In the household poultry farm can bean excellent source of profit, so the owners are trying in every way to increase the productivity of their birds. To do this, you need to properly select the breed, properly equip the chicken coop, to provide livestock with high-quality feed. However, it is worth knowing about how to determine the age of laying hens to ensure the most effective rejuvenation of the population.
Since the productivity of poultry directlydepends on the age, the far-sighted host should understand how to determine the age of laying hens, if you want to get enough eggs. In addition, interest is also meat direction - trade in chickens in breeding farms. Sometimes it is possible to combine all the directions, although this requires a more careful approach to the choice of breed of bird.
The most productive period in the life of a chickenIt is considered the second half of the first year of life, but at this time the eggs will be small. But in the second year of life you can get a larger and higher-quality product from the bird. It is believed that in the third year it is necessary to change the livestock, although sufficient egg production remains. It is unprofitable to leave a bird older than three years in a hen house, the exception being deserved chicks that can sit and raise young animals.
Pullets are grown chicken, whichare about to begin to trot. The age of such a bird is from four to six months. Some specially bred egg crosses with good care begin to give eggs at the age of 5-5.5 months.
Many when buying young animals are concerned about the issue ofhow to determine the age of the laying hen on the scallop. It should be noted that if the seller does not allow the buyer to feel and carefully examine the bird, then this is one of the signs of a fraudster: he sells "pensioners" who, by definition, will not become champions in egg production, and the soup is no longer suitable.
The young hen has a relatively small and bright scallop, not pale. It is worth touching it: it must be warm and resilient, in any case not cold and not flabby.
This parameter is difficult to determine with accuracy, buta couple of months does not matter. In early spring it is impossible to buy young chickens - this is, at best, the so-called pereyars, age — about a year and a half. But few people sell a productive bird after the winter, when a relatively economical period for forage begins. Consequently, the seller tries to get rid of the aging living creatures.
There are a few simple techniques fordetermine the age of laying hens. The young bird will have a warm, resilient red comb, clear clean eyes, an even yellowish beak, and by no means gray. The skin on the paws should be yellow, clean, should be smooth and not spreading claws and rather tender heels without cracks and corns. A good layer has a big and soft belly; the distance from the keel to the womb is three to four fingers. The hard tip of the keel indicates a respectable age, in the young bird it is gravelly and soft.
As mentioned above, leave agingthe bird is justified only if it exhibits outstanding talent of the hen. Many beginners believe that all hens by default can breed chicks, but this is not true. Egg crosses were bred for the sake of high productivity, and their maternal instinct is more a coincidence than a rule. However, if you understand how to determine the age of a laying hen, you can qualitatively carry out the selection of birds.
There are several economically viableways to maintain good performance in the house. This requires regular rejuvenation of livestock. The optimal age for culling for a chicken is 2-2.5 years; a bird slaughtered at this age belongs to the category of soup and is quite edible.
In the spring you need to buy repairing youngsters, chickensor grown birds, then in the fall they will already begin to nest, and the culled chickens will go for meat. With the purchase will be useful knowledge on how to determine the age of laying hens.
You can not buy young, and useown reproduction. Then you need to keep for every ten or one and a half chickens of one rooster. The presence of several good chicks in the house will make an incubator unnecessary.
Is there a separate method of howto determine the age of a layer hen of the Brown breed? In fact, the rules are the same for all breeds, but it is better to choose the bird of egg crosses on purpose. Paying close attention to the quality of the livestock of birds, you can achieve excellent results, and the age of the hens plays an important role here.
