composition if necessary. For example, provide more high fibre products. Don’t forget to consult the vet.
Pr
ot
Deficiency signal: eating feathers
Scattering grain activates their natural behaviour and encourages the hens to spread well throughout the house.
60
Poultry S i g n a l s