Reasons for wasting feed in chicken farms and ways to save feed
In chicken production, feed costs account for 60% to 70% of the total cost. In the current situation of high feed prices and low profit for raising chickens, it is particularly important to reduce feed waste to reduce production costs, increase farm income and improve economic benefits. Therefore, attention must be paid to reducing feed waste. There are many reasons for feed waste, which are mainly divided into two categories, namely direct waste and indirect waste caused by low feed conversion rate. This article discusses the reasons for feed waste and the methods for saving feed from the above two aspects.
1 direct waste
The direct waste caused by unscientific feeding and management of chicken farms generally accounts for 5% to 15% of the annual feed consumption. Among them, the unreasonable structure of the feed trough, improper placement or overfilling waste 2% to 6%; 0.5% waste due to flying due to too thin feed; 1% waste due to wild birds and mice; 0.5% waste by artificial throwing: uncut beak Or improper beak cutting waste 3%, etc. To reduce feed waste must pay attention to the following points.
1.1 Breeding fine breeds
In addition to the advantages of high production performance, fast growth rate or more egg production, large eggs, and strong disease resistance, excellent breed chickens also have a high utilization rate of feed. Chickens of the same age, in the same breeding environment, and consuming exactly the same feed, the production performance of excellent breed chickens is much higher than that of other breed chickens. Under the same feeding conditions, the egg production of high-yielding laying hens can be increased by 20% to 30% than that of ordinary laying hens. It can be seen that raising chicken breeds with high production performance is an effective way to reduce feed costs.
1.2 Beak cut in time
The beak of the chicken is easy to hook and throw the feed, resulting in waste of feed. Chicks are generally cut off at 6 to 9 days of age and trimmed at 12 to 16 weeks of age. It is determined that after beak cutting, each chicken can save 3.5g of feed per day in the growing period, 5.5g per chicken per day in the laying period, and 12g per egg per day. Beak cutting can not only effectively reduce feed waste, but also prevent the occurrence of chicken pecking.
1.3 feed shape
Feed is divided into three types: powder, granule and pellets according to the shape. The pellets have good palatability and are easy to eat, and the chickens can eat them all to prevent waste, which is especially suitable for feeding broiler chickens. If the feed is free of sand and gravel for online flat-raised, rack-raised and cage-raised chickens, and if the feed is not regularly supplemented, the digestibility of the feed will be reduced by 3% to 10%. Therefore, it should be supplemented with sand and gravel regularly. Single feeding or adding 454g to every 50kg of feed can help the gizzard to grind the feed mechanically and play the role of "teeth", making the feed easier to digest and absorb and improve the utilization rate. The powder should be prevented from being too fine, which is not only unpalatable, but also easy to scatter and cause losses. If the chicken is fed with wet mix, it should be mixed and fed immediately, otherwise it is easy to become rancid in summer and easy to freeze in winter. When adding green feed to the feed, it should be cut short and chopped to avoid waste of the feed adhering to the green feed when chickens are picky eaters.
1.4 Trough structure and placement height
Unreasonable trough structure and placement height will waste a large amount of feed, which can be as high as 15%. Therefore, it is very important to choose the appropriate size of the trough. The feed trough should have a bottom tip, a big belly and a small mouth. It is better to place the upper edge of the height at the same height as the chicken's back or 2cm higher than the chicken's back, so that the chicken can eat the feed without getting the feed to the trough due to picky eaters. outside. If the feed trough is too small, too shallow, or placed too low, the chickens are easy to fiddle with feed spillage; too large, too deep or too high, it will affect the feeding and growth of the chickens. Therefore, the appropriate feeder should be selected according to the age of the chicken and its height should be adjusted at any time.
1.5 The impact of drinking water fixtures
Compared with the water tank, using a nipple drinker can save 2-3g of feed per chicken per day. When using a water tank (water supply in a long-running water mode), the water depth in the tank is 1cm than 2cm, so the water level in the tank should not be too high, especially When feeding dry powder, the feed on the chicken's mouth will flow out with the water and cause waste. According to statistics, the amount of wasted feed is about 1.4-1.8kg per chicken per year. In addition, regular water supply saves feed compared with long-running water. A sedimentation tank can be set up outdoors, and the feed flowing out of the tank can be collected in time for feeding other animals. The drinking water system should be checked frequently, and any leaks found should be repaired in time to prevent water from flowing into the feed trough and soaking the feed, causing the feed to go rancid and deteriorate (wet feed caused by water leakage should be evenly opened so that the chickens can eat it as soon as possible, and the accumulated water in the feed trough should be eaten as soon as possible. Drain, do not allow the feed to be soaked for a long time).
1.6 Adjust the feeding method, change the feeding method
Adding too much feed at one time during feeding is the main reason for feed waste. Feeding should follow the principle of less feeding and frequent addition, regular quantitative feeding, divided feeding, and no leftover material in the trough after eating. According to statistics, when the feed is filled up at one time, 40% to 50% of the feed is wasted; when it is added to 2/3, it wastes 12%; when it is added to 1/2, it wastes 4% to 5%; when it is added to 1/3, it wastes 1%. ~2%. Therefore, it is advisable that the amount of one feeding should not exceed 1/3 of the depth of the trough (barrel). Change from flat raising to cage raising, cage raising chickens have less activity than flat raising chickens, need less maintenance, and eat less feed. Each caged adult laying hen can save 20-30g of feed per day, and each year can save 7.2-10.8kg of feed.
