The health and egg-laying of domestic birds directly depend on the diet. Poultry must receive all the necessary nutrients every day. Feeding young laying hens is different from what should be given to old individuals. In winter, special attention is paid to nutrition, since chickens cannot get food on their own. Let’s consider what is the best diet for chickens depending on age and season.

How much feed does a laying hen need per day

How much does a laying hen need to eat per day to maximize laying? Experienced farmers calculated the feed rate per day for laying hens based on the following indicators:

  • seasonality;
  • individual weight;
  • genetic orientation;
  • breed.

How much does a chicken eat per day? An individual weighing one and a half kilograms should eat 120 grams of feed per day. A two-kilogram individual eats 130 grams. Next, 10 grams of grain are added for every 0.25 kg of weight.

The diet of chickens depends on age and season

In addition to cereals, the daily ration includes (in grams):

  • wet mixes – 30;
  • boiled potatoes – 100;
  • cake – 7;
  • chalk – 3;
  • salt – 0.5;
  • bone meal – 2;
  • yeast – 1.

For better absorption, some cereals are steamed. Experienced breeders recommend not to mix dry and steamed grain, but to alternate, because chickens do not glaze everything in a row, but choose the product they like best. The bird may not get the daily amount of grain. Fresh greens must be present.

The components must be of high quality and fresh. If the hen eats spoiled grain or sour wet mixes, her performance will decrease. In the most severe cases, the individual will get sick and may die.

Dependence of the norm on the age of chickens

The diet directly depends on the age of the individual laying hen. How to properly feed laying hens at this or that age?

1-7 weeks

The first feeding of new stock is carried out 8 hours after hatching. How many times to feed new livestock? Chicks are fed often – every 2 hours, until the age of 10 days. Diet for ten chicks:

  • chopped egg – 1 pc.;
  • 50 grams of semolina, but you can also use corn.

The egg can be replaced with 50 grams of sour milk cheese. Some prepare a dry mixture of crushed flakes of Hercules, compound feed, powdered milk and one tablet of a multivitamin complex.

From the 3rd day of life, greens are introduced, from the 5th – crumbly mixtures prepared in sour milk or broth. It is allowed to give meat and fish waste – no more than 7 grams per chicken.

From the 10th day of life, vegetables are introduced: potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, and others. Vegetables should be chopped. At the same age, they begin to give chalk and crushed eggshell.

Starting from the 10th day and up to one and a half months, the chicks are fed 5 times a day. From 1.5 months they are transferred to four meals a day.

From the 11th day of life, the ration is enriched with nutritional yeast – no more than 3% of the total weight of the feed, from the 12th, ground grains are gradually replaced with crushed ones. The size of the grains should not exceed 3 mm.

By the age of one month, the rate of consumption of compound feed is up to 30 grams, by the age of two months – 50 grams.

Chickens need to drink a lot. Regularly check the fullness of the drinking bowls. Change the water twice a day.

The cleanliness of feeders is an important point. Wet mixtures are given to chicks in such quantity that the bird has time to eat the volume in half an hour. After 30 minutes, the mixture starts to sour, loses vitamins and minerals. An acidic product can lead to the death of a chick. Uneaten remains are recommended to be removed from feeders.

8-20 weeks

From the age of two months, the amount of food increases. At this age, young animals consume up to 70 grams of compound feed. The diet of laying hens is narrowed and the caloric content of consumed products is reduced in order to avoid the early formation of the reproductive system.

If the individual starts laying too early, the eggs will be small in size. This situation will persist throughout the laying period of the bird. Farmers recommend replacing part of the crushed cereals with grass flour or fresh greens. Sunflower cake is also suitable. Approximate ration of a laying hen, starting from the 60th day of life (in grams):

  • cereals – 45;
  • cake – 2;
  • boiled potatoes – 20;
  • low-fat cheese – 4;
  • sour milk – 30;
  • fresh greens – 20;
  • crushed shells, chalk – 0.9;
  • bone meal – 0.9;
  • salt – 0.1.

