Poultry farming in winter

With the coming of winter in the northern hemisphere, the vitality of poultry decreases, their resistance weakens, and the risk of disease is much higher than in other seasons. The following points should be noted to ensure the health of poultry.

1. Temperature control
The temperature is low in winter, so the first thing to do is to keep warm. Ensure that the temperature in the poultry house is suitable. Generally speaking, different types of poultry have different requirements for temperature, but overall it should be kept within a relatively stable range. You can increase the temperature in the house by thickening the insulation layer and installing heating equipment. At the same time, be careful to avoid drastic changes in temperature that are too high or too low, so as not to cause stress reactions in poultry.

2. Ventilation
Although insulation is required in winter, ventilation should not be ignored. Good ventilation can expel harmful gases and moisture in the house and keep the air fresh. When ventilating, be careful to avoid cold wind blowing directly on the poultry. You can use a reasonable ventilation system, such as ventilation ducts, ventilation windows, etc., to control the ventilation volume and ventilation time.

3. Feed management
Poultry consumes a lot of energy in winter, and needs to provide sufficient high-quality feed. Ensure that the feed is nutritionally balanced and appropriately increase the energy and protein content to meet the growth and production needs of poultry. At the same time, pay attention to the storage of feed to prevent moisture, mold and deterioration.

4. Drinking water management
The amount of water consumed by poultry may decrease in winter, but sufficient clean drinking water should still be guaranteed. Check the drinking water equipment regularly to ensure its normal operation and prevent water leakage and freezing. Poultry can be provided with warm water to increase their water intake and digestion rate.

5. Disease prevention and control
Winter is the peak season for poultry diseases, and disease prevention and control work should be strengthened. Clean and disinfect the poultry house, vaccinate poultry regularly, detect and isolate sick poultry in time, and prevent the spread of diseases.
Non-infectious respiratory diseases are prone to occur in winter, especially in young chickens around 25 days old. This is mainly because the air inside the farm is dry and dusty, and in a poorly ventilated environment, poultry inhales it for a long time and causes illness. The prevention and control measures are to increase the ventilation volume under the premise of maintaining the temperature in the house to ensure the oxygen content in the house, which is the basic condition for poultry to not get sick or get less sick and recover as soon as possible after getting sick.

6. Keep warm and dry, pay attention to ammonia discharge
The winter climate is cold, and ventilation should not be neglected in order to keep the chicken house warm. Failure to remove the feces and wet litter excreted by poultry in time will cause ammonia accumulation in the chicken house, increase the concentration, and lead to ammonia poisoning or other diseases. In order to prevent the adverse effects of ammonia on poultry, it is recommended that the farm do the following feeding and management work: minimize watering during operation to prevent water tank leakage; if the humidity in the chicken house is too high, the feces and wet litter in the house should be removed in time. In addition, ammonia absorbing deodorants can be used to reduce the ammonia concentration in the chicken house. Commonly used ones are ferrous sulfate, superphosphoric acid, copper sulfate, slaked lime, etc.

The feeding and management of poultry in winter is a comprehensive work. In addition to the above points, there are many factors such as poultry immunity, feed quality, and management of feeding personnel. Therefore, only by mastering the key points of various links and making comprehensive considerations can the economic benefits of raising broilers in winter be improved.