The food allowance of hens directly affects health of birds and amount of eggs. For normal development the hens need regular and good nutrition. At the same time forages have to contain necessary amount of vitamins and useful substances. A special role is played in this case by protein therefore birds should give special flour mixes daily.
Features of feeding of hens
The main food allowance of hens is made by protein feeds. Birds can give not only meat and bone and fish meal, but also specially prepared fish waste. Such mixes can be bought in specialized shops or to prepare independently from fins, bones and the heads of fishes. Besides, it is periodically recommended to feed up hens the forage rich with calcium – cottage cheese and dairy products.
Besides a forage, sand is necessary for hens. It is better to put the special capacity that birds had to it continuous access. Sand substantially improves digestion.
For hens a special role is played by an animal forage which birds, as a rule, collect independently. Frogs, worms, insects, bugs and mollusks treat such food, for example. It is recommended to mix a small amount of chalk with the main food if birds constantly are in cages. As an additional source of calcium the crushed shell can be used. As additives to the main food it is used the stale bread which is previously soaked in water, needles, berries of a rowan and a hawthorn. Such products are not obligatory, but they are very useful to hens.
Grain role in a diet of hens
Grain differs in the high content of the fats especially necessary for chickens layers. Champions on the content of natural fats are seeds of oats and corn. It is possible to supplement a diet of birds with grains of any cereals and also such vegetable cultures as beet, potatoes, pumpkin and swede. These products besides fat contain a large amount of carbohydrates and useful macrocells. At selection of grain for hens it is necessary to give preference to specially processed mixes without covers. The fact is that the thin skin which covered grain contains a lot of cellulose. This component is badly digested and acquired in an organism of chicken. The excessive use of products with the increased content of cellulose can lead to serious diseases of birds and even to become the cause of obesity.
For improvement of quality of meat, hens are recommended to give barley and a millet. Thanks to such products of a bird pretty fast gain weight.
Vitamins B diet of hens
Because of the shortage of vitamins B to a stern at hens the deviation in growth and development can be observed and also to decrease amount of the laid eggs. For completion of a reserve of vitamins and mineral substances in an organism of a bird, hens are given a fresh tops of vegetable of garden cultures, germinated grain, carrots, greens of a dandelion and a young nettle. Green forages, as a rule, mix to grain or potatoes. Several times a week it is necessary to include cod-liver oil in a food allowance of hens and to add baking crackers to food. These ingredients contain enough vitamins for normal development of an organism of birds.
Food of hens during the winter period
The main forage during the winter period for hens is the silo. This type of a forage represents mix from a tops of vegetable of bean cultures, leaves of corn, a grass and stalks of cereals. During frosts and cold weather conditions it is recommended to feed birds with dried marsh vegetation. Such mixes are on sale in specialized shops or are prepared independently in the summer.