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When Raising Chickens in Winter, These Steps Must Be Taken Care Of!

Views: 45656 Author: Phoenix Publish Time: 2023-11-09 Origin: Phoenix Breeding Equipment

In winter, the daily temperature and the temperature difference between day and night vary greatly. In order to ensure a warm and comfortable living environment for the chickens, so that the production performance of the chickens can be better utilized, several checks must be paid attention to.

1.Temperature is an eternal topic in raising chickens

The temperature inside the chicken house should be maintained at 18℃~23℃, and the minimum should not be lower than 15℃. In case of windy weather, the tarpaulin should be rolled up (half or all of it depending on the changes in external temperature) to prevent the wind from causing the temperature inside the house to drop suddenly. Adjust the size of the air inlets daily based on weather conditions and flock performance. The air inlet should be firmly fixed with iron wire or rope to the plastic sheet and plywood to allow the wind to blow upward. Do not let the cold wind blow directly on the chickens to prevent cold stress from causing disease in the chickens. Do not open the wind window facing the temperature controller to prevent cold wind from blowing directly into the temperature controller, causing the surrounding temperature to be inconsistent with the actual temperature in the chicken house. When installing a timed temperature-controlled exhaust fan, choose one with complete louvers instead of a north-facing exhaust fan.

Clean the dust from the heater before winter. When you first turn on the heater, keep its louvers parallel so that the hot air fills the chicken coop evenly. The workroom door and the chicken coop door must be closed and do not open at the same time to prevent cold wind from blowing directly into the chicken coop. Observe the chickens carefully every day. If the chickens are lying on the shed with their back hair standing up, it means that the chicken house is too cold. If there are no chickens or very few chickens on the shelf or on the ground at one end of the air inlet in the chicken house, it means it is cold here. The air inlet should be adjusted or the air leakage should be blocked to prevent stress and cause the chickens to catch colds. Check the exhaust fan belt and motor before leaving get off work every day to see if the temperature-controlled exhaust fan is sensitive. Watch the weather forecast every day to take precautions in advance.

2. Ventilation is an issue that must be raised when raising chickens

Due to the low temperature in winter, the doors and windows of the chicken house are tightly closed and the ventilation volume is reduced. However, the exhaust gas emitted by the chickens and harmful gases such as ammonia, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide produced by the fermentation of chicken manure still exist, which can easily induce respiratory and other diseases in chickens. Therefore, it is necessary to effectively handle the relationship between ventilation and warmth, and promptly remove feces and debris in the chicken house. Generally, ventilation can be carried out in a small area, and peracetic acid should be used to disinfect the chicken house to neutralize the ammonia in the chicken house and keep the air in the chicken house fresh.

Before winter begins, repair areas that should not be exposed to wind, especially air leaks at the exhaust fan, to prevent local cold air from causing poor ventilation in the house and low temperatures near the exhaust fan, which may cause the chickens to become ill. And affect production. When there is a strong ammonia smell in the house, the temperature inside the house should be increased first, and then the ventilation volume should be increased. When the air in the house is relatively dirty in the morning, if it is necessary to increase the ventilation volume, it should be gradually increased. It is best to do it at noon when the temperature is high. It is better to use a shorter ventilation time and more ventilation times. Be sure not to leave any dead corners when ventilating. If you want to increase the number of exhaust fans that are turned on, you must be cautious. After the increase, carefully observe the performance of the chickens and proceed without any adverse reactions.

3. Humidity is a challenge in raising chickens

The litter is drier in winter, and controlling moisture in the chicken house in cold weather can sometimes be a big challenge. If the air exchange rate is too low, over time moisture will accumulate in the litter and ammonia production will increase, leading to increased pad and leg problems. If the air exchange rate is too high, the house will become very dry and the heating costs we are concerned about will increase significantly. In addition, the ventilation in the chicken house is small in winter and the evaporation of water is reduced. The hot air in the house will condense into a large amount of water droplets when it comes into contact with the cold roof and walls, causing excessive humidity in the chicken house and creating an environment for the proliferation of bacteria and parasites. condition.

