How to raise broiler chickens. Maintenance and breeding of broiler chickens in the garden and at home

One of the most popular options for breeding meat breeds of chicken, of course, are broilers. High productivity, fast weight gain, phlegmatic character, excellent meat quality are important distinctive feature these breeds. But along with the benefits and abundance of quality products, the breeder will face problems and specific nuances in the breeding process that require increased attention and diligence on his part. Let's try to understand all the intricacies of the process called: broilers - growing at home, feeding, we note the main pros and cons of breeding broilers.

Broiler is a representative of crosses, a hybrid of meat breeds (Kokhinin, Plimutrok, Langshan, etc.). The most common color is white, almost all breeds have a wide chest and strong legs, they carry few eggs. The difference and feature of the broiler: genetically incorporated rapid weight gain with relatively small expenditure on feed (from 1.8 to 3 kg per kilogram of weight), which allows a monthly chick to weigh up to 2.5 kilograms. A healthy chick gains daily (depending on the breed) from 30 to 80 grams of weight. All breeds are distinguished by increased vitality, calm character, pale skin after slaughter, characteristic of most broiler crosses. The most popular breeds today:

• Broiler-61;
• ROSS-308;
• Change-7;
• ROSS-708;
• COBB-500.

We note a feature of the latter breed that distinguishes it from others: the carcass of COBB-500 has a yellowness that is popular among buyers, which makes it more profitable when breeding for retail sale. The yellowness of the breed does not depend on the characteristics of nutrition, the presence of corn in the diet, etc.

The specificity of the content of broilers

Coop preparation

In the first days of life, chicks are subject to stress due to moving, which negatively affects health and vitality, increasing the risk of mortality and disease. To reduce negative factors, it is necessary to conduct a thorough preliminary preparation of the premises for the bird, taking into account all the necessary needs of the chicks. An indicative list of required activities.

• disinfect the premises. Pre-plaster the walls, smear with lime (for floor maintenance, cover the floor with lime in the proportion: 1 kg per square meter). When reused, disinfection is also necessary, the walls should be treated with whitewash;

• there should be no drafts in the room. All cracks must be plastered, properly clogged or sealed. Do not use rags or other temporary options as out of curiosity, a bird can peck at this part of the wall, injuring its beak or tongue;
• regardless of the season, the temperature in the chicken coop in the first weeks should not be below 30 degrees. For heating, both various heaters and incandescent lamps are used. In the future, the temperature can be gradually reduced to 20 degrees by the slaughter period. At low temperatures, both a drop in weight and a general decrease in the health of chickens are possible;
• in the first weeks, constant dim lighting (1.8 W per square meter) is necessary: ​​it helps to gain weight, improves the body's resistance to non-communicable diseases, and stimulates hematopoiesis (the process of formation and development of blood cells). In the future, after 2 weeks of growth, when the bird gets stronger and gains weight, the lighting can be reduced by introducing a darkness mode for several hours, which will also be beneficial for the health of the chickens;

• high-quality, working ventilation and humidity control are necessary. The accumulation of ammonia in the air, high and, conversely, low humidity in the room can cause pecking, lack of appetite, stress, infections (eg coccidiosis), increased mortality. The optimum level of humidity is from 50 to 60%;
• when planning a chicken coop, it is necessary to ensure free and convenient access for all chicks to drinkers and feeders, avoiding crushing and competition for food;
• lay a dry and loose coating (sawdust, straw) on the floor with a layer of no more than 10 cm thick. Clean up dirt daily, monitor dryness in the room: chicks inevitably spill water on the floor, which creates ideal conditions for infections and bacteria.

Important to know: Due to the stress of moving day old chicks often results in increased mortality, many breeders prefer to acquire older chicks up to 10 days old, which reduces the chance of losses but reduces the potential profits.

It will also be useful when buying (regardless of the age of the chicks) to pay attention to the liveliness and mobility of the chickens, culling those that are too apathetic and motionless.

Housing options

In the first 10 days of life, it is recommended to keep the chicks in a brooder, a "crèche for the little ones", necessary for better control over what is happening at the most helpless moment in the life of the chicks. The brooder itself can be placed in the house, which will simplify observation. To make it you will need:

• two large boxes fastened together: one for feeding, the other for walking. The boxes themselves must be disinfected (ideally with lime);
• oilcloth, a layer of straw or sawdust for bedding;
• feeder;
• drinker;
• permanent lighting.

The approximate number of livestock in a brooder is 18 chicks per square meter. After 10 days of growth, a stampede inevitably begins among the chicks, which means that it is time to move the bird to a larger, more adapted room.

For a chicken coop, it is possible to build a separate covered building, but you can adapt a country barn or use a regular greenhouse.

The option with a greenhouse has an undeniable plus: in the case of breeding chicks in the cold season, heating costs are significantly reduced, which increases the final profit. But in the greenhouse, problems with ventilation and humidity are inevitable, which will eventually lead to a significant loss of chickens from diseases and infections. It is necessary to constantly ventilate the room, while avoiding drafts and cooling, or to carry out a separate ventilation system.

When using a separate room, two options are practiced:

• outdoor, with the content of chicks on the floor, covered with bedding;
• cellular, with the construction of a multi-tiered system for keeping chicken.

The floor version is easier to perform, does not require additional labor on the creation of cells, but has several important disadvantages, in comparison with the cellular content:

• the ratio "number of chicks - square meter" in the cellular version is definitely more advantageous. It is advisable to place up to 10 chicks per 1 square meter with floor content (taking into account constant growth). With cage keeping on the same square meter, depending on the number of floors, 2 times more chicks can be placed, which is not a limit;
• the cost of space heating, ventilation and electricity in the cellular version is less;
• high degree of pollution during outdoor maintenance. Need more frequent cleanings, an increase in diseases and infections.

