Animal Care Tips

Housekeeping hens laying hens. Allowance for breeding chickens at home for beginners. How to equip the right house

Cottage - not only a great place to relax, it can provide you with all the necessary food. These can be fruits and vegetables, as well as meat and eggs. Today we will talk about breeding chickens in the country. It turns out that this is not a difficult task at all, which will be on the shoulder of anyone who wants to get down to business seriously. You can breed laying hens, which for a long time will supply you with fresh eggs, or meat breeds. The main thing is to provide the bird with good accommodation and proper feeding.

Nests that are protected and blacked out, have bedding and a soft base such as artificial grass or rubber mats are suitable. Ducks and geese should be able to swim. Easy and climatic climate. Rooms dominated by animals should be lit by daylight. Fresh air must be present, and the climate in the room must be adapted to the animals. Illumination should be at least 5 lux during the day, with the exception of rest areas and retreat and laying nests.

Noisy animals should not be exposed to excessive noise for a long time. Care, diseases, interventions Care must prevent diseases and injuries. The pet owner, pet owner, must monitor the health of the animals and the condition of the objects as often as necessary. Deficiencies in the means affecting animal welfare should be immediately eliminated or appropriate measures taken to protect the animals. The owner is also responsible for the care or treatment of sick or injured animals, or, if necessary, their killing.

Choosing the right breed

The choice of breed depends on what you want from your chickens - a lot of eggs or a lot of meat. In the first case, you need to choose layers, in the second - broilers.

When purchasing layers, pay attention to the following breeds:

  • minorca;
  • italian kuropatchatye;
  • leggorny;
  • Loman Brown;
  • Hisex;
  • calvic livenskie (this breed refers to the meat-egg).

It is better to buy pullets by the age of 4-6 months - they have either already begun to rush, or are about to enter. The first eggs of such birds are very small, but after about the fifth they become large, their usual size. If you are not going to breed the offspring of your hens, then the rooster is not necessary. Chickens are carried without male intervention, which is only necessary for the fertilization of eggs and the subsequent breeding of chickens. Although, a beautiful rooster, singing songs in the morning, in the country will not be superfluous.

In the case of poultry, the following actions are prohibited: moving the beaks, connecting the head and wings, using glasses and contact lenses, removing water for washing out, stuffing, plucking out live animals and attaching aids; which prevent the closure of the beak.

Rain Protection The pet owner, pet owner, provides the necessary protection against weather conditions  for animals. Breeding Breeds should be organized in such a way as to maintain animal health. It is forbidden to reproduce animals in which there are no or transformed parts of the body, which are necessary for typical typical behavior. In particular, if the animal experiences pain, suffering or damage.

If you decide to have egg-laying chickens, the rooster will perform a decorative function.

Do you know how among little chickens to distinguish a rooster from a hen? In appearance, it is impossible to do until a certain point, but there is a proven folk remedy. Take the chick by the paws and turn it upside down. The hen is free to hang his head, and the cockerel will try to raise it up.

Also follow the guidelines for storing decorative birds. Text: Federal Veterinary Service. These tips and suggestions are aimed at all newbies in the field of smoking, especially those who want to buy chickens for the first time in the near future. Before the flock is secured, the shed must be thoroughly disinfected and ready for the laying hens to feel good. It does not have to be specifically isolated, as most chicken breedsas well as our laying hens tolerate a cold well.

The coop must be free from drafts, which can be observed in all animals. Equally important is also good ventilation in the stable. Ventilation should be calculated according to the size of the chicken coop and the number of chicken cubes. Only 5-6 chicks should be stored per m2 of stable area.

Among meat breeds in our latitudes, the most common are:

  • broilers;
  • cornish;
  • brama;
  • cochinquins

Buy preferably chickens at the age of 60-70 days. Such chickens rush badly, but very quickly gain weight. If you decide to breed meat chickens, then the choice between females and males is not fundamental. Roosters are larger by nature, so it will be better if there are more. On the other hand, chickens, because of low durability, do not spend a lot of energy, and also increase mass.