Therefore, spray water or spray disinfection frequently. If there is water under the scaffolding. When the temperature inside the house is suitable, increase ventilation. Lower the water pressure of the nipple drinking line to less than 10 cm, or adjust the water level of the drinking fountain to less than 1 cm. Check the drinking water line frequently, and any leaking nipple connectors in drinking fountains should be replaced or repaired immediately. If the drinking fountain leaks, it should be dealt with promptly to prevent the leakage from causing excessive ammonia smell in the chicken house and affecting the health of the chickens.

The temperature and humidity of the chicken house are two important environmental factors that affect the growth and development of broiler chickens. Whether the temperature and humidity are properly controlled is directly related to the growth and development of broiler chickens.

4.chicken house temperature control.

Broiler chickens are small in the early stage of raising, have sparse villi, poor body temperature regulation ability, and are very sensitive to changes in ambient temperature. Therefore, a suitable temperature environment must be created for them. Temperature is the most important factor during the brooding stage.

Broilers can achieve higher survival rate, weight gain rate and feed return in a suitable temperature environment. Whether the temperature for each brooding is appropriate depends on the dynamic performance of the chicks:

(1) When the temperature is suitable, the chicks are evenly distributed indoors, lively and active, with smooth feathers and close to the body surface. They are relatively quiet when sleeping and rush to eat.

(2) When the temperature is too low, the chicks will exhibit hypothermia symptoms. The chicks will be crowded near the heat source or in a corner, with fluffy feathers, listlessness, and continuous cries. If this happens for a long time, it is easy for the chicks to catch cold or be crushed to death. The chicks must be warmed immediately and huddles dispersed.

(3) When the temperature is too high, the chicks stay away from the heat source, spread their wings, crawl and lie down, pant with their mouths open, and rush to drink water. There is often no water in the drinking fountain, but the down is wet. Over time, the chicks will become weak, their growth will be stunted, and they may even die from heat. When the temperature is too high, gradually cool down, but be aware that a sudden drop in temperature can cause a cold.

Therefore, attention must be paid to controlling the temperature of the chicken house during the entire raising period of broiler chickens. A thermometer can be placed at an appropriate location in the house for observation, and certain measures can be taken to cool down or heat up. For example, in the hot season, when the temperature inside the chicken house is high, you can open the doors, windows and vents, turn on the fan or exhaust fan, increase the ventilation in the house, and lower the temperature inside the house. If necessary, cold water can be sprayed on the ground or sprayed on the roof to cool down.

In the cold season, the insulation and heating of the chicken house should be strengthened, the doors and windows should be closed, and stoves, flues, heaters or infrared lamps should be used to heat the chicken houses. However, proper ventilation should be considered to avoid inducing respiratory diseases, ascites syndrome, etc. Or suffocation or poisoning may occur. In addition, when building a chicken house, the roof and walls should be made of materials with good thermal insulation properties, which is very important for preventing cold and heatstroke in the chicken house.

5. chicken house humidity control Under normal circumstances, the relative humidity does not have a great impact on the chickens.

It is better to keep them dry to prevent bacterial reproduction and infection, but the relative humidity should not be lower than 40%. It should be maintained at 60%--70% in the first 2 weeks of brooding, and 50%--60% thereafter. When the brooding is too dry in the early stages of brooding, you can spray the ground or surrounding walls with water appropriately, or place a water basin on the heat source to evaporate the water vapor to increase the humidity inside the house.

As broiler chickens age, their feed intake, water drinking, respiration and excretion increase day by day, and the humidity inside the house gradually increases. Especially in rainy seasons, it is easy for excessive humidity to occur. Commonly used moisture-proof measures include: : Timely remove wet feces and litter in the house, increase ventilation in the house, lay a moisture-proof layer on the floor of the chicken house to avoid leakage of the drinking water system, etc.

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