Where is calcium for laying hens found? The use of veterinary drugs for the treatment of diseases of the reproductive organs

Broilers are characterized by rapid weight gain. But these birds have weak immunity, so they need special supplements that increase resistance to pathogens. And in this case, help will be provided by fortified supplements and medicinal preparations, one of which is Calcium borgluconate.

Calcium borgluconate can without a doubt be called a unique drug, since there are no analogues of this drug. It is an indispensable assistant in veterinary practice, poultry farming and livestock farming.

Compound:

Calcium gluconate;
Boric acid;
Tetraborate;
Sodium solution;
Water.

Calcium borogluconate is a complex action agent that has several effects at once:

Anti-inflammatory;
Antitoxic;
Antiseptic;
Desensitizing.

After taking the drug in the body of broilers, the concentration of ionized calcium increases, metabolism improves, and blood flow activates.
The drug has a positive effect on muscle contractility and normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

The drug is produced in bottles of 200-500 ml, tightly closed with rubber stoppers. Manufacturers accompany their products with detailed instructions for use. It indicates dosages and schedules for taking the drug in different situations.

Calcium borogluconate for broilers is necessary at the first signs of vitamin deficiency. The drug helps solve such an important problem for large birds as falling on their feet. And many farmers who specialize in raising chickens for meat face this problem.

Rules of application

If a chick or adult bird has fallen on its feet, the first step is to understand the cause of the problem.

First, perform a visual inspection of the broiler and draw conclusions:

If a cheesy discharge from the eyes is observed, this indicates a lack of vitamin A in the bird’s body. The problem is solved by introducing chopped fresh herbs and carrots into the diet.
If a chicken lays on its side and throws its head back, its feathers are weak and its fingers curl, these are symptoms of vitamin B deficiency. It is necessary to introduce fermented milk products, yeast, foods with proteins, and specialized vitamin supplements into the diet.
If an adult bird falls on its feet, it is easier to slaughter it than to treat it.

The problem of broilers falling on their feet can be solved by using a set of measures.

Single events will not give the desired effect:

Instead of water, the drinking bowls should contain a solution of Calcium borogluconate at the rate of 3 ml per 1 liter of water for 3 days.
Mineralized and vitamin supplements are added to the feed in accordance with their manufacturers' instructions. The optimal choice is Minerol in the amount of 1-2 tsp. per 1 kg of feed. The dosage depends on the severity of symptoms.
The diet includes yeast at the rate of 4 tbsp. l. per 1 kg of feed.

Calcium borogluconate is given to the entire flock, and not just to weakened broilers that fall on their feet. This prevents the appearance of symptoms of vitamin deficiency in other birds.

When preparing solutions based on this drug, personal hygiene measures must be observed. It is recommended to wear rubber gloves. It is necessary to try to avoid direct contact with the drug, which will reduce the risk of bacteria and allergens getting into the solution.

Why do broilers fall on their feet?

Broilers are artificially bred birds that do not differ in the harmonious development of the body.

Selection work was aimed at achieving two indicators:

Low physical activity;
Fast weight gain.

These effects are interrelated: less active chickens show more interest in food, do not waste energy, and rapidly gain weight. In order for the bird to feel good, rules for its feeding and maintenance have been developed.

This is a difficult situation for both the bird and the owner. An immobilized chicken is not able to serve itself: drink and peck food. She needs outside help, which requires labor and time from the farmer.

One obvious reason is weakness of bones, joints and ligaments. The bird's legs cannot withstand the rapidly gaining weight and weaken under the influence of gravity.

This situation is possible if there is a lack of calcium, vitamins D, E, A in the bird’s body.
Broilers often injure their paws in an attempt to stand up, which requires treatment, which is often unsuccessful. And the bird goes to slaughter.

The problem can be solved by using the drug Calcium borgluconate. The instructions for its use for broilers are simple. All recommendations have proven their effectiveness in practice.

The drug can be safely used with other medications and vitamin supplements.

Due to its low calorie content, chicken meat is considered a dietary product that can perfectly replace other types of meat and is a valuable source of proteins and amino acids. White meat contains less fat, but its main benefit lies in a significant amount of animal protein, which contains many amino acids that are essential for the functioning of the human body. No meat contains as many of these essential substances as chicken does.

This product is rich in essential oils, glutamic acid and nitrogen-containing substances, which give chicken meat a distinctive, specific smell. What vitamins and minerals are found in chicken meat and how much benefit do they bring to the human body?

