Some of the most non-selective domestic birdsare chickens. The breeding, maintenance, care and feeding of them do not require special skills. However, it is necessary to know a few nuances, otherwise the birds will not give the expected number of eggs and can quickly die.
Which breed should I choose?
For home breeding is best suitedbirds of general use and egg types. In the individual farming it is extremely unprofitable to grow meat breeds. As for the breeding of egg-type hens, their maintenance does not require much finance. Also they quickly ripen for gestation, although they have a small weight.
To bright representatives of egg breeds carryRussian white hens. Often they are crossed with leggorns. They have a thick neck, a large head with a leaf-shaped crest and an elongated body. This breed is capable of yielding about 200 medium-sized eggs per year. One more popular representative of the species are leggorns ordinary. They are distinguished by high mobility, thin neck and driven plumage. Leghorns can give up to 300 eggs a year. Their weight is slightly less than that of Russians.
Sometimes breeding chicken at home is notis to get a large number of eggs. Many people keep their birds for so-called common use. In such cases, the weight of the chicken is important, and its egg production over a certain period of time. Commonly used breeds include Adler silver, Red-tailed, Poltava clay, but the most common are Plymouth. They can give up to 3 kg of pure meat and endure up to 180 eggs per year.
Breeding at home
The first two months the chickens arethe formation of the skeleton and the muscular system, the support apparatus. Therefore, breeding chicken at home for this period should be conditioned by maintaining the uniformity of the herd (size division). It is important that, towards the end of the 10th week, the birds of all groups are equalized by weight. By the middle of the 4th month the chicken should have about 1.6 kg. In the following weeks (up to the 22nd), birds need to gain 15-25 grams per day, so that there is no obesity or rickets.
Sexual maturation in chickens begins with the 4th month.By this time, groups of birds can already be connected, but do it gradually so that they can calmly adapt to each other. Hat eggs can be hatched from the 17th week. However, the optimal age for this is 5 months.
Experts argue that for acceleratedThe maturation of birds requires good lighting. Therefore, breeding chicken at home requires good luminescence. It is proved that for a full-fledged development of birds it is necessary, at least, that 10-12 hours the room be illuminated from all sides. Only in this way the ovaries of the chicken will mature on time (before the 22nd week).
Breeding on the backyard
For keeping a large number of birdsan appropriate aviary or chicken coop is required. In this case, it is recommended to breed chickens in the garden or in the country. The law does not limit the number of pets, but it is worth considering that the rules of some garden partnerships may contain such a framework. Most often allowed to keep up to 40 chickens.
On the plot you can breed birdsyear-round, but for this you need to warm the chicken coop. Ideal for keeping in winter, broiler chickens are suitable for quick adaptation to the cold due to their plumage and certain physiological features. Many summer residents plant chickens only from spring to autumn, and with the onset of frost they slaughter them or carry them home.
For breeding at the site is best suited for small meat and egg breeds, as they lead a more active lifestyle and quickly adapt to changing weather conditions.
Coop Requirements
When breeding poultry in the backyardFirst of all, the plot should consider building and equipping a room where they could carry eggs, hide from bad weather and sleep. The main requirements for any chicken coop are dryness and light. It is also important that there are no drafts in the room, since young chickens are particularly susceptible to colds.
Breeding chickens in the household requiresconsiderable cost. First, it is necessary to equip the room where they would live. A normal chicken coop should have a lean-to roof, block or wooden walls and a warmed ceiling. It is important that the windows are located at a height of 0.3 m from the floor and correspond to the dimensions - 25 by 30 cm. The doors should be insulated, the gaps should be closed with trims. Breeding holes for birds should not be too big - a square with dimensions of 30 by 30 cm. Keeping and breeding chickens indoors also requires constant lighting, especially in cloudy weather.
Что касается выгульного загона, то он должен быть spacious and have a high fence. The area of the enclosure is taken at the rate of 0.7 square meters per head. The soil in the pen should be leveled with a slight slope along which water flows during precipitation. Also in the chicken coop and an open-air cage, you need to install special perches - smooth poles (about 6 cm wide) at the rate of 0.25 m per head. Nests should be located in dark corners.
Chicken feeding
Egg laying birds directly depends on their diet. The daily menu of chickens should include flour mixes, and grains, and vegetable feed, and mineral supplements.
To get enough vitamins andsquirrel birds should eat up to 180 grams of food per day. The daily ration of one chicken is calculated as follows: 50 g of grain, 50 g of flour mixture, 50 g of succulent fodder, 10 g of protein, 10 g of hay meal, 5 g of shell, 1 g of fish oil, 0.5 g of salt. It is allowed to give 3 g of Baker's yeast per head. In addition, an important place in the diet of chicken is fresh grass and vegetables.
Usually, poultry are fed 3-4 times a day: in the morning - grain, at lunch - a wet mash, in the evening - a dry mixture, at night - cereals.
The daily rate of water per head is 300 ml.
Slaughter feed
This procedure is recommended to do with the onset of autumn. Fattening birds need to be kept separate from rushing. Boiled potatoes and all kinds of table waste are added to their regular ration.
For quick results, you can do mash onfatty broth. During feeding, the bird should eat 3 times a day (every 6 hours). Breeding domestic chickens for slaughtering requires a little patience. After 3 weeks the birds will be ready for cutting. The day before slaughter, they are given only salted water.
Prevention of diseases
To prevent infection in poultry, pens and chicken coops should be kept constantly clean. Enormous feeding plays a huge role in disease prevention.
Often breeding chickens at home implies their treatment. In order to achieve the desired effect, it is necessary to promptly find the cause of the disease and separate infected and healthy birds.
You can notice the poor state of the chicken by itsbehavior: lethargy, lack of appetite, lowered wings, eyes closed by a film, drowsiness. The presence of infection is also indicated by a temperature of 43 degrees and above.