Perch, feeder or gutter, gutter, if possible, plastic pressure gutter, as this is the easiest way to handle and clean.

  • Per m2 less than 2 kg body weight per laying hen.
  • Nests located in a dark corner of the stable.
Gumimatten, straw or chaff depending on the nest. Sawdust, shavings or straw are stable installation. Long straw is more practical for the owner, but long stems are eaten by some chickens, and this can lead to clogging of the goiter.

It is important that the bedding is dry and covers the floor well. Under the perch you can install Cotbretta. This makes cleaning a stable much easier, but it needs to be cleaned from time to time. Chicken dung is a super fertilizer. Chicken manure in the fall, like a lid, sprinkle with a garden bed. Chop well in the spring. If you fill the chicken manure in the barrel with water and leave it for a few weeks, you will get excellent liquid fertilizer.

Breeds of chickens that are easy to breed at their summer cottage

When building a stable, note that there is enough daylight in the barn. A window on the north side is highly recommended, since there should never be direct sunlight in the stable! Chickens come from the jungle undergrowth. If the light becomes too bright or too aggressive, it is recommended to darken the window. Otherwise, it can lead to cannibalism.

Because of their beautiful appearance, many keep their throats at the laying hens. He guards and protects the herd. Approaching bird of prey  A warning appears. He also resolves disputes among hens. Chickens regularly lay eggs even without a rooster. However, if you want to have offspring from your laying hens, you cannot do without Gyuggel. At least 6-10 consoles should be the ones to take care of the esophagus. Otherwise, laying hens are too often happy. This, in turn, easily leads to constant anxiety in the herd and means preventable stress for poultry.

Chickens regularly lay eggs even without the esophagus. We recommend a complete diet for laying hens or an additional feed with grains. The owner of the chicken can manage the appropriate feed, as indicated on the packaging. Chickens can not be fed only one food. Even with free running, what they find is not enough for worms, small animals and grass to feed the chickens in a balanced and healthy way.

Chickens must be properly fed according to their needs, otherwise they will not be able to produce the eggs that we desire. You should not save on food, because it can lead to an increase in nutritional deficiencies, metabolic disorders, liver damage, ovarian problems, and so on.

Why do feathers fall out

Problems that the chicken coop is not looking at from the laying hens. Chicken is genetically forced to lay eggs. It cannot be otherwise, whether he likes it or not. And this number of eggs can only deliver if it is healthy. If the laying hens are unhealthy, this is mainly due to poor diet.

All food, preferably in the feeder, should be available to laying hens during the day at leisure. In the same way, there should always be enough fresh water. Water should not be dirty, and drinkers should be regularly cleaned and rinsed every day. They can be administered through drinking water. Vitamins can also be given throughout the year.

Content Features

You need to start with the choice of a place for walking and home improvement of the bird. For this purpose, the open area, well lighted and provided with a shadow in case of hot days, is optimally suited. If you plan to keep chickens only in the summer, then you should not take care of the capital hen house. Enough building, consisting of three walls and a roof, where the birds will sleep, hide from the weather.

It is very important that vaccines be vaccinated upon purchase, as is customary when good growing  chickens Chickens should contain not only the conservatory, as laying hens. Already in growing chickens, it is highly recommended to use a rosette for animal welfare. Thus, massifs have more space by a third. Many hobby culinary farmers want a green spout for their laying hens. About six months later, at the latest after the first winter, a cleaned brown area often appears. This is a normal development.

If you want to prevent this, you must have at least 10 m2 of open space for laying hens. One of the ways to get green soil for laying hens is a system with three willows. Here a large nose is divided into three parts. Chickens have access to only one area at a time, while others can recover and recover. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that the grass does not grow in winter. For a three-tier system, at least 2–3 m2 for laying hens is also required in order to adequately protect areas from laying hens.