From the 20th week, each chicken should eat 95 grams of compound feed. At the same time, the calorie content should be up to 270 kcal per 100 grams. Menu of laying hens in the 20th week (in grams):

  • millet – 354
  • barley – 29;
  • millet – 10;
  • bran – 10;
  • yeast – 3.5;
  • bone meal – 3;
  • chalk – 1.5;
  • salt – 0.5.

20-45 weeks

By the 27th week of life, the laying hen eats 110 grams of compound feed per day, at the 45th week, the norm is increased to 120. This is the most productive age, so the birds need the most balanced and complete nutrition. Approximate ration for one chicken per day (in grams):

  • corn – 40;
  • millet – 20;
  • barley – 30;
  • oats – 30;
  • wet mixture – 30;
  • boiled potatoes – 100;
  • cake – 7;
  • chalk – 3;
  • salt – 0.5;
  • bone meal – 2;
  • yeast – 1.

After 45 weeks

After the 45th week and until the end of life, egg-laying birds are given about 120 grams of compound feed. Two meals a day. Approximate ration in grams:

  • millet – 50;
  • barley – 40;
  • bran – 20;
  • chopped shells of molluscs – 5;
  • meat and bone meal – 1;
  • salt – 0.5.

The maximum calorie content is no more than 260 kilocalories per 100 grams of product.

Overfeeding and malnutrition

A rich and complete diet of laying hens is not the only aspect that a farmer should worry about. Do not overfeed the birds and avoid malnutrition.

If a laying hen eats too much, her energy will be directed to building subcutaneous fat. This will lead to reduced productivity and obesity.

Undernourished individuals lose their feathers, become lethargic, their productivity is much lower than normal – they can even get sick and die of starvation.

Complete, balanced and sufficient nutrition of chickens is the key to high egg production and good health of the entire flock.

The diet of chickens at different times of the year

For the full development of laying hens at home, they need a large amount of vitamins and trace elements. In order for the chicken to receive a balanced diet, farmers adjust the diet depending on the season. In the summer, birds can independently find certain food on a walk. In winter, it is necessary to introduce products prepared in advance.

Winter

Juicy vegetables must be in the diet in the winter period:

  • zucchini;
  • pumpkin;
  • carrot.

Mashed boiled potatoes or beets are added to the mixture. The last feeding of laying hens per day should consist of cereals. Winter ration in grams:

  • cereals – 55;
  • bran – 10;
  • cake – 10;
  • milk – 14;
  • yeast – 1;
  • bone or fish meal – 5;
  • boiled potatoes – 40;
  • chalk – 4;
  • salt – 0.5.

Herbal flour must be present in the diet. Mixtures are prepared in heated liquid so that the chickens can digest the feed before it freezes. In winter, protein-enriched feed should be present in the diet. All necessary substances and trace elements are present in industrial mixtures. But not everyone can afford such food.

Summer

In the summer season, the feeding rate is slightly different from the winter season (in grams):

  • cereals – 45;
  • bran – 10;
  • cake – 11;
  • milk – 10;
  • yeast – 1;
  • bone or fish meal – 10;
  • fresh greens – 60;
  • chalk – 5;
  • salt – 0.5.

The birds get their greens independently in the open field. But if the birds are kept in a closed room, then green fodder should be given to them by the farmer.

Spring

In the spring, the approximate ration in grams will be as follows:

  • greens – 20;
  • gravel – 1;
  • yeast – 4;
  • cake – 13;
  • crushed cereals – 55;
  • meat and bone meal – 7;
  • carrots – 20;
  • reverse – 30;
  • bran – 10;
  • chalk – 5.

Autumn

The amount of feed for laying hens in autumn is almost the same as in spring:

  • greens – 20;
  • gravel – 1;
  • yeast – 3;
  • cake – 12;
  • crushed cereals – 55;
  • meat and bone meal – 5;
  • carrots – 20;
  • reverse – 20;
  • bran – 10;
  • chalk – 4 grams.

The diet of chickens depends on age and season

Types of fodder

The nutrition of laying hens should be complete and balanced. What products are included in the daily diet:

  • compound feed;
  • mixture;
  • grain;
  • grass and roots;
  • feeding

To understand the importance of this or that product, you should consider the properties of each of them in more detail.