Content of vitamins and minerals in 100 g of chicken meat

According to nutritionists, chicken should be eaten at least twice a week.. This product is highly valued as it contains a low amount of fat and a high percentage of protein, which helps increase physical strength. Fresh chicken is rich in a peptide (a specific protein) that strengthens the heart muscle and blood vessel walls without increasing blood pressure.

Vitamins
Vitamin A	0,07	mg
Vitamin B1	0,07	mg
Vitamin B2	0,15	mg
Vitamin B3	12,5	mg
Vitamin B5	0,8	mg
Vitamin B6	0,5	mg
Vitamin B9	0,004	mg
Vitamin C	1,8	mg
Vitamin E	0,5	mg

The benefits of chicken meat

The benefits of chicken meat have been known for many years. In eastern countries, this meat is considered a valuable food product and a good remedy for preventing premature aging. Due to its low fat content, chicken is more easily absorbed by the body than pork or beef, so it is recommended for children and the elderly, and this product can also be used in some diets.

Chicken contains vitamins B3 and B6, which stimulate the heart and strengthen the nervous system. The presence of these vitamins helps regulate the percentage of cholesterol in the blood and the production of gastric juice. This product contains a large amount of potassium, which is a very important trace element for various eye diseases. Chicken meat contains polyunsaturated fatty acids, which bring many benefits to the cardiovascular system and prevent hypertension. B vitamins are needed to normalize metabolism.

The vitamins B9 and B12 included in the composition bring undeniable benefits during pregnancy, having a beneficial effect on the development of the unborn child, therefore pregnant women are recommended to introduce chicken breast and white meat broth into their diet. The fibers of this dietary product have beneficial properties; they absorb excess acid, which corrodes the mucous membranes of the internal organs. Therefore, eating chicken will help alleviate some diseases of the stomach and intestines.

There is almost as much phosphorus in poultry fillet as in seafood. White meat contains vitamins A, C and E, which also have a beneficial effect on some vital functions of the human body. This product is rich in magnesium, protein, iron, but the most important thing is the absence of carbohydrates and minimal fat content, which is mainly found in chicken skin.
How to marinate chicken meat for barbecue?

How to store chicken meat

Today, there is a good way to store meat products - this is a cooling technology that preserves not only the freshness of the product, but also its nutritional quality. This method preserves all useful vitamins and microelements and saves time during defrosting.

Compared to frozen chicken, chilled chicken remains more tender after cooking, since existing technology avoids loss of meat juice. During the process of thawing and defrosting, a significant amount of vitamins and microelements is lost, so it is clear which storage methods are more suitable for meat products.

Harmful properties of chicken meat

Chicken meat must be subjected to careful heat treatment, since it contains several types of salmonella that can cause considerable harm to human health;
Chicken contains histamines, which cause allergic reactions;
You should also be aware that farm-raised chicken may be loaded with antibiotics and preservatives or treated with chlorine. This has a negative impact on health, so it is better to prefer poultry meat;
Fried and smoked chicken has a high cholesterol content, so this food leads to atherosclerosis and blockage of blood vessels.

People have been using eggs in their diet for centuries. Chicken was domesticated by humans more than 3.2 thousand years ago, and the mechanism of shell formation in the body of this bird has not yet been fully studied.

It takes a laying hen 22-25 hours to form one egg, or roughly a day. Through chemical analysis, it was found that the shell of one egg contains on average 2 grams of calcium. The calcium shell of the egg in the oviduct of a bird is formed 9-10 hours after the formation of the oocyte begins (the oocyte is the very first cell from which the yolk is subsequently formed). The production of the shell takes the longest, usually taking 15-16 hours. In order to accumulate 2 grams of calcium for the shell, during this entire time (16 hours) the chicken must “produce” 125 milligrams of calcium per hour! Such figures seem incredible, because it is known that in general the body of an adult laying hen contains no more than 25-30 milligrams of calcium! Where then do birds get so much building material for their shells? Until now, this process remains a mystery.

However, scientists continue research in this area of physiology. So recently the results of an experiment became known, proving that the chicken is by no means a simple bird. The study was based on the exclusion method; scientists decided to find out what the eggs laid by a chicken would be like if calcium was excluded from the bird’s daily diet? The results incredibly surprised the researchers - the chicken lays eggs covered with a shell that is no different from the shells of chickens not participating in the experiment.