Video - Cage for Broiler

Creation of equipment for feeding and water supply

Also in the chicken coop, it is necessary to think over the system of feeding and watering, it should be simple, exclude the possibility of injury to the bird. Even without special talents in the field of engineering, it is possible to quickly and easily build several types of drinkers and feeding devices.

To create a simple drinker that works according to the principles of physics, you will need:

• deep and wide bowl or basin;
• five liter bottle of water.

Step 1. Close the bottle tightly. We make a hole in the bottom of the bottle with a nail or knife. The hole should be no higher than the top edge of the bowl.

Step 2. Then put the bottle in a bowl, add water. Water flows out exactly to the desired level in the bowl, provided the lid is tightly closed. We get the simplest home-made design from improvised materials.

No less simple version of the feeder. For this you will need:

• large plastic bottle;
• several screws;
• a small sheet of plywood;
• scissors.

Step 1. We cut the bottle into two parts. In the lower part on the sides with a knife we ​​make holes for the bird.

Step 2. We fasten the lower part with a pair of screws to a plywood sheet for greater stability (the bird should not be able to turn the structure over).

Step 3. We lower the upper part with the neck inside the lower part, pour the grain. As the grain is eaten, new food will flow to the bottom from the top.

Video - Feeders for chickens from a sewer pipe

Broiler nutrition

For accelerated weight gain, broilers need a constant and balanced diet, focused both on improving the taste characteristics of meat and maintaining health. Depending on the age of the bird, its diet changes, new ingredients necessary for growth appear. There are only four nutritional strategies:

Economical Feed Options

1) Feeding exclusively dry compound feed. Many farmers insist on the convenience of feeding the birds with dry food: this simplifies the daily care of the chicks, which is especially important for large farms. Making a wet mash, at a lower cost, requires non-free man-hours. Also, the possibility of problems with the safety of the product is not ruled out, due to the high probability of acquiring low-quality ingredients. The composition of the dry compound feed is initially balanced for optimal growth birds, the bird gains weight on it almost instantly, while when using wet mashers, delays in weight gain are possible (up to 15 days from the norm).

2) Many breeders prefer to use wet mashes (the production ratio is 1 kg of dry food per half liter of water, broth, dairy products), which significantly reduces feeding costs. Additional savings are provided by the ability to add part of the unused products from the table (cereals, some vegetables, yeast), not spoiled waste. The option is optimal for farms with a small number of poultry (up to 100 heads) and a modest budget.

3) Combined nutrition. It can be produced in various ways: dry food is constantly added to the feeder, which is supplemented with wet food; dry food can also be added to the mash itself as an integral part. An option that simplifies the care process (reduces the frequency of visits to feed poultry), significantly saving money by reducing the proportion of ready-made feed in the diet.

4) Use of BMVD. Modern protein concentrate (PMVD) containing mineral supplements, vitamins, biologically active substances. When added to dry compound feed (from 5% to 30% of the total amount of feed), it can significantly reduce food costs, enrich the bird's diet as much as possible, increasing productivity, meat quality, and disease resistance. Savings when adding BMVD can be up to 20% compared to feeding exclusively with compound feed. It also saves time, freeing you from the need to prepare food, fortifying it yourself, filling it with useful additives. The method is optimal for farms of any size.

When preparing mash, spoiled products should be avoided. The mash itself should not stand for more than 3 hours, turn sour or deteriorate in the sun.

Prices for Chiktonik

Chiktonik

Recipes for feeding broilers from 1 to 14 days

At the initial stage, feeding should take place 8 times a day, by the second week the number of feedings can be reduced to 6. The approximate rate of feeding on the first day is 10-15 grams, by day 14 - about 80 grams, the portion increases daily to avoid malnutrition.

For chicks aged from 1 to 14 days, eggs, dairy products (skip, whey, low-fat kefir, cottage cheese) are vital, it is useful to prepare a wet millet-based mash with the addition of dairy products.

Millet is the main grain crop in the first days of the life of chickens.

In the absence of stomach problems, diarrhea or indigestion, the chicks can be supplemented with PKV6-1 dry compound feed, created specifically for the starting period. The food is based on corn, which stimulates the proper development of the skeleton and muscles, the efficiency of the stomach and intestines.

The compound feed itself is quite expensive, so you can replace the purchased version with a mixture of your own preparation. For this you need:

• exactly half the mass will be ground corn;
• 15% - ground wheat;
• 15% - meal or cake;
• 12% - dairy products (reverse, whey or kefir);
• the rest is barley.

At the initial stage, the share of grain crops should be 55-60% of the total diet, it is advisable to serve any grain crops ground, without a film.

In the second week, crushed shells, shells, chalk, bone meal and fish oil can be added to the mash, which will be a valuable source of minerals and nutrients. Also, babies in the same period (from 3 days) need to add herbal flour, chopped dandelion, dry nettle, alfalfa, pea greens (up to 3 grams), this will make up for the lack of fiber for the body.

Greens are the main natural source of vitamins for chickens.

Diet for broilers from 14 to 30 days

The number of feedings is reduced to 4 per day, the bird becomes more independent, every day the chick at 2-4 weeks of life eats from 90 to 120 grams of feed. Chicks are fed with a mixture of corn, wheat, cake, meat and bone meal, skim milk, greens, and fat.

