Proper breeding of chickens at home

Chicken, chicken eggs are healthy foods that everyone has on the table. Therefore, the breeding of chickens is not only profitable, but also payable. However, before deciding to start breeding chickens, it is still worth exploring in detail all the nuances of chick breeding, housing and rearing.

In this article we will talk about growing chickens at home for beginners, learn how to raise chickens, why chickens diarrhea, what to give broilers from diarrhea and about other pressing issues.

How to choose chickens when buying?

Growing chickens from the incubator at home is a profitable business, because in addition to meat and eggs, you can successfully use the feathers of birds, manure as organic fertilizer. But in order for this to be beneficial, it is necessary to choose the right chickens.

A good time to buy chicks is considered to be April-May .It is advisable to acquire daily chicks. It is better to acquire chicks in poultry farms, because in these places there are guarantees that individuals are healthy and strong. However, in order to choose chicks, it is necessary to know the nuances of selection, depending on the age of individuals.

Daily

In order not to be mistaken and purchase healthy day-old chicks at the time of purchase, you must pay attention to a number of criteria for the appearance of young individuals:

1. The nestling should be dried , healthy and active;
2. Pooh should not be stuck together. In appearance, it should be a fluffy , without dirt and debris;
3. In a diurnal young stock at the time of sale the umbilical cord should be overgrown ;
4. Be sure to carefully examine the umbilical cord. If there are secretions on it, then this young should not be bought. Discharge is the first sign of an infectious disease;
5. The cloaca should be a pure , pink in color with a moist structure. It should not be dirt, traces of litter;
6. Chicks should have a reaction to the sounds ;
7. The back should be straight;
8. The head must be level;
9. Smooth and regular beak with pigmented structure.

Broken chickens

Weekly

Sometimes poultry farmers buy week-old chicks to save money and time. However, this is not always the right and right decision. Juveniles at this age are prone to disease. In addition, their bodies are weak and not strong.

But if you nevertheless decided to purchase weekly chicks, the following selection criteria should be considered:

• Individuals must be active and healthy;
• The plumage must be fluffy, without dirt, traces of litter;
• The belly should be soft to the touch;
• Head is flat, proportional;
• Beak straight with pigmented structure;
• Good response to sounds;
• An pecking reflex should already have been developed;
• The wings should be tightly pressed to the body;
• Cloaca should be clean, pink without dirt and discharge.

Monthly

Chicks of one month of age rarely get divorced. But still, some farmers believe that individuals survive better during this period and have developed immunity against for infectious diseases. Perhaps this is true, but do not trust this criterion. Sometimes monthly individuals get sick much more often.

In any case, the criteria for selecting monthly chicks are the same:

1. Activity and mobility;
2. Good response to sounds;
3. Plumage - fluffy, without dirt, droppings, with a smooth structure;
4. The stomach to the touch should have a soft structure ;
5. The head should be level and proportionate;
6. The beak must have a smooth outline with a pigmented structure;
7. Chicks should already have a well-developed reflex to pecking ;
8. It is worth paying attention to the wings, they should be tightly pressed to the torso;
9. Cloaca should be clean, pink, free from litters and secretions.

Newly hatched chickens in the pen

Which is better: grow with a hen or in an incubator?

Features of hatching chickens for beginners

How to grow a chicken from an egg at home without an incubator? Some experienced farmers prefer brooding under the hen because it is a natural process.

But you should not immediately lay eggs under it, it is desirable to observe the behavior of the individual for some time .It is necessary to let the chicken sit around it. The ready-made hen to incubate, when pulling it out of the nest, makes a bubbling sound and rushes back with all forces to incubate into the nest. In this case, growing chickens at home will be quite economical.

Depending on the mass of the individual, between 11 and 21 eggs are placed under it. Place for incubation must be separated from the rest of the hens. For the incubation site, you can use a separate cage or install a nest in a dark corner of the hen house.

It is necessary to feed the hen , so that she does not die of starvation and exhaustion, which often happens. It is necessary to force the chicken to be removed from the nest and feed, water 2 times a day.

Chickens with a hen hatch in 20-21 days. Sometimes there are times when a hen, without waiting for a complete hatch, can throw the remaining eggs and go for a walk with the already hatched individuals. Therefore, to prevent these unpleasant problems, those individuals that have already been bred, are deposited in a box or in a warm place, a lamp is pre-installed above them. At 22-23 days the family is combined.

