Managing feed control in poultry farming is crucial, as it not only relates to cost savings but also significantly impacts the health and profitability of the flock. Many poultry farmers often misunderstand "feed control" as merely a means of cost reduction, whereas its significance extends far beyond that. Let's delve deeper into the practical benefits of feed control in poultry farming.
Benefits of Feed Control
Before administering vaccines to chickens, it is necessary to implement feed control for two to three hours, keeping the chickens hungry for an extended period. The rationale behind this is that, like humans, chickens have most of their blood engaged in digestion when full, whereas being hungry enhances their stress resistance, thereby reducing stress responses during vaccination. When chickens are overfed, feed control can reduce the burden on their gastrointestinal tract, promote digestive function, and effectively lower the incidence of proventricular dilation and gastritis. After chickens recover from illness, their appetite may increase; at this time, feed control is essential to protect the newly recovered gastrointestinal function from being damaged again by overeating.
Appropriate and reasonable feed control facilitates the excretion of feces in chickens, aiding in intestinal cleansing. During feed control, chickens are in a hungry state, which reduces the production of peroxides in their bodies and stimulates the production of enzymes that inhibit peroxides. As a result, the level of peroxides in the body decreases, enhancing the chickens' immune capacity. Therefore, poultry farmers must learn to implement reasonable feed control to support the healthy growth of their flocks. Before vaccinating chickens, feed control for two to three hours can reduce stress responses; after chickens recover from illness and their appetite increases, feed control can protect the newly recovered gastrointestinal function; additionally, feed control helps keep feed troughs clean, reducing the occurrence of chicken diseases, especially gastrointestinal diseases.
Techniques for Feed Control
Implement feed control randomly. The timing of feed control should not be fixed every day, but should vary at different stages and periods, without following a predictable pattern. This way, chickens will have a noticeable sense of hunger, making feed control more effective. Gradually increase feed control. Start with shorter durations and gradually extend them, allowing chickens to adapt, which is the fundamental method to avoid any stress.
Excessive feed control should be avoided. Over-controlling feed can affect the normal growth and production performance of chickens. Therefore, feed control must be carefully managed, not too frequently, with each session lasting around one to two hours. For layers older than 30 days, feed control can be implemented approximately every three to four days. When not implementing feed control, it is recommended to wait until the feed troughs are completely empty before refilling or occasionally delaying the feeding time by an hour without a fixed schedule.
In summary, managing feed control in poultry farming is a complex and delicate task that requires farmers to not only understand the basic principles of feed control but also master scientific techniques to achieve the dual goals of cost control and health management.