Combined feed

Combined feed is a universal food, enriched with all the necessary vitamins and minerals. There are mixtures for chicks, egg and meat breeds. Chicks are fed “Start” feed. The mixture is intended for birds from the first hours of life to 14 days. It includes:

  • millet;
  • corn;
  • soybean meal;
  • sunflower meal;
  • fish meal;
  • limestone flour;
  • salt;
  • vitamins;
  • minerals;
  • vegetable oil.

The ratio of nutrients in the mixture:

  • crushed cereals – 62%.
  • protein-enriched products – 35%.
  • vitamins and trace elements – 3%.

The caloric value of compound feed is 300 kilocalories per 100 grams of mixture.

Feed for young is intended for laying hens from 7 days to 8 weeks. The composition should contain a probiotic as a preventive measure against diseases. The approximate calorie content is 290 kilocalories per 100 grams of the mixture.

Adult chickens from 8 to 16 weeks of age are given a lower-calorie compound feed to avoid early development or obesity. The calorie content is 260 kilocalories per 100 grams of the mixture. Enzymes and probiotics should be included in the composition.

From the 16th week, birds are transferred to a mixture with enzymes. They contribute to digestion and assimilation of food. The nutritional value of the mixture is 260-270 kilocalories per 100 grams of compound feed.

Ready feed is given twice a day in the summer, three times a day in the winter. An adult laying hen needs 120-130 grams of mixture per day.

A mixture

The mixture is a porridge-like compound feed. There are two types of hybrids:

  • Moisture is a mixture steamed in a liquid.
  • Dry – crushed or whole grains mixed with additional components.

In addition to cereals, boiled vegetables, cake, flour, bone meal, yeast, fats, and vitamin supplements are added to the dry mixture.

Wet mixtures are steamed in water, meat and fish broth, abrata (milk water), kefir or sour milk. All ingredients are combined and poured with warm liquid. Some farmers prefer to pour boiling water or boil.

The finished wet mixture should have at least 30% liquid.

The wet mixture is well absorbed by the laying hen’s body. The main thing is that the mixture is always fresh. Acidic food can harm the chicken’s health and even cause death. After preparation, it is stored for no more than two hours. The portion should be calculated so that the individual could eat it completely in half an hour.

The mixture is given in the morning or at lunch time. After receiving wet food, the feeders must be cleaned of the remains of uneaten food and washed. Although the mixtures are extremely useful and easily digestible, they are not convenient for large livestock. It takes a lot of time to prepare them and then clean the feeders.

For small farms, wet mixture is a real find. How to prepare the mixture:

  1. Boil vegetables, food waste.
  2. Vitamins, salt, and mineral additives are dissolved in the pre-prepared liquid chosen as the basis for the mixture.
  3. Crushed cereals and other dry components are added to the same liquid.
  4. Leave the mixture for 15-30 minutes.
  5. Boiled vegetables are mashed or grated on a coarse grater and added to the mixture.
  6. The mixture is ready for use.

Some vegetables can be left unpeeled before serving, for example, potatoes or carrots. Beets are cleaned and the lower rhizome is cut. In the summer, chopped greens are added to the mixture. Before grinding, it should be washed well from the ground.

In winter, if there is no fresh greens, it is replaced with grass flour. For its preparation, annual greens are collected, dried and ground into powder. In winter, potatoes must be peeled before adding to the mixture. A large amount of hydrocyanic acid accumulates in the skin of old potatoes, which is harmful.

If the mixture is eaten in 20 minutes or less, it means that the livestock is undernourished, and the portion should be increased. If there is food left in the feeders after 40 minutes, the amount of feed should be reduced.

Cereal crops

Cereal crops make up about 60% of the diet. The young grain is ground, and the adults are crushed or given whole. It is recommended to soak part of the whole grain before giving it to laying hens.

In the summer, it is recommended to give laying hens the following cereals:

  • Barley – thanks to it, chicken meat will be tastier and juicier.
  • Oats – a maximum of 20% of the total amount of grain can be given to birds per day, as oats are difficult to digest.
  • Millet is rich in fiber, which is necessary for adult laying hens. Young millet is replaced with millet.