In such an improvised chicken coop, your bird care will be reduced to adding feed and collecting eggs. It is enough to purchase troughs and drinkers in a special store and place them in certain places. However, it is easy to make them yourself or to use available means in this quality - old bowls, basins, boxes.

With 10 chickens that take up a lot of space. White laying hens: 326 white eggs; brown laying hens: 312 brown eggs; black laying hens: 306 brown eggs; laying hens: 308 brown eggs of laying hens: 306 brown eggs. The color of the eggs has nothing to do with the color of the feathers of the chicks. Learn more about the work of our laying hens here.

Breeding chickens in stages

Eggs can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three weeks without any problems. It is better to remove the shell from the fourth day on a boiled egg. What to do when. Watch the chickens well, feed, feed water, collect eggs. Every 2-3 days: clean the slurry board, clean the water tank and the feed chute. Every week: from March to October, check whether it has mites under the perches and crevices; Every 2-3 weeks: clean the stable.

You can release the chickens for free range on the site, without limiting them to aviary. But in this case, you may encounter some troubles.

  1. Chickens will constantly rake your beds and flower beds. They can not explain that here you can walk, but here it is forbidden to manage - these birds can not be trained.
  2. You will be surprised to find that the chicken is a free and freedom-loving bird. Neighbors probably will not like that your players are behaving on someone else's beds, just like at home, simply by flying over the fence or making their way through the fence in the fence. Therefore, check the quality of the protective structures, or cut the wings of chickens.
  3. The hen will choose the nesting place for the eggs according to a pattern known to her. Sometimes it is very difficult to find it in the bush, in the weeds or in the barn, among garden tools.

Still, it is better to limit the freedom of the chicken fraternity, in order to avoid possible problems. Now on sale there are many models of ready-made chicken coops, adapted for keeping poultry in a dacha. If you think that this is an expensive pleasure, you can easily arrange such a place of residence on your own.

Clean the shed thoroughly and possibly disinfect it. Chickens can be saved for completely different purposes. From use as livestock for feeding eggs and meat, about hobbies and hobbies, to professional use in commerce.

In this article, chicken farming is described as a hobby, that is, in the non-profit area. All interested parties should receive a first overview of the topic and relevant supporting decisions with this introduction. In addition, of course, practical advice and recommendations are offered.

We also want to convey anomalies in our own research. There are some very big differences between the theory of smoking and life in practice. We would like to pass this knowledge to all newcomers so that they can form their own opinion about their desired form of smoking on this basis.


Portable curia enclosure that can be purchased at the store

When you start building, consider these features: the size of the enclosure must proceed from the required space - at least 1 sq. M. on 1 chicken; perch length - at the rate of 30 cm for each chicken.

For your own journey to the chicks, it is important to first clarify your personal goals. Often, the guides ask: why do you want to keep chickens? Would you prefer to breed meat, eggs or chickens to decorate and maintain races? Most of the reasons are confusing interest in the chickens themselves, their contribution to their own living space and everyday life, as well as the wonderful feeling that they need to get chicken eggswhich are produced in accordance with their standards of healthy lifestyle and animal welfare.

The larger the space, the lower the chances of developing diseases, aggression and stress in birds. In addition, chickens must be constantly supplied with fresh grass.

How to feed layers

Fresh grass is the best source of vitamins and trace elements for chickens. Therefore, install an open-air cage so as to provide the hens with enough weeds. A portable aviary can do this very well. But in this case, it will take a lot of space, which is not very convenient in the conditions of a small area of ​​the site and the presence of beds on it. But this is not a problem: constantly weeding the beds from the weeds, pour grass into the corral for the birds. It'll be enough.

There are also many benefits to animals and the environment. It is impossible to avoid medicines for chicken and eggs, without dioxin, without mass animal husbandry, without useless transportation. Instead, the cohabitation of people and animals, the appropriate type of environment with healthy food for animals. To get a good start on the road with your own chickens from this point of view, frankly, two important issues  really important because, after all, they are living beings.

