Good feed promotes good behaviour
Feed affects a hen’s behaviour and wellbeing, which influences their laying, quality of eggs and the health of their offspring.
If you are keeping hens for egg production, then a good feeding regime is imperative to provide them with the correct nutrients. The feed should have a balance of good quality protein and fibre to keep your hens full and provide beneficial bacteria in their gut. It’s also important that it contains enhanced levels of vitamins for regular egg production, good fertility, hatchability and chick viability. A lack of specific nutrients can impact egg production, shell quality and even the bird's health.
It’s crucial to focus on providing new chicks the best foundations, as this can significantly impact their future development and laying capacity. Early feeding has a positive effect on poultry production by improving yolk utilisation, growth rate, development of digestive and immune systems which result in an overall superior performance.
Feed quality is another crucial matter for the appropriate development of chicks in their first week. Chicks come from a different environment in the embryonic phase, and they depend on various factors to start adjusting to new conditions.
Poultry diets should be supported by environmental factors
Water is regularly overlooked, but it is one of the most imperative nutrients- an animal can live longer without food, than it can without water. Hens drink more than we may realise and in a laying flock, a lack of water for even a few hours can lead to lower egg production. Water consumption also plays a significant part in the start of a chicks’ life. From the first day of a chick’s life, the water to food ratio should be 2:1 as chicks need water to eat their food, because they do not produce a lot of saliva. Therefore, fresh, clean water should be available at all times. There is no exact quantity of water required, because multiple factors affect how much a bird needs: age, body condition, diet, temperature, water quality, and humidity. As a general guideline, poultry consume twice as much water as feed.
Pay attention to the way you supply the feed to your hens, ensuring that a fully balanced diet which meets the requirements of the bird is equally received, whilst also reducing feed waste. Feeding and watering equipment must be designed, built, positioned and upheld so that contamination of food and water and the harmful effects of competition between animals are minimised. Gravity fed drinkers are a good way of keeping your birds hydrated and should be suspended to avoid soiling. Body weight, body condition, egg quality and production can all be used to observe the success of your feeding regime.