It turns out that if a chicken is fed with food that does not contain calcium, and is fed, for example, with food containing an abundance of potassium (this can be achieved by adding copious amounts of mica to the decalcified food), which is exactly what a group of scientists did, then inside its body the bird is able to transform potassium to calcium! But how can this be? What is the mechanism of this transformation? The answer dawned on scientists as soon as they looked at the periodic table of elements. Calcium has an atomic weight of 20, and potassium 19, in the body of a bird, potassium was converted into calcium by transmutation with hydrogen ions, which has an atomic weight of 1! Aside from the scientific component, the laying hen can safely be called a natural alchemist.

Further conclusions and assumptions seem no less surprising: what if the processes of transmutation in a chicken’s body are programmed not just one, but many? Then it turns out that she, and any other bird, is capable of producing calcium from almost any set of substances supplied with food! Alchemists of the Middle Ages would go crazy if they learned about this property of birds. Research continues, perhaps magical processes will be deciphered and used for the benefit of humanity.

By the way, here is an interesting video where you will see an egg in an egg, very unusual...

Hello, dear readers! Why are calcium and chalk important for laying hens? Today we will consider a topic that is relevant for all poultry farmers - calcium and chalk in the diet of laying hens. This is an important component in the menu, without which it is impossible to realize the full potential of egg production and maintain the health of a productive flock.

How much calcium chickens need, how to give it and what can happen if there is not enough of this element in the diet - further.

How much chalk to give chickens

Chalk is one of the available products in the diet of chickens, which is a source of easily digestible calcium. There are specially developed feed additives based on this substance, which are designed to completely cover the need for mineral compounds.

But pure feed chalk still leads in popularity among poultry farmers for the following reasons:

it is affordable;
easy to use;
does not contain dangerous and toxic additives.

This is an important component in the diet of hens, chicks and roosters, because without it, full development, growth, muscle gain and egg laying are impossible. Standards are determined individually, depending on age, gender and breed type.

Below are the percentages of feed chalk in the feed of laying hens.

For newborn chicks up to the eighth week, the feed should contain 1.1% chalk.
Chicks up to 21 weeks already receive 1.2% chalk from the total weight of food.
Egg-laying hens that have entered the active laying phase consume about 3.1% of chalk in the total volume of feed.
For roosters, up to 1.3% of the feed is added to the feed.

The needs of chickens are significantly higher, because they spend a significant part of the incoming minerals on the formation of egg shells.

How much calcium do chickens need per day?

Laying hens differ from roosters and representatives of other types of breeds in that they have an increased need for foods containing calcium. Due to the fact that egg-laying chickens lay eggs almost every day, even a slight deficiency of calcium can cause a malfunction in processes occurring in the body.

For chickens up to one month of age, calcium is supplied in the total feed mass in the amount of 1-1.5 grams per 100 grams of feed.
From 4-4.5 months, as soon as hens enter the pre-laying phase, their diet should contain at least 2.5 grams of calcium for every 100 grams of feed.
As soon as laying hens begin laying, the daily amount of calcium should be increased to 4-5 grams during the maximum period.
In winter and autumn, you can reduce the amount of calcium supplied by 1 gram, since birds do not lay eggs as actively as in summer and spring.

Roosters are supplied with food from 1.5 grams to 2 grams of calcium every day. In order to fill the need for this mineral compound, you can use the following types of supplements:

calcium tablets;
shells;
crushed egg.

Only feed chalk can be used. Construction mixtures may contain toxic substances hazardous to health, since they are not tested for suitability for human consumption. Chalk is an effective remedy for calcium deficiency and is inexpensive. In addition, it is included in most mineral supplements for egg-laying chickens.

A worthy alternative to chalk are shells. They are used to prepare a powder that is added to most brands of industrial feed.

The composition of shells is more rich. In addition to calcium, they contain the following substances:

phosphorus;
magnesium;
potassium;
sodium;
zinc.

Additional minerals have a beneficial effect on egg production and the health of chickens in general. The inclusion of shell powder in the diet of the younger generation of chickens is especially useful. This mineral complex promotes full development and rapid growth.

Why do eggs have soft shells?

As mentioned above, calcium deficiency leads to a wide variety of masonry-related problems. One of the common pathologies resulting from calcium deficiency is the appearance of soft-shelled eggs.

Look at the photo: overnight the soft-shelled egg dried out and began to look very original!

On average, a chicken spends up to 2 grams of calcium to produce one egg, of which 60% is mineral compounds from food, and 40% is an element produced by the body. Therefore, even one day without using calcium supplements can result in soft-shelled eggs. But it is important to understand that it is not only the absence or deficiency of calcium that causes this problem.

There are other factors that influence this. Laying hens produce soft-shelled eggs in the following situations:

poor appetite;
the black whale does not have access to the feeder or does not have time to eat with everyone else;
The black whale lays eggs too actively, which is why even the presence of additives in the diet does not cover the needs;
The hen is sick and therefore calcium is not absorbed.