Meat-egg breeds of chickens

If these two questions can be answered in the affirmative, the rest is relatively simple. We want to help by providing knowledge and information to clarify issues and the future of animal farming. Keeping chicks in a small group with a maximum of about 6 animals is much simpler than the attitude of a dog. In the morning and in the evening to look after chickens. Animals need fresh feed and water, are forced to leave the barn and come back again. You are looking for eggs and remove feces from the manure board to facilitate the work while thoroughly cleaning the stable.

The feed specially developed for laying hens will help to increase the potential. You do not need additional feeding, because this feed is perfectly balanced and nutritious.

Buy cereals for your hens: wheat, oats, barley. These cultures can be used both individually and as mixtures. In some cases, you will need supplements of vitamins and mineral supplements, but usually there is enough grain for proper growth and good durability.


Provide birds with food and drink containers.

In any case, you need to constantly monitor the condition of chickens and their fatness. Low weight and excessive fatness can equally lead to a decrease in egg production and the development of diseases. The optimal amount of feed for each hen is no more than 150 g per day. And do not forget to add fresh water every day.

For little chickens need a special feed. In its composition should be:

  • ground corn;
  • semolina;
  • millet;
  • finely chopped boiled chicken eggs;
  • ground carrots;
  • finely chopped greens: cabbage, lettuce, dandelion, etc.

For chickens aged 1 month or more, food, grain, animal feed, potato peelings and other food waste with the addition of crushed chalk - a source of essential calcium.

Hibernating Birds Wintering

The optimal temperature for chicken production is from -2 to + 27 degrees Celsius. At lower or more high temperatures  egg production can not only go down, but completely stop. If you decide to breed hens only in summer, they should be slaughtered in late September - early October. The layers may not be distinguished by the fleshyness of the carcasses, but in the broth they are very good and fragrant.

You may decide to keep the chickens in winter. In this case, you will have to equip the warmed chicken coop and equip it with automatic drinkers and bunker-type feeders if you do not live in the country in winter. It will be enough to come to the country once a week to add food and drink, to follow the growth and health of the bird.

And now let's talk about how to equip the winter version of the dwelling for laying hens. When building a full-fledged chicken coop, the easiest way to use available materials, such as cinder blocks, logs, boards and slate.

  1. Slag stones are a rather expensive material, but it is more durable than other options. Such a structure will be long and strong, and almost does not require additional processing.
  2. If you decide to use in the construction of lumber and slate, then you need to take care of insulation. Straw, dry leaves, sawdust can serve as insulation. To prevent rodents from laying in the insulation layer, mix the material with lime.
  3. It is also possible to use mineral wool as a heater, laying it in an even layer and insulating with plasterboard layers.
  4. An important condition is good ventilation of the room containing the hens. A constant supply of fresh air will prevent the development of diseases and ensure regular bird wear.
  5. To avoid diseases of birds, disinfect the room about 1 time in 2-3 months. Cover walls, perches, and floors with lime mortar: 2 kg of quicklime per 10 liters of water.

We grow meat breeds

When buying meat breed chickens, first of all pay attention to their appearance. The signs of chick health are:

  • activity;
  • soft tummy;
  • invisible umbilical cord;
  • lush shiny fluff.

With good maintenance and full feeding, chickens reach a three-kilogram weight by two months.


When buying chicken breeds of meat, pay attention to their condition.

The room for chickens should be well ventilated and lighted. Protect the area so that cats and rodents do not have access to it, otherwise you risk to be left without a bird. From the cats will help a strong mesh around the perimeter, but in order to get rid of rodents, you need to pickle the area before you get chickens.

Before placing the chicks, sprinkle the floor of the room with lime-fluff at the rate of 0.5 kg per 1 square meter, and lay wood chips on top. In winter, the layer should be no more than 20 cm, and in summer - about 10 cm. During the first time of maintenance, provide purchased chickens with a temperature of 28-30 degrees, reducing it by a couple of units every week.

