The effect of breeding temperature in layer cages on chickens
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When using battery layer egg cages for breeding, temperature has the greatest impact on chicken production performance. During the brooding period, the resistance of the chicks is poor and the temperature requirements are higher. During the growing period and laying period, the appropriate temperature is the guarantee for the chickens to perform their normal production performance. If the temperature is higher, the feed intake of chickens will decrease, the feed conversion rate will decrease, the weight gain of broilers will slow down, the weight of eggs will decrease, the quality of eggshells will decrease, the egg production rate will decrease, and the number of dead scouring will increase until a large number of hot dead chickens.
Low temperature will increase the maintenance needs of chickens, slow growth, increase feed-to-egg ratio and feed-to-meat ratio. In winter, low temperature and excessive temperature fluctuations in the chicken house will reduce the resistance of chickens, decrease egg production, and induce respiratory diseases in chickens. Until moulting is stopped, it can be seen that temperature is the primary environmental factor that causes heat stress in poultry and affects the health and performance of chickens.
1. The effect of high temperature on chicken
Chickens are warm-blooded animals that maintain a constant body temperature through heat production and heat dissipation. Under high-density and intensive feeding conditions, the metabolic heat production of chickens increases with the increase in growth rate, but the heat dissipation capacity does not increase. The suitable temperature required by the chickens varies with the age of the chickens. The requirements for the temperature of the chickens in the first few weeks are extremely strict. Whether it is to use an insulated umbrella for partial heating or to use the entire chicken house for heating, the temperature of the area where the chicks are located must be guaranteed.
2. The effect of low temperature on chicken
Low temperature will first increase the maintenance needs of chickens, increase the feed-to-meat ratio of broilers, decrease the egg production rate of breeders, and decrease the resistance of chickens to diseases. When the temperature of the chicken house is too low in winter, there is no guarantee of the ventilation required to maintain a good temperature, which will cause an imbalance in temperature and ventilation management, and increase the concentration of harmful gases such as ammonia in the chicken house in winter and deteriorate the environment. When the temperature difference in the chicken house is large, especially when the outside temperature changes suddenly, the heating or ventilation is not well coordinated, and the temperature in the chicken house fluctuates too much. When the temperature drops suddenly, it will cause cold stress. While performance declines, it will also cause respiratory diseases in chickens.
3. Application of air cooling effect
In the case of air flow, the temperature felt by the chicken is different from the actual temperature. Sometimes the effective temperature felt is very different from the measured room temperature. The higher the wind speed, the cooler the chicken feels. This is the air cooling effect. It has been tested and determined that in a high-temperature environment, airflow is conducive to convection heat dissipation. When the temperature is between 24°C and 33°C and the relative humidity is between 47% and 62%, and the wind speed is increased from 1.1 m/s to 1.6 m/s, the egg production rate can be increased. When there is no wind or low wind speed (>0.3m/s), the body temperature of the chicken is equal to the ambient temperature. When the wind speed>0.5m/s, the body temperature of the chicken will decrease accordingly. Therefore, the wind cooling effect should be fully utilized during the water curtain cooling period in summer, and the wind cooling effect should be minimized in winter.
There is no large-scale poultry farming equipment supplier in Mauritius, so when buying chicken cage equipment, you must think carefully and carefully compare the quality of chicken cages.