Pros:

• Natural process;
• High survival rate;
• Chicks from the time of hatching and beyond are kept with the hen;
• Economical. This method will require fairly low financial costs.

Cons :

• Long process;
• Low number of hatchlings per season;
• There is a likelihood of chipping the eggs with the hen;
• Chicken hatching in this way can be obtained only once per season and only in warm weather.

Feeding broiler chickens hatched in an

incubator Features of growing chickens in an incubator at home and their feeding In one season, the incubator is used up to 10 times;

Simple use of .It is easy to handle with this device, it does not need to be fed, watered, and there is no need to worry that the hen will cut the eggs;

At a time, you can lay from 50 eggs and above;

Chicks hatching all year round .These devices provide all the functions that provide output in the winter and summer.

Depending on the functions, the incubators are mechanical, manual and automatic.

In a manual incubator, each egg is turned over in the manual mode .The use of a mechanical incubator is almost the same as that of a hand-held device. However, in this type of incubator, turning not one egg, but all of them at once. In addition, compliance with the control of humidity and temperature in both types of devices lies entirely on the owner.

But devices with automatic turning of eggs greatly simplifies the life of the farmer, because they have a digital thermostat installed. During the laying of eggs, it is necessary to establish a certain temperature, and it remains stable during the subsequent incubation period.

If the temperature rises or falls sharply, the mechanism delivers a sharp sound .In addition, every hour the eggs are turned over, which prevents the embryo from sticking to the shell and increases the survival rate of the chickens. However, these devices are expensive. But the only way you can grow healthy chickens.

Proper maintenance of newly hatched

broiler chickens Conditions for

premises

premises Chicken maintenance after the incubator at home is easy. Remember a few rules for taking care of a chick room:

1. An important condition for a room is cleanliness. Be sure to clean every day at the place where the chicks are housed, scavenge garbage, half-eaten food. Otherwise, infections may quickly appear in an uncleaned area;
2. If there is a litter in the house, then it will change regularly. It should always be clean and dry;
3. It is not desirable that a large number of bird stock be present at the place of detention. It is important to provide free space for young animals so that they can freely walk, run, fully exercise all motor functions;
4. The number of livestock directly depends on the area of ​​the place for keeping chicks.

Do not constantly keep chicks in a closed room. Bird livestock should be taken out regularly for walking, but preferably at 2 months of age. Fresh air, obtaining additional green fodder are the main conditions for the full-fledged work of all the digestive organs of the bird.

Light

The second important condition for keeping chicks is light. Duration of daylight depends on the age of the young.

Starting from the first days of a chicken’s life, needs to maintain a day length of at least 18 hours of .This value is then reduced to 10 hours before the chicks reach 4 months of age.

These figures do not depend on the breed of chickens. In addition, it is absolutely unimportant why the bird is grown - for eggs or meat, this indicator should remain unchanged. The length of daylight in the winter time can be maintained by the presence in the room where the individuals are kept, additional lighting.

You may also be interested in the following articles on the subject of raising chickens:

• How to use the “Mother Herd” incubator?
• How to treat infectious and not only diseases of chickens?
• How to feed laying hens at home?

Temperature for breeding healthy individuals

Temperature parameters depend on the age of the bird:

• For diurnal individuals up to 5 days of age, a suitable temperature regime in the room is considered to be +32 degrees Celsius;
• With the onset of 6 days of life and up to 9 days, the temperature gradually drops to +28 degrees Celsius;
• From 10 days to 20 days, the temperature regime is reduced by another 3 degrees +25 degrees Celsius;
• In the subsequent period, the temperature should be maintained from +20 degrees to 24 degrees Celsius.

Maintaining the optimum temperature level can be achieved by lighting lamps. In the winter, you can additionally install heaters.

Food

What to give in the first days of life

Feeding chicks should begin immediately after hatching .But still, it is worth waiting for some time to dry, to get a little stronger.

A small amount of cornmeal should be poured into the flat bottom feeder or just at the bottom of the box. This croup has a small structure, so this feed will be most suitable for newborn chicks.

Do not give chopped yolk to newborn chickens. This product has a high fat content. Also, many veterinary experts say, this food does not exert adequate load on the muscular structure of the stomach of a newborn chicken. As a result, the formation and structure of the stomach walls is disturbed. If after this food to give a rough feed, it can cause digestive disorders.

