Calcium is an essential mineral element to ensure high and stable egg production in egg-laying hens. A deficiency in calcium can lead to reduced egg production, thinning, and easily broken eggshells. So, how can egg-laying hens supplement calcium? Let's find out.
How to Supplement Calcium for Egg-laying Hens?
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Timing for Calcium Supplementation:
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To ensure that hens produce more and high-quality eggs, calcium-rich feed should be supplemented two weeks before laying.
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It's best to provide calcium to hens between 12:00-18:00 daily when the calcium effect is optimal. It's also preferable to feed them powdered calcium-rich feed, which can be utilized when the eggshells are formed at night.
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Quantity of Calcium Supplementation: The calcium content in the feed for hens should generally be around 3%-3.5%. This helps prevent calcium deficiency in the hens' bodies without depleting the calcium reserves in the bones, ensuring that the hens meet their calcium requirements during normal egg-laying periods.
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Methods of Calcium Supplementation: There are mainly two methods:
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Directly adding an appropriate amount of calcium-rich substances such as shell powder and calcium carbonate powder to the feed of growing chickens, starting from 1% and gradually increasing over time until reaching around 3.5%.
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When the egg production rate of the hens reaches approximately 5%, switch the feed to a high-calcium feed for laying hens.
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Precautions for Calcium Supplementation in Hens:
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Pay attention to the calcium source: Hens absorb animal-based calcium sources better than plant-based sources. Common calcium sources include shells and stone powder, with a ratio of shells to stone powder in the diet of 2:1, resulting in the best eggshell strength.
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Supplementary measures: When adding calcium sources, pay attention to the calcium/phosphorus ratio, as phosphorus, while not directly required for eggshell formation, is necessary for supplementing calcium in bone marrow. Any imbalance can cause serious damage. Also, pay attention to the addition of vitamin D, as it plays an important role in the absorption and synthesis of calcium.
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Reduce stress: Minimize the impact of stress factors. Various stressors can affect the absorption and utilization of calcium in chickens. During the rearing process, try to reduce stress factors and maintain suitable flock density and housing temperature.
In summary, supplementing calcium for egg-laying hens is crucial, and it's essential to master the relevant techniques. However, more is not always better when it comes to calcium supplementation for hens. It's important to increase the utilization rate of calcium feed reasonably to avoid waste.
Ensuring adequate calcium intake is crucial for maintaining the health and productivity of egg-laying hens. Besides calcium supplementation, providing a balanced diet, proper housing, and good management practices are also essential for overall flock health.
In addition to feed, hens can also obtain calcium from other sources, such as crushed eggshells or oyster shells. These can be provided as supplementary sources of calcium, especially for free-range hens that may have limited access to commercial feeds.
It's important to monitor the calcium levels in the diet and adjust supplementation accordingly. Regular veterinary check-ups can help assess the health status of the flock and identify any deficiencies or imbalances that need to be addressed.
Furthermore, maintaining proper environmental conditions, such as adequate ventilation and cleanliness in the poultry house, can help reduce stress and improve calcium absorption in hens.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: How often should calcium supplements be provided to egg-laying hens?
A: Calcium supplements should be provided daily, ideally between 12:00-18:00, when the hens can utilize calcium most effectively for eggshell formation.
Q: Can hens get enough calcium from their diet without supplementation?
A: While hens can obtain some calcium from their diet, supplementation is often necessary to meet the high calcium demands during egg production.