If you strictly adhere to the recommendations regarding the balance of substances in the diet on an ongoing basis and establish proper, varied feeding, such problems will not arise.

In some cases, it appears one-time in young laying hens who have just begun laying eggs. If the problem has been eliminated by equalizing the balance in the diet, there is no need to worry.

But in cases where the problem is not solved after restoring the menu, this is a reason to show the bird to the veterinarian.

Video about calcium and chalk for laying hens

Good luck, dear poultry farmers!

In the comments you can add your photos of laying hens, roosters and chicks! Or other poultry. We're curious, what kind of chicken coop do you have?
Did you like the article? Share with friends on social networks:

Join us on VKontakte, read about chickens!

Feeding chickens cannot be complete without introducing various additives into the grain mixture. In addition to proteins and vitamins, any living organism needs mineral elements. This applies equally to laying hens and meat poultry.

Let's talk about what mineral supplements are, what types of them it is advisable to use in feeding chickens in a private backyard, and how to properly administer certain medications.

What are mineral supplements

The minerals that birds need are divided into macroelements and microelements. Roughly speaking, macroelements include those minerals that are dosed in grams, microelements - in milligrams and micrograms.

Macronutrients

potassium;
sodium;
chlorine;
magnesium;
sulfur;
calcium;
phosphorus.

When people talk about mineral supplements in home gardens, they primarily mean macroelements. In non-industrial poultry farming, it is enough to control the content of four elements in feed mixtures: sodium, chlorine, calcium and phosphorus.

Microelements are also important for the normal functioning of the body, but in practice, the amount contained in the other components of the feed is usually sufficient.

In rare cases, broilers may have problems with iodine or manganese deficiency. In laying hens, selenium has a positive effect on reproductive function.

Types of mineral supplements

It is advisable to use the following mineral additives on private farms.

Salt

Is a source of sodium and chlorine. Sodium is usually contained in comas in an amount sufficient for normal life, but chlorine must be replenished. The interaction of these elements in the body is very close, so their deficiency is always considered together as a lack of table salt.

Symptoms of deficiency in chickens are a decrease in egg production, deterioration in shell quality, growth in broilers slows down, the bird becomes lethargic, and convulsive phenomena are possible. Table salt is added to the mash in an amount of 0.2-0.4%. For an adult laying hen, this will be about 2 g per head per day.

Carefully! A salt content in feed of more than 0.7% can cause poisoning, and at 1% and above it can be fatal. You cannot feed chickens commercial feed for animals - cows, pigs, etc., since the salt norm for mammals is several times higher than for birds.

Shell

The shell contains about 38% calcium, which, with a digestibility of 60%, gives about 22 grams of calcium per 100 grams of shell. Calcium is especially important for laying hens, who lose it every day during the formation of egg shells. A characteristic sign of a lack of this element in a laying hen is problems with the shell or even its complete absence - “casting eggs”.

The daily rate of shells for chickens is 6-9%. Broilers and young animals need it to form the backbone. Chickens are given shellfish from three days of age in an amount of 1-1.2%.

Additionally, sea shell rock contains elements such as iodine and magnesium. The Caspian shell is considered to be the highest quality and most affordable.

In the photo - a shell for adding to the food of chickens, geese and turkeys.

Chalk stern

Limestone

Contains about 32% calcium, of which 30-40% is absorbed. When feeding feed phosphates, the absorption of calcium from chalk and limestone improves. Also, limestone contains 0.5% iron, 0.2% sulfur and 2-3% magnesium. It is introduced into the diet in an amount of 3-4%.

Eggshell

It is an excellent source of calcium and other mineral elements. Contains up to 80% calcium carbonate. Before feeding, the shells must be boiled and crushed. It is administered at a dose of 10-15 grams per head for adult chickens and 2% for chickens.

Phosphates

This group includes defluorinated feed phosphate, mono-, di- and tricalcium phosphate. They are given to replenish phosphorus in the body. Lack of phosphorus primarily affects the formation of the bones and shells of eggs. This element must be in balance with calcium.

The normal ratio of calcium to phosphorus for chickens is 3:1 at breeding and 5-6:1 during the laying period, for chickens 2:1. Knowing how much calcium you give, you can calculate the required amount of phosphorus yourself. Tricalcium phosphate is best absorbed by birds and mixes well with feed. Its input rates for chickens: 1.5-2%, for chickens – 0.5-1%.