If you have enough room for chickens, then install a heater in it so that the chicks do not disperse from the heat source. in the period of early growth, they also need round-the-clock coverage. Over time, it can be reduced and left only near the feeders and drinking bowls, and when the chickens have reached four weeks of age, they will get stronger and gain strength - release them to fresh air.

Please note: meat breed chickens need cleanliness, especially in the diet. They are often treading water, as it is necessary, and we need to ensure the accuracy of food intake. There are special drinkers and feeders, and they are easy to make yourself. Put the food in a jar, cover it with a flat saucer and turn it over. The required amount of feed will get enough sleep when you lift the jar a little.

In order for your chickens to grow at the right pace, use special feed: the first 4 days - prelaunch, before reaching the age of one month - starting, after - finishing.

Features of feed for meat breeding chickens

In the feed of the prelaunch type contains the highest concentration of nutrients. It includes milled corn, barley, wheat with the addition of dry skim and sunflower meal.

AT starter feed  the same elements with the addition of fishmeal, grass meal, fodder yeast, crushed chalk, fodder fat and minerals.

Compound feed provides chickens with substances necessary for intensive growth. You can add carefully chopped vegetables and grass to this feed.

For broiler chickens grown at home, the first weeks of life, you can use as a meal cereal from the detailed grains of barley, wheat, corn, mixed with boiled eggs and cottage cheese. Be sure to grind the mixture into a homogeneous mass, otherwise the chickens can choke.


Proper nutrition will ensure good growth and weight gain.

After the chicks grow up, transfer them to a more simple feed from dry mixes. Over time, grown chickens will eat grass, grain and vegetable peels.

Be sure to ask at your nearest veterinary pharmacy, what vitamins and medications you may need to grow chickens. Means can be different, depending on the breed, conditions of detention and the general condition of the bird brood or each individual chick.

Video about breeding chickens in the country

As you can see, breed chickens on summer cottage  simple enough. In addition, this activity can be a regular source of income for you. The main thing - to approach him with all seriousness. Surely you have experience breeding birds. We will be happy to learn something new from you and answer your questions.


  At home, breeding chickens - almost a mandatory attribute of any resident of the countryside. This bird can be seen in all courtyards (from a few heads, quietly walking around the backyard plot, up to several dozen, and even hundreds, kept in cages, chicken coops and cages).

Growing laying hens from chickens

Growing chickens has two main objectives - getting eggs and meat. In commercial breeding (running the chicken business), you should choose one of them, since the most effective profit can be obtained on a narrow specialization.

Breeds of chickens

With meat specialization, raising broiler chickens is most effective. And it is clear why - this breed is more massive and growing rapidly, gaining the necessary parameters for weight in a few months.

If the main direction is to get eggs, then there are many different breedsThe main ones are:

Breed of laying hens Loman Brown

Chickens

Before dealing with adult birds that will bring the necessary product, begin with chickens, obtained in three ways:

  • chicken hen;
  • withdraw in the incubator;
  • buy.

In these cases, the easiest is to buy, because you can immediately count on a certain planned number of heads and not spend time and effort on independent breeding of chickens.


A hen - can itself sit out the chickens, as well as feed them

When buying, you must choose the most active and clean chicks, as these are the main indicators of good health. Each chicken must be inspected (wet ass indicates the presence of a viral disease), check the response to the sound (usually a corresponding reaction to any outside noise occurs).

Incubator for chickens - heats the eggs to the desired temperature

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The first two weeks of home stay, the chickens should be kept in a room with a temperature not lower than +28 o C.

Types of drinkers for chickens with their own hands.

Visual observation of the behavior of chicks will tell you how comfortable they feel.

If there is an accumulation in large dense groups, then they are cold. And at the location of one by one with a languid inactive look, they feel hot. Under normal health, chickens are active, they run a lot and constantly squeak.

