Poultry farming has been growing rapidly in recent years, especially egg-laying hens, but planting friends have encountered something strange, laying hens always lay soft-shelled eggs, which makes the farmer's friends very worried. But in fact, the hen under the soft-shell eggs in the breeding process of laying hens is a common phenomenon, accounting for about 2% of the total amount of eggs laid by hens, which has become one of the most agonizing problems for grower friends. So how to deal with the problem of soft-shelled eggs in laying hens? Today we will talk about the causes of laying soft-shelled eggs and countermeasures.
What is a soft-shelled egg
A soft-shelled egg, also known as a soft-skinned egg, is a situation that can easily occur in the laying period of laying hens, which is characterized by a particularly soft shell, easy to break, and can not be sold. After a hen lays a soft-shelled egg, it can easily be poked and prodded by other chickens and run off into the fecal area below.
It is a very common phenomenon for hens to lay soft-shelled eggs in the course of laying hens, so what is the main reason for soft-shelled eggs? And how to take effective measures to deal with?
Causes of soft-shelled eggs in laying hens and measures to deal with them
1, the feed formula is irrational
The proportion of soybean meal in the feed formula is low, which results in a low protein content of the feed formula, which makes the laying hens thin, lack of glossy feathers, and is prone to the phenomenon of soft-shelled eggs. laying soft-shelled eggs.
Response:
Laying hens throughout the growth process, according to the nutritional needs of different periods, the feed formula should be adjusted accordingly. Generally more than 400 days of laying hens have been in the late stage of egg production, this time the feed formula should also make some changes. Generally is to increase 2% of corn, soybean meal reduced by 2%, but the proportion of stone powder is best to remain at about 8%, in addition, if the particles of stone powder is too small, eaten by hens through the digestive tract faster, resulting in less calcium absorption, so you need to screen out the particles of stone powder is too small, or else the proportion of stone powder in the feed even if the proportion of adding to the 9%, the actual effect of it is also greatly reduced. In addition, in the process of egg chicken breeding, it is best to use shellac to replace stone powder.
2, disease-induced soft-shell eggs
Chicken enteritis, respiratory disease, infectious bronchitis, these diseases can cause hens to lay soft-shell eggs. This is because the cloaca of laying hens is the digestive tract and reproductive tract **** with the pipeline, the source of disease is easy and cloacal entry, infection of the oviduct, resulting in hens produce soft-shelled eggs, deformed eggs.
Countermeasures:
The prevention and control of viral diseases adheres to the principle of prevention as the mainstay, prevention is more important than cure, and the development of a strict sanitary and epidemiological defense system so that most diseases can be prevented. Through vaccination and other advance prevention and control. At the same time to strengthen the daily management of laying hens. Such as infectious bronchitis, growers and friends should be vaccinated as early as possible, it is best to choose the right type of vaccine to spray immunization at 1 day of age, which is one of the best ways to prevent and control.
3, body maturity and sexual maturity imbalance
Generally speaking, laying hens from 16 weeks of age into the pre-laying period, also known as the pre-laying period, is the sexual maturity of laying hens and determines the production performance of a critical period. Balance refers to the body balance and sexual maturity match, that is to say, hens must reach a certain standard of bones and weight before they are going to start laying, otherwise they will be prone to form soft-shelled eggs.
Countermeasures:
After laying hens enter the pre-laying period, body weight and tibia length should be measured frequently, with different standards for different breeds of hens. Take Hailan brown shell egg hen as an example, when the weight reaches two pounds and eight taels and the tibia length reaches 105 mm, you can increase the light to stimulate the hen to lay. Semi-enclosed coops are fine with an increase of half an hour a week, up to 16 hours of peak light.
4, insufficient calcium absorption
Calcium supplementation is a routine operation in the breeding process of laying hens, because eggs in the process of formation of eggs, eggshell glands to feed and bone marrow in the calcium into calcium carbonate, which is the most important ingredient in the eggshell, if the eggshell calcium carbonate content is too low, it is easy to form soft-shell eggs.
Response:
When supplementing calcium, stone powder and shellac can be supplemented, but it should be noted that shellac should ensure that its health indicators should be qualified; stone powder should be high-quality stone powder. Stone powder and shellac is the main source of calcium in laying hens, insufficient intake, the short term will appear the phenomenon of increased soft-shelled eggs, and over time there will be chondrodystrophies, rickets and so on. So calcium supplementation is very important in the breeding process of laying hens. In addition, the time node of calcium supplementation is also very important, generally speaking, there is a landmark indicator in the production is the chicken produced the first egg, it began to gradually add stone powder or shellac in the feed. When egg production reaches 1%, it can be increased to the peak material, that is, in the feed will be shell meal or stone powder increased to 8%, and maintained until the end of the egg-laying period.
5, phosphorus absorption
Phosphorus also makes the egg in the growth process of the essential elements, if the body of the egg phosphorus is insufficient, there will be a loss of appetite, slow weight gain, feed utilization decreased and other phenomena, which directly leads to the egg laying capacity of the egg drop, eggshell thinning.
Response:
Calcium determines the hardness of the eggshell, phosphorus determines the toughness and elasticity of the eggshell, so in the preparation of diets for laying hens must control the proportion of calcium and phosphorus. Phosphorus supplement generally do not need a single supplement, calcium and phosphorus at the same time in the calcium supplement, because shellfish or stone powder contain phosphorus, but its ratio is very important, because calcium and phosphorus ratio directly affects the quality of eggshells, generally 8 ~ 10:1, so in production with shellfish powder is better than stone powder. Because the phosphorus content in stone powder is too high. We can also use shellfish and stone powder to mix.
Vitamin deficiency
In the process of growth and development of chickens, vitamin D plays a vital role in the metabolism of calcium, if the vitamin D content is insufficient, it is easy to affect the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, and the appearance of soft-shell eggs.
Response:
In the breeding process of laying hens, if soft-shelled eggs appear, generally use cod liver oil powder to add to the feed, which can promote the laying hens to absorb and utilize calcium and phosphorus, regulate the balance of calcium and phosphorus in the blood, and is conducive to the formation of hen's bones and eggshells. In addition to this, cod liver oil contains vitamin A, which improves the role of anti-stress and immunity.
In the breeding process of laying hens, it is necessary to do a good job of epidemic prevention of laying hens, master the balance of growth and reproduction, but also pay attention to the nutritional balance of laying hens' diets, which not only reduces the chances of the formation of soft-shelled eggs, but also greatly improves the economic benefits. If a farm with 200,000 laying hens, the proportion of soft-shelled eggs for 2%, that is, the daily production of soft-shelled eggs is about 500 pounds, if the average price of eggs at 4 yuan a catty, a day to increase the revenue of 2000 yuan.