Barley, oat grains and millet increase productivity. In winter, it is better to give:

  • Corn. Contains a lot of fats, carbohydrates, starch. These substances are necessary in the cold season. Corn is very nutritious.
  • Wheat – contains vitamins B and E.
  • Buckwheat – farmers advise not to give too much buckwheat, because it is difficult for the stomach. No more than 10% of the total mass of grain crops can be given per day.
  • Flax and sunflower seeds – activate the process of accumulation of fat layer, which protects the bird from hypothermia. The seeds increase excitability, which helps to increase productivity.

Grass and roots

Fresh greens should be approximately 20% of the total feed rate per day. Grass is a source of vitamins and nutrients. It helps food to be better absorbed. Special value in the green part of young plants.

Which herbs are better for laying hens:

  • Alfalfa is rich in vitamin A, which improves vision.
  • Sprouted wheat – contains vitamin E. Increases fertility, has general strengthening properties.
  • Sorrel is enriched with vitamin C, which strengthens immunity.
  • Clover – contains a large amount of protein.
  • Tansy, yarrow – get rid of worms.
  • Watercress is rich in calcium.
  • Amaranth is a source of protein.

Chickens are given greens: onion feathers, lettuce, sorrel, dandelion leaves, nettles, clover, plantain. Free-ranging adults often choose dandelions, clover, nettles, milk thistle, plantain, dill, parsley, green onions.

Not all greens are edible for chickens. Harmful greens:

  • buckeye;
  • blackness;
  • belladonna;
  • juniper;
  • potato inflorescence;
  • elderberry;
  • hellebore;
  • laburnum;
  • darnel;
  • spotted hemlock.

Root crops are useful for laying hens, especially in winter. The main root crops in the diet of chickens:

  • potato;
  • carrot;
  • beet;
  • pumpkin;
  • turnip.

Before serving, vegetables are boiled or served raw. Be sure to peel and grind on a coarse grater.

Feeding

Laying hens should receive vitamin supplements that contribute to:

  • strengthening immunity;
  • productivity improvement;
  • improvement of egg production;
  • increasing resistance to the influence of external factors.

Special attention is paid to nutrition rich in calcium. With age, the level of calcium in the bird’s body decreases, which leads to brittle bones and weak egg shells. Which products contain a large amount of the trace element:

  • chalk;
  • shells;
  • bone meal;
  • crushed eggshell.

Calcium products are added to food or given to birds separately.

Experienced poultry farmers recommend giving premixes to chickens – nutrients that include calcium, phosphorus, amino acids and other useful substances.

Causes of low productivity related to nutrition

The hen begins to lay poorly if:

  • too much food and the bird overeats;
  • there is not enough food;
  • the products were stale, and the laying hen was poisoned;
  • the diet is unbalanced, it lacks useful substances;
  • there is not enough water in the drinking bowls;
  • too much water and it stagnates.

The diet of chickens depends on age and season

Useful recommendations

People who are well-versed in the topic of keeping egg breeds of hens recommend studying the nutrition of poultry well. The productivity of birds directly depends on the diet.

Useful recommendations:

  • Sprouted grain should be given to chickens. The supplement is relevant in the winter period, when there are no fresh greens. Part of the grain culture is poured with warm water. Grain readiness is determined by green sprouts.
  • Food should be fresh and of high quality. Acidic foods can be fatal.
  • If the laying hen prefers corn instead of buckwheat, buckwheat should be excluded. Poultry will not eat feed that it does not like, which means that it will not receive the daily rate of nutrition for chickens, and the egg-laying rate will decrease.
  • In young chickens, the caloric content of food should be high. During the period of formation of the reproductive system of the body, chickens need a lot of calories.
  • The water in the drinking bowls should be fresh and clean. Birds do not drink stagnant water. One individual consumes 300 ml of water per day. In the summer season, liquid consumption is higher.
  • Laying hens are fed three times a day at equal intervals.
  • The first feeding should be immediately after waking up, the last one no later than an hour before bedtime.
  • During seasonal molting, it is necessary to make the diet of birds as diverse as possible. It is recommended to add sulfur and eggshell to food.

Inexperienced breeders face such a problem as a seasonal decrease in egg production. Such troubles can be avoided if the chickens eat a full and balanced diet.

Useful video

Video about existing types of feed for chickens:

The diet of chickens depends on age and season