Wood ash

Contains a complex of minerals, in particular: calcium 33%, phosphorus 2%, sodium 9%, potassium 7%, magnesium 7%, manganese 0.47%, iron 0.8%. They feed it at the rate of 10 grams per head or in a separate container in the form of coal ad libitum.

If you give your chickens baths to bathe in ash, you won’t need to add any additional ash to the feed. This achieves two goals.

Sapropel

This is lake silt, which contains protein (up to 6%), calcium (1.2%), as well as other trace elements. Used as a complex additive at the rate of 20 grams per head for chickens and 5-15% of the diet for chickens.

Fish meal, bone and meat and bone meal

These products are not mineral supplements - they are classified as high protein feeds. But if you introduce them into your diet, keep in mind that bone and meat and bone meal contain a lot of calcium and phosphorus, and fish meal contains phosphorus. In addition, fishmeal may be salty - this will need to be taken into account when calculating the diet.

All doses indicated above are given approximately per 1 head for laying hens or per 1 kg of dry feed mixture for chickens and broilers. Depending on the diet, they may vary slightly. Thus, when feeding green feed, it is recommended to increase the table salt content to 0.5-0.7% in order to regulate the ratio with potassium, which is abundant in green vegetation. And when feeding meat and bone meal to a bird, calcium-phosphorus additives are reduced by half or you can do without them altogether (unless it is a laying hen, which needs to form the egg shell).

When introducing supplements into your diet, follow the norm, since an excess of minerals is no less harmful to the body than their deficiency. Thus, with an excess of calcium, chickens digest feed worse and may be stunted in growth, despite the fact that their bones will be in ideal condition.

Balanced feeding is the key to a healthy and productive poultry flock.

Mineral premixes

Many manufacturers produce ready-made vitamin and mineral premixes. In general, their use is justified if the composition includes several mineral elements, in addition to calcium and phosphorus. This premix is good to add to food that is poor in structure (for example, one grain or only kitchen waste). It will also have the effect of increasing productivity if the other management parameters are good enough for the bird.

It is better to normalize calcium by introducing individual mineral supplements - shells, limestone, etc.

Here is an example of some vitamin and mineral premixes for a rural farmstead.

"Rural courtyard" Vitamin and mineral supplement for chickens. Dosage 1 g per head.
"Ryabushka". Contains vitamins and microelements - iron, copper, zinc, manganese, cobalt, iodine, selenium. Dosage 0.5 g per head.
Premix for laying hens "Agroservice". Contains proteins, vitamins and minerals - calcium, phosphorus, iron, copper, zinc, manganese, cobalt, iodine, selenium. Give at the rate of 10 grams per head.
Premix "Broiler Economy" (CapitalProk") for broilers from 4 weeks. Vitamins + microelements: iron, copper, zinc, manganese, cobalt, iodine, selenium. Dose 1 g per head.
Premix "Solnyshko" for young birds from the first days. Contains vitamins and microelements: iron, copper, zinc, manganese, cobalt, iodine, selenium. Dosage 0.1 – 1 g per head depending on age.

The photo shows packaging of mineral premix for laying hens from Agroservice. To take a closer look, click on the picture.

As you can see, in the line of all premix manufacturers there are products for broilers and for laying hens, which, in addition to vitamins, also include microelements. We remind you that it is necessary to introduce premixes into the diet if you feed the bird home-made mash. When purchasing complete feed (PC), you do not need to add any additives.

Why do you need gravel?

A few words about gravel. It is often put on a par with mineral supplements, although this is incorrect. The function of gravel is to serve as “teeth” for the bird. Once in the gizzard, gravel settles there and contributes to the grinding of grain.

The lack of gravel in chickens is fraught with metabolic disorders and even the development of cuticulitis (detachment of the inner wall of the stomach)

Therefore, good gravel should be clean, free of dirt and fine sand, and not dissolve in water or acid. The gravel size for chickens should be 4-6 mm, for smaller chickens - 2-3 mm.

Gravel can be given ad libitum in bulk on the bedding, in a separate container, or introduced into the feed once a week in the amount of 10-15 grams per head. If the bird is kept free-range, it is not necessary to provide gravel.

Different fractions of gravel are given to the bird depending on size and age.

Let's sum it up

When raising poultry for meat, and especially when feeding laying hens, it is necessary to control the content of mineral elements in the diet. In practice, this is achieved by introducing one complex or two or three mineral supplements. The most commonly used are shell, feed chalk, limestone, and tricalcium phosphate. In conditions of a small population, you can get by by feeding the birds eggshells or wood ash.