Feeding day-old chickens

Feeding daily animals, unlike newly hatched chicks, is more varied. In addition to corn grits, individuals can be given other types of feed:

1. Semolina;
2. Barley Grits;
3. Millet;
4. Oatmeal in a ground form;
5. Wheat groats.

The feeding of day-old chicks should be carried out every two hours. .Feed should be given in small portions. It is advisable not to mix cereals, otherwise some individuals will start to choose the most liked food and will eat only it. Therefore, it is best to give the feed mixture separately and in dry form.

For full growth and development, chicks should be given other components besides croup. Cottage cheese is very useful for young individuals. Thanks to this product, the chickens organism is saturated with nitrogenous substances and calcium. Cottage cheese can begin to give from 2-3 days after the appearance of chicks in the morning, pre-mixed with cereals.

Organization of feeding older chickens

It is worth remembering that dairy products provide high value for kids .Instead of water in the drinker, you can pour whey, liquid kefir. On the third day, individuals can be fed greens. For feed, you can use plantain, clover, dandelion, nettle, snapper. On the 5th day should enter the green onions. Chives have a beneficial effect - it provides high protection for the body against various intestinal diseases.

Weekly

Individuals of a week old can already begin to produce a mixture of corn, barley, oatmeal and wheat groats. Cereals are mixed in equal proportions - 1: 1.

Additionally, you can add chopped greens and dairy products to the mix. During this period, individuals can already be fed less frequently, but the portions should be large. Up to 4-5 feeds should be received per day.

Monthly

From a month and more, chicks are released outside for walking. For this reason, the diet during this period is green. While eating herbs and other greens, individuals get the vitamins necessary for their growing body.

In addition, introduces coarse grains into the ration for individuals of the laying hens. From one and a half months, adults should be fed whole grains. You can give meat and bone meal and food waste.

How to determine the sex of a chicken: chicken or rooster?

In an

Egg How to identify a chicken from a rooster in an egg? Not many poultry farmers will be satisfied when, after hatching, the percentage of males will be almost 80-90%.Therefore, in these cases, the method of determining the sex of a rooster or hen by egg is used. It would seem that this task is difficult and almost impossible, but this is far from the case.

The following recommendations will help determine the sex of an egg:

• First you need to take an egg in 's right hand, with the pointed end of the egg pointing upwards;
• Next, hold the finger of the left hand on its top ;
• If there is a ring and bumps at the upper end, then these criteria indicate that a cock appears. If the top of the egg has a smooth structure - a hen.

Hatching chicks using hen chickens

At daily age

How to distinguish a chicken from a rooster at a daily age? At the age of one day, sexual signs do not appear clearly, therefore, it is quite difficult to determine gender. Usually, the plumage of females is more opulent , but the males, on the contrary, are poor, in some places they may be fluff-free.

In 2 months

How to distinguish a rooster from a chicken in 2 months? At this age, the gender can be determined using several methods:

• By plumage .Individuals with abundant plumage turn out to be females, and those with poor feathering turn out to be males;
• By this age, the cockerel has a scallop, the beard is red, and the face is rounded;
• In males, the legs are getting longer, you can already see spurs on them;
• The males on the tail appear regrown braids.

At 3 and 4 months

How to distinguish a rooster from a chicken at 3 or 4 months At the age of 3 months, the sex of individuals is much easier, you can see the following external characteristics of roosters:

1. The comb gets a bright color;
2. Comb, beard and earrings become large;
3. Paws become high;
4. The spurs are already clearly visible on the legs;
5. On the tail there are long braids.

Methods for determining in

poultry farms In addition to the popular methods for determining the sex of chickens, there are other methods that are commonly used at poultry farms. These methods help determine the sex most likely to be

. Cytogenetic method

How can a rooster be distinguished from a chicken by this method? This method is based on determining the age from the karyotype of a fast-acting cell of a pulp pen. Usually in males that do not yet have a month, the Z-chromosome acts as the longest metacentric.

In females, the number of these chromosomes is 10 times less, in their body the W chromosomes are submetacentric. If, during analysis, it was found that the Z chromosome is present in the body in a single copy, then this is a chicken, if there are many of these chromosomes, then it means a cockerel.

Determining the sex of chickens by different methods.