At the fattening stage, a healthy chick is rapidly gaining weight (1.5 kilograms at the end of the fourth week), becoming almost omnivorous. There is a need to increase the variety of food during this period, which is dictated by the need for chicks in a large number of nutrients and vitamins for full maturation. New products are added to the diet, the ratio of some of them in the mash is changing:

1) It is advisable to replace part of the millet (20%) with crushed boiled potatoes as an additive to the mash.

2) Fish waste is added, first in the amount of 5 grams, gradually increasing to 15.

3) Yeast and more fresh herbs begin to be added to the mixers, herbal flour(if feeding takes place in winter), the optimal amount of greenery is 10% of the total amount of feed.

4) Grated carrots and yellow pumpkin appear in the diet, you need to start with 5 grams, increasing the portion, as you grow older, up to 30 grams per head.

5) During plumage, it is advisable to start feeding the bird with fresh cabbage.

6) During this period, it is recommended to add dairy products (curdled milk, buttermilk, etc.), bone meal, chalk, shells to the mixers as widely as possible, because chicks at this age are in dire need of a large amount of protein and calcium due to increased growth.

Advice for those who use ready-made mixtures: it is advisable to replace the PK6-1 starter feed with the PK6-2 fattening feed containing lysine, oil and meat and bone meal, which is more suitable for this stage of poultry growing up. The granules themselves in the feed are larger, quickly saturating the grown bird.

Broiler finish feeding: 30 to 45 days, slaughtered

At the finish, feeding is preferably carried out 2 times a day, a daily portion adult bird is up to 180 grams. You can refuse ground grain, it is advisable to replace it with whole grain (if possible, it is recommended to germinate grains). Fattening compound feed PK6-2 is replaced by a balanced finishing PK6-3, the composition of which can be partially recreated at home. An approximate recipe for the finishing food at home:

• 20% corn;
• 20% soy;
• 25% barley;
• 25% wheat;
• 10% peas.

Cereal mixtures become the main dish at the finish line.

It is advisable to add a small amount of sunflower cake, minerals (shells, chalk), fat, yeast, vitamin supplements to the feed, which is useful for birds of any age.

By the 45th day, the bird ceases to rapidly gain weight, having reached a ceiling of 2-2.5 kg, the investment ceases to justify itself. It is advisable to start slaughtering the chicken after this period, if there is no need for laying hens, eggs for incubation, etc. Below is the final table of the ratio: age - feeding - growth.

Prices for egg incubators

egg incubators

	PK6-1 Start	PC6-2	PC6-3
Age	1-14 days	15-30 days	31-45 days
Feed intake	15-80	80-120	120-180
Average growth	30	48	55
Average weight	40-500	500-1600	1600-2500

What you need to do to grow healthy broilers

For the health of the bird, to reduce losses from infections, it is strongly recommended to conduct a therapeutic course of vitamins and antibiotics.

Step	Description	Photo
1.	On the first day, it is necessary to give the chickens a drink with a solution of sugar and water (1 tsp per 1 liter).
2.	The next day, drink the chicks with enrofloxacin (a cube per liter of water). The course continues for three days. For each reception, we make a fresh solution, pour out the old one, if it remains. It is recommended to repeat the course before the start of the third week, also within three days.

Along with vitamins and antibiotics, starting from the 5th-7th day, it is recommended to weekly water the birds with a weak solution of manganese to prevent gastrointestinal infections.

Mistakes in breeding broilers at home

• the first main mistake: while observing the temperature regime, the breeder does not pay attention to the cold floors in the chicken coop (relevant for floor keeping), which leads to heat loss by chicks and diseases. Before placing the chicks in, it is recommended to check the floor of the room with your own feet. If you feel cold in the room, additional insulation will be required;
• second mistake: it is worth paying increased attention to the floor in the room and because of the potential presence of mold. It is recommended to check for the presence of fungus in the chicken coop, even if the external cleanliness of the room. It is necessary to reduce the possibility of moisture on the floor, in case of getting wet, remove the wet segment as soon as possible. In conditions of increased crowding, a wet floor quickly becomes a source of disease (which can easily lead to infection in the yolk sac);

Hidden mold and dirt are serious sources of danger.

• the third mistake: you should not put excessively bright lighting for the chicks, this can cause pecking, stress and weight loss;
• the fourth mistake: in the pursuit of high temperatures at the initial stage, due attention is not paid to ventilation, which leads only to negative consequences. Chickens should not have a steam room, and the air in the room should not smell aggressively of ammonia.

What not to feed broilers

Broilers are almost omnivorous birds, but it is important to exclude some foods from their diet, a list of which you can see below.

• boiled potatoes;
• stale or spoiled products;
• sausages;
• lemons, oranges;
• melons, watermelons and peels from them;
• fresh milk and cheeses;
• alcohol-containing products;
• chocolate products;
• pure jams and oils.

But even if all the norms and rules of feeding are observed, it is possible to use either low-quality products for mixers or compound feed. This becomes clear very quickly, the bird begins to get sick, lose weight, pecking is possible. In this case, it is urgent to carry out unscheduled drinking with vitamins and change food.

Particularly sick birds should be placed in a separate cage for individual treatment and feeding.

Advantages and disadvantages of broiler breeding

As a result, we offer the reader a list of the main pros and cons of broilers as a breed so that he can decide for himself whether it is worth breeding this tasty, but complex bird, or is it better to try yourself in a different field.

Advantages

High productivity and growth. The mass of a broiler by the 6th week of growth can reach 2-2.5 kg, as a result, after 50 days of growth, up to 3 kilograms per hen, and up to 5 kg. with a cockerel. A real giant, while potentially profitable.

Quality products with an excellent proportion of white and red meat, in case proper care, lack of sources of stress and a varied diet.