In the place of detention should always be present water for drinking in special drinkers, but the food, not necessarily placed in the feeders (you can do without them, scattering throughout). In the initial diet, as a rule, is present boiled eggmixed with a small amount of greens. Further, they smoothly transfer to the main (adult) feed, which consists of cereals and cereal waste.

Diet

In terms of chickens, an important role is played by what they eat. And it depends on the direction of raising hens or broiler chickens. To obtain high-quality eggs, it is necessary to adhere to a balanced feed content, which should also include such elements as calcium, which is necessary for the formation of a durable shell. To accelerate growth and weight gain, high-energy feed is preferred.

Growth table of laying hens when feeding her starting feed

A simple and cost-effective solution to problems with feed will be the purchase of nutrient mixtures, which are designed specifically for both layers and broilers (contain the optimal amount of necessary ingredients).

Balanced feed

Such feeds are ideal for them and, despite the high cost, they are fully justified, especially in bulk purchases.

The choice between the use of full-fledged combined feeds in finished form or cheaper self-prepared feeds is made depending on the scale and possibilities in each individual case. But, under any circumstances, simple feeding with ordinary grain is not rational, as supplements are still needed, starting from vitamins and ending with minerals.

Breeding and broilers and layers suggests their location. That is the chicken coop. In fact, this is a separate building or extension to the main house, which is designed to keep only chickens.

Chicken coop with laying hen yard

With broiler chickens, the task of maintenance and care is somewhat simplified. The main requirements for such a room include the presence of drinkers, feeders and bedding and comfortable indicators of temperature and humidity (with mandatory control of the absence of drafts). In mass production, it is possible to use cells, which greatly simplifies the process of cleaning and maintaining sanitary conditions.

Growing laying hens requires additional equipment for nests or places for carrying eggs.

Nests are made of any configuration and are placed in a convenient place for access to the collection of eggs.

The main criteria for selection are isolation (the absence of extraneous influence) and comfort (cozy, warm and without drafts).

Perches are also suitable for laying hens, but in this case it is necessary to provide stoppers (sides) that will not allow the eggs to roll and fall.

It is important to remember that the chicken instinct takes care of the new offspring, therefore, it is possible to get high productivity from it only when it is in maximum safety with the highest comfort.

Rationality

You can’t just say so and say - I’ll grow chickens at home!

Before you take on this hectic business, you need to determine your goals. And the main difference between the two is in the phrase - for what?

For your own needs (both in meat and eggs), the question is not so urgent. It is enough to have a small number of birds to provide themselves with the necessary amount of their own products. Almost any yard (even the smallest) and an office in farm buildingwhich is reserved for the comfort of the birds at any time of the year.

And in this version the main problem choice can only become a breed. But, having an option according to which there is no division - the same breed copes with two tasks in the same way, you can safely get down to business even to a person who has never done this before.


But in the business plan for growing chickens, it is necessary not only to take into account, but also to calculate all the options with the choice of the most profitable direction.

First of all, the location of the chicken coop and the territory adjacent to it is taken into account. This is a separate building to which the territory for walking of chickens is attached, especially if they are kept for the production of eggs.

DIY Coop

Based on this, the maximum number of heads is selected, taking into account that the hens need more space than the broilers.

If the plans for seasonal growing - raised, scored, sold - this is one option. But with cyclical updating of livestock, it makes sense to get a permanent productive group, consisting of one rooster and 4-6 hens. Eggs thus obtained can be used for incubating or incubating with a hen (depending on the scale). In the presence of such a group, it will need to take a separate territory from the others.

Financial opportunities

But without this nothing happens. Absolutely any business (business) requires initial investment. Therefore, the scale of the future content of chickens in terms of business depends on the thickness of the wallet of every start-up entrepreneur. Therefore, after examining all the circumstances, and having the necessary amount to start with, you can try to put the case on a big foot only when the trial phase consisting of one cycle of total production (breeding) has been successfully completed: you have purchased an egg - you have grown a chicken to a broiler - you have received meat, layers - got an egg.

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Video: Chicken Breeding Guide

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