DNA

This method, how to distinguish chickens from male chickens, allows you to determine the sex of chicks most likely. It is based on blot hybridization of blood DNA with a primer.

A young individual can be determined with high accuracy using sample analysis or whole blood of washed red blood cells. The disadvantages of this method include the high cost and complexity.

For wings

Sex determination using this method:

1. The first method consists in examining the color of the wings of the .At the age of 2-3 days, the wings of the chicks are examined — in the males they are slightly lighter than in the females;
2. The second method consists of the in counting the feathers .Need to delay the wing of the chick and straighten it. Chickens feather first, for this reason, 6-7 primary feathers are large in size, unlike others. But male feathers are all the same.

According to the size of

The sex of chicks is determined depending on their size. Generally, high-precision scales are used for this method. If an individual has a large enough mass for its age, then it is a cockerel. If the weight is small, then it is female. Usually the weight difference is about 5 grams.

On the topic of growing chickens, also read the following articles:

• What should I do if chickens do not rush?
• How to use the Laying House Incubator?
• How to recognize and treat diseases of broilers at home?

How to distinguish the sex of chickens in color?

Determination of sex by color of feathering is mainly used for thoroughbred individuals:

• crosses. Approximately at the age of 1 day, sexual characteristics are determined: beige color is characteristic for females, and white for cockerels;
• Autosex breeds .Chickens have a monochromatic color - gray, white, black, and males have stripes;
• Brahma .Females have clear stripes on the back and points on the head. Males also have stripes and dots, but they are slightly blurred;
• Breeds Rhode Island and New Hampshire. On the second day after hatching, females can see dark spots and stripes on the head, the males do not have these characteristics;
• Adler silver. The females are yellow and the males are lemon-colored with a black stripe on the head.

Japanese method

This method of determining the sex of chickens is used in many poultry farms. The accuracy of this method is almost 95%.However, to implement this method, you need to have special skills.

Before you start sex determination using this method, you should understand the structure of the genitals of chicks and find out their differences.

Males can be separated from females by detecting a tubercle in the anus of , which is absent in future chickens:

1. The first step is to clean the chick from the litter;
2. Then the individual should be taken in the palm, turned, spreading the legs so that the cloaca can be clearly seen;
3. Spread the hole, at the same time you need to press the abdomen. As a result of these manipulations, the cloacal structure will be clearly visible.

The external differences between the feces of the females and the males:

• The females of the sewers look like a neat knot without bulges;
• A sexual hillock is often found in males.

To avoid unpleasant consequences, this method should be carried out only by an experienced poultry farmer or farmer.

Organizing a place for newly hatched chicks

Reflex

how to distinguish chickens by sex by this method? This method of determining the sex is performed using two methods:

1. The chick should be taken by the scruff of the neck and some time to look behind the legs. Usually chickens try to twist the legs of the , and press the claws. The paws at the same time it raises a little. And the males, on the contrary, do not curl the legs, and do not move them, they hang in an even position;
2. You can, on the contrary, take the chick by the paws and look at the position of the head. Chickens usually raise their heads upwards , and on the contrary, males hang without moving.

How to distinguish a rooster from a hen by voice?

Typically, this method is applied to the people of Orpingtons and Cochinhinas. The voice of the males is the roughest, similar to the quack. In females, on the contrary, the voice is more tender, they mostly squeak. This method is not always possible to accurately determine the sexual characteristics of individuals. It is mainly used by experienced poultry farmers.

How to determine age?

Usually the chickens age is determined by their plumage. It is desirable to remember the features of plumage depending on age:

• At the age of between 8 and 12 days the plumage appears in the shoulder area;
• In the period from 12 to 16 days, feathers appear on the goiter and breast;
• The first molt is observed in chicks of three weeks of age, with all the fluff falling out of the tail;
• At the end of the fifth week, feathers grow, and feathers appear on the back of the body;
• At six weeks of age, the head and lower body are covered with a feather;
• Full plumage is observed at the age of 3 months.

Diseases of chickens

Chickens, as well as chicks of other species of birds, are susceptible to various diseases. The most common diseases are:

1. Avitominoz;
2. Poisoning;
3. Digestive disorders;
4. Salmonellosis;
5. Coccidosis;
6. Typhoid and many others.

In order to properly cure diseases, it is worth knowing what symptoms are characterized by diseases in chickens.