The broiler is undemanding to large spaces, at the initial stage (brooder) it is possible to place up to 18 chicks per square meter, which allows the use of small household plots as a mini-poultry farm.

Flaws

The need for constant feeding, high food costs. The bird will not gain weight on pasture, for proper nutrition of broilers, clean water of medium temperature, high-quality, safe and varied food with a clear feeding schedule are needed.

In case of errors with the selection of products, a case and various diseases are possible.

Due to the increased crowding and inactivity of broilers, the room with hens must be cleaned of waste daily (also wash the feeders and drinkers with soap every week), prepare for settlement, monitor the health of the bird, regularly feed antibiotics and vitamins, settle the weak bird separately, put on an autonomous diet to avoid mortality or pecking.

High humidity, temperature changes are unacceptable. It is necessary to provide good ventilation of the premises, while avoiding drafts or cold, which lead to illness, weight loss and death. This fact makes the creation of a broiler breeding facility a difficult and expensive task.

And now, the long-awaited moment has come. You brought home a box of little squeaky yellow lumps. Have you already prepared a place for them? If the smokers were taken in March or April, then at first they will have to be kept in the house. Let's build a house first. Two carton boxes we connect together, fastening on the sides with wire, and cut a hole - the entrance. The first box will be a bedroom for the kids, the second one will be a kitchen and a place for walking. Chickens should always have warm feet. Boxes should not be placed on a cold floor. We will put the house either on foam plastic or on an old carpet. A cloth bedding is placed in the box, which needs to be shaken out and dried daily.

A bulb with a cone-shaped dome is hung over the “bedroom” so that the light does not scatter, but shines into the house. You should not hang huge white and red lamps of 250 W each - the bird will be hot. Newborn chickens do not yet regulate their body temperature and can overheat. Light bulbs for 25-40 watts will be enough. The first 10 days, the light bulb is left on at night. Then the daylight hours are reduced to 16 hours.

When illuminated with green and blue lamps, the bird gives a greater increase.

If the floors are warm, then you can fence off a corner for the young with the help of boards. A heater is installed to achieve the desired temperature. Arrange feeders and drinkers.

How to feed and fortify chickens

Immediately, as the chickens were brought home, they need to be drunk with sweet water: a teaspoon of sugar is diluted in 1 liter of water. Then the chickens are given a boiled egg.

To keep broilers at home, you need to provide them with complete feed. The diet in the first week consists of a wet mash and dry starting feed. Add boiled to the mix egg, millet friable unsalted porridge, boiled in water, cake and poultry feed. Instead of water, it is better to give a decoction of onion peel and pine needles, reverse (milk after separation, that is, cream removal).

We put the feeders and drinkers in the second box. Namely, the drinkers, not the lids with water. Some baby will definitely get wet, and this is detrimental to him.

From the age of ten, fish is introduced into the diet. Suitable blue whiting, any fish waste. The fish is boiled whole and scrolled through a meat grinder along with the bones. Ground fish is mixed with compound feed and distributed to chicks. Food should always be present in the feeders, but not sour.

Smaller chickens are best fed little by little. We pecked, we add more. Feeders should be cleaned and rinsed daily with a solution of potassium permanganate. When the chicks eat, we carefully look to see if everyone has enough food, if everyone comes to the feeder. Also, bone meal and shell are introduced into the diet. You can give ground eggshells, calcined in the oven.

As soon as greens appear on the street, we immediately introduce finely chopped greens and nettles into the diet. Greens are starting to give little by little. If there is cottage cheese, then we give it. From ticks and fleas, we powder the chickens with ashes that have lain for at least 2 months. If there is no stale ash, then burn it. It will come in handy: then put a trough with ashes in the chicken coop.

Growing meat chickens at home is impossible without vitamin supplements.

• Immediately the next day, as they brought smoke home, we give them in the morning enrofloxacin at the rate of 1 cube per liter of boiled chilled water. This antibiotic is given to prevent infectious diseases. We drink for 3 days each time with a fresh solution. Instead of an expensive antibiotic for 3 days in the evening, you can drip each chick with 1 drop of vodka.
• For 3 days, every morning and evening, they moisten their feet and smoke with vodka, immersing their paws in a bowl.
• The next 3 days give ascorbic acid solution. Vitamin C stimulates the immune system and improves the digestion process. The contents of the package should be dissolved in 3 liters of water and given 1 liter per day.
• On the 7th day they begin to give biovit And chiktonik. Biovit is given with food 1 teaspoon per 50 animals 1 time per day for 1-2 weeks. Biovit is given for the prevention of hypovitaminosis and as a growth stimulant. Chiktonik - stern vitamin supplement. It is given at the rate of 1 cube per 1 liter of water for 10 days.
• On the 14th day they give Baycox solution at the rate of 1 cube per 1 liter of water.

With this treatment, about 90 out of 100 birds grow strong and after 4-5 months they can reach a weight: 3-4 kg for chickens, 4-5 kg ​​for males.

Keeping broilers at home

Content temperature:

• in the first week is 33 0 C;
• in the second - 30 0 С;
• in the third - 28 0 С;
• in the next - 20-24 0 С.

Broilers at home quickly gain weight. The cardboard house will have to be expanded, because it is still cold outside, and they need more space. Every night you need to get up and lightly stir the sleeping young. This must be done so that the kids do not get bored and do not choke.

Chickens are prone to pecking. Most of the time, they hit you in the head. The wounded bird is planted separately. The wound is smeared with green paint. If the baby is immediately planted together with others, then curious individuals will begin to peck at the green crown. Pecking signals insufficiently nutritious food. Improve the quality of feed, introduce bone and meat meal, fodder yeast, greens, grated carrots.

From the age of two weeks, plumage begins - the most difficult period in the life of a chicken. It is important to provide the bird with all the necessary vitamins, be sure to include fish in the diet.

Transfer of young animals to the chicken coop

It is time to transfer the young to a permanent place - to the chicken coop. Breeding meat chickens requires constant maintenance of cleanliness. The chicken coop is cleaned and whitened with lime. Sawdust is placed on the floor, which is regularly sprinkled. The excrement is mixed with sawdust and overheated with the release of heat, forming a warm bedding.

The feeders are washed with potassium permanganate and dried. The walking area must be clean. They put troughs with shells, sand and ash for bathing. Birds should not use the handle of the feeder as a perch, otherwise excrement may enter the feed. The handle must be swivel.

Not all owners have a brand new block shed. Often the cracks in an old wooden shed are plugged with rags. Before moving in the young, we remove all the rags. Curious birds like to poke their nose, or rather their beak, where it is not necessary. the chicken can get tangled in the threads with a paw or even a tongue. Potato nets are especially dangerous.

Top dressing and compound feed

Buying bird food for teenagers is expensive. They eat a lot of it. You have to switch to regular feed or ground grain. Compound feed can be prepared independently by mixing crushed barley, peas, corn. In the morning, the compound feed is brewed with boiling water and mixed with a stick until it swells. The cooled mash is distributed to the young. Dry food in the feeders and water should be constantly. Once a week, chickens are given a barely pink solution of potassium permanganate.

A two-month-old chicken weighs 1300-1500 g and is theoretically ready for slaughter. But I want to grow a huge carcass and break all records. A broiler is a bird that is responsive to good nutrition. Only cockerels from hens are better to be planted at the first sign of a manifestation of a love feeling. Heavy roosters with their claws leave wounds and scars on the backs of their girlfriends. Agree, it is unpleasant to eat a skin with traces of love pleasures neither for you, nor for your guests, and maybe even for buyers. By the way, the egg production of chickens is also reduced.

Meat chickens lay eggs, very nutritious and tasty.

The perches in the barn should be low. A bird may manage to climb a high perch, but falls from it at night and is crippled.

Often the largest broilers perch on their feet. The reason may be a lack of vitamins. The skeleton needs calcium. Replant the chick and give him more vitamins. Alas, he will no longer stand on his feet, the joints of the legs quickly turn out.

A broiler is a hybrid domestic animal obtained by crossing different breeds. It is distinguished by its precocity. Broilers are called not only poultry, but also other animals, such as rabbits.

In this article we will talk about broiler chicken, namely: where to start, how to choose eggs, what and how to feed during growth periods, how to drink, what vitamins to give, what not to feed, diseases and how to treat. Let's talk about adult broilers: housing conditions, feeding and water, diseases and how to treat.

In general, we will go through all the stages of cultivation - from the egg to the sale of the finished product.

Broiler eggs

The choice of eggs for incubation is an important part of the broiler rearing process, because the percentage of chicks hatching depends on it, how healthy the offspring will be, how often they will get sick or not at all, how quickly they will gain weight, etc. Whether you stay at a profit or a loss also depends on the right choice for laying eggs.

For the selection of eggs, choose a healthy broiler chicken without signs of infectious diseases. It is recommended to leave your choice on a medium-sized hen.

The egg should be uniform in color. It is advisable to choose medium sizes, because the same offspring is obtained from small eggs.

Large ones have thin shells. Therefore, the appearance of microscopic cracks through which they penetrate into the germ of the infection is not excluded. In addition, many eggs of this size simply will not hatch.

The weight of the egg is also selected, if possible, the same. Then the chickens are born with a slight difference in time.

We take eggs from nests several times a day. Overheating or cooling is not allowed. It is advisable to store them in a warm, dry room, in which the allowable temperature differences do not exceed 5 degrees.

Laying eggs in an incubator

The maximum storage period between removal from the nest and laying in the incubator is two or three days. If this period is exceeded, the likelihood of negative consequences for their healthy development in the future increases.

A correct, competent approach to the process of selecting eggs for laying them in an incubator is the key to a successful result.

The maximum age of the hen from which eggs are taken for the incubator is limited to 2 years.

What and how to feed

Proper feeding of broiler chickens, starting from the first day of their life, is very important, because the starter feeding sets the appropriate rate of growth and development of this poultry. In addition, the composition of the feed plays a decisive role in the quality of the final product- meat.

Broiler chickens from zero days

There is a widespread opinion that day-old broiler chickens should immediately be given a chopped boiled egg, cottage cheese, compound feed, which help strengthen the digestive system.

broiler chicken

However, others warn against such a decision. They argue that this is precisely the reason for the death of the poultry population in the first 2-3 days of their life. And feeding broiler chickens with a boiled egg at the age of one day not only does not strengthen their immunity, but also causes an upset of the digestive system, causes a large number of deaths.

It is not recommended to give any wet food. It is useful at such an early age to give only millet and a small amount of egg powder. Chicks should have free access to food and water. The size of the cage, box, or other place in which the brood is kept allowed each chicken to eat and drink freely. In some water, we dilute potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) in a very low concentration.

In this case, the color of the water should not be allowed to change to pink. It is also recommended to separately prepare an aqueous glucose solution. This will help to avoid dyspepsia - a disease of the digestive tract.

The room in which the chickens are located should be well ventilated, but protect them from drafts. Dampness is also detrimental to them, even if the optimum temperature is maintained.

week old chicks

It is possible to gradually accustom babies to starting compound feed from the fifth day of their life. At the same time, they are soldered with a prominent solution of vitamins. Until this age, it is not recommended to give them antibiotics.

It is useful to drop "Trivitamin" into the beak of each chicken- a drug for the treatment and prevention of beriberi. We add "Baytril" to the water, designed against infections at the rate of 1 gram per 2 liters of water.

7 day old chicks

From a week old, chickens are taught to eat cottage cheese. We diversify the diet with a crushed boiled egg. Feed can be slightly moistened with whey. The approximate daily intake during this period reaches 15 - 20 grams. The temperature in the room is 30 - 32 degrees.

Important! Make sure that the chickens do not get dirty or wet while eating. Otherwise, it is fraught with their case. In places where they are kept, it should be dry with the right temperature and humidity.

Chicks 10 to 20 days old

To avoid one of the most common poultry diseases - coccidosis, which leads to disruption of the digestive processes and dehydration of the body, at the age of two weeks, Baycox is added to the water at the rate of 1 gram per 2 liters of water.

During this period, they eat food up to 30 grams per day. In order for the babies to have a good growth, from the first days, take care of the increased daylight hours. Temperature environment keeps at a mark not lower than 28 degrees. If the young at this age are supercooled, they can get bronchopneumonia, which occurs precisely as a result of hypothermia.

Two-week-old young

You can add reverse, yogurt, buttermilk to the feed. After 15 days of feeding, vegetable protein feeds are mixed into the food. The proportion of greens can be gradually increased. Now it should be up to 10% of the total weight of the feed.

Mix in crushed eggshells, fodder yeast, grated carrots in small amounts. Under no circumstances should sand be given to chickens. Do not forget to make a very weak solution of potassium permanganate.

From day 10, for three or four days, broilers may begin to die. Therefore, during this period, we solder poultry with antibiotics. Add a couple of drops of iodine. After a short break, vitamins are given, vitamin D from rickets is especially important during this period.

A lack of vitamins leads to hypovitaminosis A, D, E, B. Chickens are given only high-quality feed. If you buy it ready-packed, check the expiration dates.

How to raise monthly chicks

After 22-25 days, they switch from feeding with starter feed (cereals) to growth feed (in granules). The composition of compound feed for a broiler should include mineral content, protein (fishmeal), cereals (corn), amino acids and vitamins. You can also continue to add green mass.

To save money we recommend do not buy expensive growth food, but make its composition yourself: crushed wheat, oats, corn, barley, peas. All components are mixed in equal proportions. It is advisable to add fish oil, whey, meat and bone meal to the feed. Add (but do not mix) cabbage leaves, lettuce, green onions.

Feeding chicks

By 35 days of life, you can gradually increase the volume of corn to 40% of the total, and reduce wheat, oats and barley. Meal or cake is about 15%. Percentage green mass can be reduced.

At normal conditions maintenance and quality feeding monthly chickens weigh about 800 grams.

We exclude from the diet all varieties of bread, boiled potatoes (if it is not mixed with other components), all stitched foods, especially if there is a smell. We remind you of the need to refrain from pouring sand. We make sure that the water of the chickens is constantly clean, fresh, slightly warm. It is useful to use settled water.

We lower the temperature of the environment to 23 - 25 degrees. The duration of illumination is reduced to 14-16 hours per day.

To avoid aspergillosis at this age, you need to ventilate the room well, avoid dampness. For prevention purposes, add a little iodine-containing preparations to food and water.

All new feeds are given at first in small quantities so that the chicks can get used to it. Otherwise, they may have indigestion, which will lead to death.

Chicks 45-50 days old

After 40 days of life, young animals are given not crushed, but whole grains. Purchased finishing compound feed containing the main nutrients is also used. But if you want to have tasty meat, you can refuse to buy it.

Whole, not crushed grain is already poured into the feeders. Vitamins, fodder yeast, chalk should also be present in the feed. Upon reaching 45 days of age, we exclude any medications. A good effect is the preparation of porridge, which includes boiled small fish, corn, wheat, peas, greens.

Two month old broilers

All this is mixed and allowed to brew. In porridge, increase the percentage of corn to half of the total mass.

If you did not save on feed and gave a complete diet, their weight at this age should be more than one kilogram. The breed also has a big influence on this indicator.

If the weight of a unit of young animals of one breed reaches 1.2 - 1.3 kg, then the weight of a grown chicken of this age can be 1.6 - 1.8 kg. ceteris paribus.

We continue to use clean, settled water. The ambient temperature is gradually lowered to 21 - 23 degrees. The duration of daily illumination is reduced to 12-14 hours.

The area in which the young are kept should be sufficient so that everyone can freely approach the feeder or drinker. However, the paddock should not be spacious, otherwise the broiler will lose weight due to excessive activity.

Breeding adult broilers at home

Keeping broilers for fattening for more than two months is not economically feasible, because with age, the bird gains weight more slowly, and we consume more feed. In addition, broiler meat older than 70-75 days is less tasty than two-month-old.

Cellular maintenance and care at home

If you want to raise up to 10 broiler chickens at home, this is the one for you. cellular content. Depending on the size of the cage, they contain 3-5 heads (then we make the size of the cage in such a way as to limit the free movement of the bird to the necessary - to approach the feeder and drinker), or up to 10 heads (the size of the cage increases, the requirements for spatial conditions of keeping and dilutions remain the same).

Keeping birds in a cage

When growing livestock more than 10 units need to do or an additional number of cells(since one cage, when containing more than a dozen heads in it, is very bulky and inconvenient to move, loses mobility), or think about keeping it in a pen.

Let's say it is economically profitable for you to breed livestock in cages. Then for dry food (mixed feed, grain) it is advisable to choose trough-type feeders, which are placed outside the cages along the whole tier. We also build a solid drinker, for example, from a PVC sewer pipe.

The front side of the feeder can be made from metal bars of the combined type. This is convenient because chickens can be kept in such a cage at first.

Steel bars on the walls are located among themselves quite often so that the brood does not run out of the cage or fall out of it (if the cage is in the second or third tier).

The field of how the young grow up, they are seated in different cages, removing the bars from the walls through one. Thus, we provide free access for adult broilers to feed.

Broiler cage

There are several requirements for keeping an adult broiler bird:

• so that the area of ​​\u200b\u200bcontainment makes it possible eat freely each individual, that is, not too small, but not excessively large (the reasons are indicated above);
• permanent availability of high quality fresh food in feeders. In addition, there can and should be separate porridge feeders, if used;
• constant availability of fresh (preferably settled) warm water in drinkers, but not higher than 22-25 degrees;
• enough hours daylight hours(12-14 hours). If less, we give additional lighting;
• humidity air 68-72%;
• no dampness, especially in cells;
• none drafts must not be;
• ambient temperature - within 20-21 degrees(if it is lower, then the activity of broilers decreases, the intensity of eating food decreases, weight gain slows down; if it is higher, then the bird gets hot, the result is the same);
• obligatory presence ventilation, because otherwise the intensive accumulation of nitrogen adversely affects the life of the bird. A case is described when the owner, in order to save on heating, placed half a hundred broilers in a greenhouse where greens were grown in a small improvised paddock. Despite the fact that the greenhouse had periodic access to fresh air, after a few days the greenery began to wither due to the increased nitrogen content in the air, although this was not felt. After the corral was fenced off with a film, the concentration of nitrogen in the environment in the corral reached such a level that the chickens began to behave sluggishly, ate food reluctantly, and slowly gained weight.
• cells inside must be clean. To do this, you can make the floor of a galvanized welded mesh of fine mesh, and clean the floor pan, based on the amount of litter accumulated in it;
• if the cultivation of broilers at home is “put on stream”, then it is necessary to periodically carry out cell disinfection(after slaughtering the previous batch, but before growing the second).

Disadvantages of keeping birds in cages:

• requires cash investments more than with the driven method of cultivation.

Advantages:

• convenient in service;
• more compact(saves used space).

How to keep and grow a broiler in a paddock

This method of keeping broilers of chickens and indocures from scratch does not differ from the previous one. The main differences are:

• cost effective in terms of construction. In fact, to raise birds in a pen, you need a floor and walls. If you are going to grow a bird in a barn, then fence off part of the barn with collapsible sections of cellular welded wire, put in feeders and drinkers - and the corral is ready;
• designed for content at least 10 goals birds;

Chickens on the paddock

Flaws:

• requires more care and attention dampness elimination and high humidity, you need to change the bedding of broilers frequently to keep the floor dry;
• occupies by area more space per unit of livestock.

Advantages:

• less material costs compared to the first method.

Requirements for ambient temperature, humidity, lack of drafts, dampness and other conditions of detention remain.

Proper feeding. Where to begin

As mentioned above, it makes no sense to feed broilers for more than two months. This is justified by the following:

• after two months fattening birds gain weight more slowly;
• consumption feed increases;
• broiler meat older than 2.5 months more rigid less tasty.

Feeding adult broilers (in our case - in the recommended age range from 60 to 75 days) boils down to the fact that they need to be given only high-quality feed with the following diet:

We feed adult broilers with whole grains or purchased finishing compound feed. To make the meat tastier, we advise you to abandon the purchased feed in general. This will save you money and improve product quality.

But there will be more worries, in order to breed chickens you will need to buy separately grain of wheat, barley, corn, peas, etc., mix all this in fractional proportions. Do not forget to give greens, add fishmeal.

If you are not too lazy, then cook porridge for your poultry from the above ingredients with the addition of boiled small fish. If there is no fish, add fish oil. Basic specific gravity should be corn (up to 50%).

Some, when growing poultry, switch after two months of fattening exclusively to corn and greens (5 to 10 days before slaughter). With normal complex feeding, expect that your broilers will weigh at least two kilograms by 70 to 75 days of fattening.

Broiler feed

Attention! We do not give broilers:

• boiled potato(unless it is mixed with other components);
• all varieties of bread;
• All overdue products;
• sand;
• medicines(if possible);
• several at the same time new products food in large quantities;
• other components, if we see what they call backlash at the bird.

What to drink

Follow the same rules as when raising young animals. Water must be:

• clean, preferably settled;
• moderately warm(in the region of 20 - 21 degrees);
• in drinkers, providing unhindered access birds (depending on the number of livestock);
• can be diluted in very low concentration potassium permanganate(manganese). In this case, the color of the water should not be allowed to change to pink.

Diseases of broiler chickens

Broiler chickens can suffer from quite a few diseases. Some of them:

If you do everything right, the result will not keep you waiting.

Recommendation for beginners: there is nothing better personal experience . Therefore, at the initial stages of developing your business, you can use the information and recommendations of others. But if in practice you achieve best results thanks to their achievements - it's a sin not to use it.

Breeding and keeping broilers at home is different from growing ordinary chickens. This bird is exclusively meat, so it does not live to the age when the chicken begins to lay eggs. Due to the high productivity meat direction at home, keeping broilers is cost-effective. Since the ratio of feed consumed per kilogram of meat is maintained by them ideally.

Breed characteristics

Since ancient times, breeding chickens at home did not involve dividing them according to productivity. This state of affairs continued until the breeders identified birds that were well gaining body weight, which served as the basis for the appearance of broilers.

Today, purebred broilers are bred mainly only in private households and in small farms. More venerable breeders are engaged in the maintenance of hybrids, more productive. Distinctive features of chicken meat direction are:

• large sizes,
• Large body weight - a rooster weighs 5.5 kg, a laying hen - 4.5 kg,
• low egg production
• Horizontal body position, short legs and wings,
• Fast weight gain
• Developed maternal instinct.

How to start growing broilers in a private home?

raising chickens start with the formation of the parent stock. What it is? This concept means that several broilers of both sexes should be selected to produce young. The main requirements for them are as follows:

How to start growing broiler chickens at home?

Breeding broilers begins with the selection of the parent stock. Beginners do not understand this term, so it should be clarified.

The parent herd is called several adults of both sexes, they are kept for the purpose of obtaining young animals. It should be taken into account that the health and productivity of the hatched generation depends on the parent stock and future, then the choice of adult birds should be approached with all responsibility.

To commit right choice For breeding chickens, consider the following tips:

Broilers are grown using technology that has many nuances. For example, if broilers have just begun to lay, their eggs are not taken for incubation. For this, choose chickens aged 8 to 12 months.

Keeping broilers at home

Broiler chickens are raised a little differently than domestic chickens in other areas. Meat chickens, in order to give good performance, need improved conditions.

It should be noted that growing broilers, as a rule, is the basis for building a business, so it is necessary to provide the birds with comfortable conditions.

Growing meat chickens begins with caring for the chicks. Juveniles must be indoors with a temperature not lower than +30 degrees. Moreover, hatched chicks in the first two weeks of their lives should be under a constantly burning lamp. So young broilers will gain weight faster. After 14 days, the temperature can be lowered to +20 degrees, as the chickens have acquired immunity and they have grown stronger. To raise healthy chickens, the room must be well ventilated. This is explained by meat breeds chickens lead a sedentary lifestyle, so the likelihood of an outbreak of infection is high. You also need to keep the chicken coop clean.

These listed features of growing broiler chickens are common. However, there are also key points. There are two methods of breeding birds: floor and cage. Next, we consider each case separately.

Cultivation in cells

This method of breeding broiler chickens is used in the country. Ordinary domestic chickens very mobile, therefore, they need enough space for walking, which, as a rule, is impossible to do in summer conditions. Broilers, on the other hand, are clumsy and phlegmatic creatures, so they tolerate cramped conditions well and feel great in confined spaces. In cages, they quickly gain weight and do not express dissatisfaction.

Moreover, keeping in a cage is beneficial in terms of sanitary and hygienic standards. When one chick gets sick, the infection does not spread to the whole flock.

The landing density is as follows:

• 18 chickens per square meter.
• 9 adults per square meter.

Growing on the floor

This method is almost the same as growing ordinary chickens, but there are still some nuances.

First, strict following the temperature regime. Meat poultry is very sensitive to temperature changes, so you need to monitor the thermometer constantly so that it does not fall below +28 degrees. Intense heat also has a bad effect on their well-being, the maximum temperature for keeping birds is 35 degrees Celsius.

Farmers who have been raising broiler chickens for a long time advise beginners to pour on the floor of the chicken coop thick layer lime. The ratio is as follows: one kilogram per square meter. A litter consisting of sawdust and straw is placed on top of it, and a good layer is also made. It must be remembered that the bedding should always remain dry and clean, so it needs to be replaced regularly. The humidity in the room should remain around 70%.

What to feed?

Raising chickens for meat involves intensive nutrition. Therefore, in order for chickens to gain weight well, they must have food all the time.

Broiler chickens are ready to be slaughtered when they are 50 days old. Farmers are interested in getting as much meat as possible from each bird. Therefore, they must think over and balance their diet well so that the bird has time to gain sufficient weight by this time. Fattening broilers for meat begins with the birth of chickens. Their diet should include millet and boiled eggs. From the third day, you can already add green fodder to the menu.

The supply of vitamins to chickens begins from the 5th day of life, they also it is necessary to mix chalk and crushed shells. If the feeding is correct, then by the 8th week the young should gain 1.5 kg of weight.

Broiler chickens kept at home are fed compound feed. Because it is rich in essential substances for rapid weight gain. Broilers eat well wet mash, in which you can add crackers or leftover bread from the table. Broilers can be fed food scraps, these birds have an excellent appetite and they will eat almost everything. However, please note that the food must be fresh. Wet mash should not sour in the feeders, otherwise the livestock will begin to fall.

Use dairy products to gain weight faster. Broiler chickens eat yogurt, whey and cottage cheese well.

Some farmers to stimulate weight gain resort to yeast mixtures. The grain is mixed with dry yeast and diluted with water. The mass is put in a warm place for 7 hours. To increase the calorie content, you can add pumpkin, potatoes and carrots to the mixture.

You should also remember about water, to which there should be constant access.

Benefit

It doesn't take long to raise broiler chickens. We have already written that the bird is ready for slaughter already on the 50th day of life. This age is characterized by obtaining a live weight of 4-5 kg. It does not make sense to keep a bird longer than this time, it is unlikely that it will be possible to get a carcass weighing more than 6 kg, but in this case the bird will lose its taste and dietary qualities.

Keeping broiler chickens at home is a very profitable occupation. Birds can grow in cages, so quite a decent economy can be organized in a small area. Moreover, if you have subsidiary farm, then there will be no problems with bird food.

Advice! To make broiler meat yellow, include corn in the diet of three-week-old young.

So, as you can see, growing broilers in a dacha is not special work. Even a novice farmer will cope with this task.