1.7 Master the amount of ration
Chickens of different breeds and purposes use different feeding methods, that is, ad libitum or restricted feeding; chickens of different ages use different rations, and adjust in time with reference to body weight standards or egg production rates . Broiler chickens are mostly fed ad libitum; egg chickens and breeders are mostly fed with restricted feeding from the breeding period, that is, limited quality or limited feeding. By restricting feeding, about 10% of the feed can be saved, and the chicken body can be prevented from being overweight and overweight. Heavy, affecting future egg production.
1.8 Rodent control against wild birds
Wild birds and rodents not only consume feed and cause waste, but also consume oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, release heat and excrete feces and urine, causing local heating of the feed and increased humidity, causing the feed to agglomerate and mold, and can spread a variety of diseases. The data shows that a female rat gives birth to 30 to 50 litters every year, and a rat eats 9 to 11 kg of feed a year. Therefore, rodents should be eliminated frequently, and window screens and rodent nets should be installed on skylights and ventilation holes (windows) to prevent rodents and wild birds from entering.
1.9 Eliminate sick or low-yielding chickens
There are roosters, sick chickens or low-yielding chickens in the laying hen group, which will consume more feed and increase production costs. Therefore, during the breeding period, sick and disabled chickens or roosters such as unable to stand, lame legs, crooked mouths, and blindness should be eliminated in time; especially weak chickens and disabled chickens should be eliminated before egg production: chickens that do not lay eggs should be eliminated during the peak egg production period. ; Eliminate chickens with low egg production rate in the middle of laying eggs. Breeding farms that raise males should eliminate males with poor semen quality and loss of breeding ability at any time.
1.10 Responsibility and Proficiency
The responsibility and feeding proficiency of the feeders and the feeders during manual feeding have a direct impact on the waste of feed. When the transporters and breeders are not responsible and unskilled in feeding, they will throw a lot of material, and the more feeding times, the more material may be wasted. If the chain piece of mechanical feeding is blocked, it will cause local feed accumulation and fall from the edge of the trough. Therefore, the use of responsible staff and high-quality feeding machinery reduces feed waste.
2 Indirect waste due to low feed efficiency
Indirect waste can account for 11% to 22% of the total feed amount. Among them, the environmental temperature is too low to waste 4% to 6%; the waste of incomplete feathers is 2% to 6%; the waste of excessive feeding is 3% to 5%; the waste caused by parasites and diseases is 2% to 7%. To save feed and reduce costs in production, we should pay more attention to indirect waste of feed, because such waste is not easy to be found in the short term.
2.1 fed complete feed
Feed losses can be caused by low feed conversion ratios due to nutritional deficiencies or imbalances in diets, especially low levels or quality of crude protein. If the protein content in the diet is high and the energy is low, it will inevitably consume too much feed, resulting in a waste of protein; when feeding a high-energy diet, the feed intake is relatively reduced. The protein intake is restricted, resulting in stunted growth and reduced production performance of chickens. Therefore, nutrition should be provided according to different chicken breeds and different growth stages, combined with the actual situation of the local area and the chicken farm, using a variety of high-quality and inexpensive feeds to formulate rations with appropriate nutritional ratios, and adjust the rations in time according to body weight. To meet its nutritional needs, special attention should be paid to the appropriate protein-energy ratio. In addition, attention should be paid to the balance of amino acids, calcium, phosphorus, etc. According to experiments, adding 0.1% methionine to general diets can improve the utilization rate of feed protein by 2% to 3%; adding lysine can reduce the amount of crude protein in the feed by 3% to 4%; adding vitamin B12 and quinoline Feed additives such as ethanol can also improve the utilization of feed protein.
2.2 house temperature
The environmental temperature of the flock directly affects the chicken's food intake, drinking water and nutrient consumption in the body. In winter, when the temperature is low, the feed intake will be increased to keep out the cold. The data shows that when the ambient temperature is lower than 10 ℃, 1% of the feed is wasted for every 1 ℃ lower. The temperature in the house should not be lower than 12°C. According to reports, when the ambient temperature of the flock is 20-21 °C, the feed efficiency is the highest, and the egg production of laying hens and the weight gain of broilers are the best. Therefore, in winter, we should do a good job of preventing cold and keeping warm to keep the temperature in the chicken house at a suitable temperature.
2.3 Custody and storage of feed
The feed warehouse is humid, and the feed is easy to mold and deteriorate. When storing the feed, the bottom should be padded with bricks or wooden boards to a height of 20cm. At the same time, pay attention to the hazards of mice, wild birds and insects. Keep the warehouse ventilated, dry, protected from light and direct sunlight. It can oxidize the fat in the feed, destroy vitamin A and vitamin E, especially vitamin B2, which is easily destroyed by sunlight. For a long time, the feed should be added with additives such as antioxidants and preservatives, and it is best to feed it with fresh feed. When purchasing feed, do not buy a large amount at one time, which can reduce the storage time and reduce the loss of nutrients. The storage time should not exceed 15d, and it is best not to exceed 10d in the high temperature and high humidity season; the processed feed can be stored for a maximum of 1 week to ensure that it can be stored at any time at any time. Use new feed to prevent the feed from being polluted, moldy and deteriorate, and improve the feed utilization rate.
2.4 Do a good job in the health management of chicken flocks
When the flock is in a healthy state, it is conducive to the digestion and absorption of feed, and the feed conversion rate is high. When flocks are sick, especially chronic digestive diseases or in a sub-health state, the utilization rate of feed digestion and absorption is reduced, the production performance of flocks is low, growth is slow, and fewer or no eggs are produced. In a stress state that is not easily noticed by people, 1% to 2% of the feed can be wasted; it may reach 7% when sick. Therefore, various measures must be taken to strengthen feeding management, reduce stress factors, save feed, increase remuneration, and improve the economic benefits of chicken farms.