Diarrhea in chickens

Why broilers chickens diarrhea - sometimes it's hard to figure out. Below let's try to understand and understand all the causes of this phenomenon.

White diarrhea in broilers: can it be cured?

Chicken often has white diarrhea. It is also called pullorosis. This disease usually occurs in an acute form and quickly affects the weak intestines of chickens. The causative agent of this disease is a bacillus called salmonella. The disease usually spreads at a high rate of , and almost all poultry can get sick in a few days.

White diarrhea in broilers chicks

How to cure diarrhea in chickens? For prevention, you need to clean the room from debris, all sanitized. Also be sure to check the temperature in the room and ventilation.

Recovered specimens to be destroyed. The meat of sick birds should not be used for human consumption.

Broiler yellow diarrhea: why it occurs and how to treat?

This diarrhea can occur during infectious diseases, as well as non-compliance with the conditions of detention. Sometimes yellow litter is observed in Gumboro disease. In these cases, the survey, testing.

In addition, yellow diarrhea can occur as a result of the stress of , hypothermia, due to poor-quality feed. In these cases, they use folk remedies for treatment and disinfect the room.

Yellow diarrhea in chickens

Bloody diarrhea in chickens: a symptom of what diseases?

Bloody diarrhea usually occurs with coccidiosis. This disease is dangerous and often leads to the death of the entire bird population. This disease arises due to poor hygiene, namely the untimely cleaning of the room. This disease affects the intestines. In addition to diarrhea, the following conditions are observed:

• Loss of appetite;
• Drowsiness, immobility;
• Disheveled plumage;
• Impurities of blood and mucus appear in the litter.

How to treat if the chickens have diarrhea with blood? For treatment and prophylaxis, it is necessary to clean and disinfect the premises in a timely manner, vaccinate and give appropriate chemicals.

. Brown diarrhea in broiler chickens and its treatment.

. Brown diarrhea in broilers is observed with during eimeriosis. This disease is caused by various parasitic protozoa that accumulate in the intestines of chickens or hens. Infection usually occurs through feed, dirty litter, gadfly.

Disease symptoms:

1. Specimens sit in one place with their eyes closed;
2. Disheveled plumage;
3. Wings hung to the floor;
4. Lack of appetite;
5. Brown diarrhea with mucus.

The disease is identified in the research process. Treatment is best done at the initial stage. For the treatment of drugs used - coccidiostatics.

Chicken Brown Diarrhea

Chickens Diarrhea Green

Green diarrhea can occur with pasteurellosis. In this case, surveys, analyzes are conducted. If the diagnosis is confirmed, then appropriate treatment is prescribed.

In the absence of pasteurellosis, green diarrhea can cause poor-quality expired feed. In this case, the treatment is performed using adsorbing agents( activated carbon).Suspicious feed must be disposed of and given only high quality.

Green diarrhea in chickens

Worms

Chickens often experience an unpleasant disease such as helminthiasis. This condition is particularly dangerous, and in almost 50% of cases, late treatment leads to death. Signs of worms in chickens - severe exhaustion.

The main danger of this disease is that it affects all individuals in the same room. Worms are excreted along with the droppings of affected individuals and together with food they enter the body of healthy individuals.

What should I do if the worms have worms? In order to save all the livestock of birds, it is necessary to sow infected chicks in time, clean the room, clean all bedding and disinfect everything. Infected individuals should be watered with antihelminthic drugs and fed with nutritious food. Medicines against worms for chickens should be given as soon as possible.

Prevention of Diseases

The following recommendations can be considered for preventive measures for various diseases of chickens:

• Timely cleaning and disinfection of the room with saline solutions, caustic sodium, bleach;
• Respecting the density of livestock in the house. It is desirable that the number of chicks in one room is moderate;
• High-quality, high-nutritional foods;
• Be sure to equip the ventilation of the room;
• Compliance with the temperature of the room;
• Disinfection of birds against infectious diseases;
• Timely vaccination.

Breeding chickens is a rather laborious process that requires great responsibility. In order for the livestock to be healthy, it is necessary to follow all rules of keeping. The main condition for the full growth and development of chicks is care and care!

Now you know how to grow chickens at home, how to treat chickens, what to do if chickens have worms and how to treat diarrhea in chickens and adults. Follow all recommendations and watch for chicks.

And video on how to feed chickens: