About the temperature regime for chickens in the first days of life: care at home

In the first days after birth, chicks are very vulnerable. To ensure their proper development and form good immunity, it is necessary to maintain a certain thermal regime. After the incubator, the young animals are placed in brooders. These are cages in which the chicks remain until they are one month old.

Per 1 m2 there are up to 20 heads of egg breeds and 15 heads of broilers or meat chickens. As they grow older, the planting area is reduced and the young animals are placed in other cages.

Each brooder is equipped with a heating lamp and the necessary equipment: feeders and drinkers. What temperature can be maintained in the first days for young animals? How to achieve the correct thermal regime?

Up to 3 weeks

What are the features of feeding and keeping chickens in the first 3 weeks?
For 1-2 day old chicks, it is very important to follow the rule: “Constant warmth and no drafts.” An excellent “nest” for them would be a large, dense box over which a heating lamp would hang. The initial temperature should be no lower than 26 degrees, then it is gradually reduced and brought to room temperature 18-20 degrees. As food on the 1st-2nd day, it is optimal to give finely chopped yolk with cottage cheese and small cereals: corn, semolina, barley and millet.

Ground rolled oats and special “zero” starter feeds are also suitable. The chickens are fed fresh kefir and low-fat yogurt. From 3-4 days, the chicks can be given a whole egg along with the white and add ground eggshells to the food, removing all the membranes. It's time to accustom kids to greens, for which they finely chop dried nettles, plantain, dandelion, alfalfa and clover.

There should not be too much of the green component so that the fragile stomachs of the chickens get used to it gradually. On days 5-6, older chickens are fed less frequently: every 3-4 hours. Bunches of herbs are hung on the walls of the box for plucking yourself. It's time to increase the mineral content of the food by adding wood ash, crushed shells and fish meal to the sand.

After the 10th day, night feeding is removed and the chickens are allowed to roam. If birds are forced to do without walking, they may develop vitamin deficiency. Then they stop growing and get sick. In this case, they must be given vitamins A, D, E (1 trivitamin tablet per 10 birds) and given fish oil (0.1-0.2 g/day per bird).

Two-week-old chickens can include boiled vegetables in their diet:

carrot;
potato;
zucchini.

From which a wet mash is prepared. To replenish protein, low-fat broth, finely chopped meat and food scraps are suitable. Stale white bread, soaked in kefir and crumbled, is also suitable.

For chickens from 2 weeks to 1 month, buy special food “Rost” or prepare its analogue at home. You will need for 1 kg of feed:

2.5 cups corn.
1 tablespoon unrefined vegetable oil or feed fat.
2/3 cup wheat.
3 tablespoons of milk powder.
1 bunch of freshly cut grass.
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast.
1/3 cup fish meal.

Content preparation

In cells

How to raise healthy chickens at home? When keeping chickens in cages, the following conditions must be met:

dryness and cleanliness;
maintaining the required temperature and humidity;
well-chosen lighting and ventilation modes.

The poultry house must first be disinfected, dry, loose bedding must be laid on the floor, and the presence of rodent protection must be checked. Lastly, equip the cage with everything necessary to support the life of the chicks. This should include not only lamps, but also heating equipment, feeders, and drinking bowls. There are 12 chicks per 1 m2.

During the first days of laying chickens being raised at home, they suffer from hypothermia or excessively high temperatures. It’s just that before the age of one month, their body has not yet had time to adapt to changes in external conditions.

On bedding

Chickens are kept on deep, permanent litter . Thanks to it, a large amount of thermal energy is released. This protects the chicks’ limbs from exposure to low temperatures and has a positive effect on their general condition and health. Due to the permanent decomposition that occurs in the litter under the influence of bacteria, chickens receive an auxiliary source of biologically active substances.

If you properly care for the litter, it will not stick together into lumps. The most commonly chosen materials for bedding are:

peat;
straw chaff;
wood shavings;
sawdust.

Features of feeding for individual breeds

The diet of chicks depends not only on their age, but also on the breed of bird. Next, in the tables below, we consider the diet for laying chickens and chickens of meat breeds.

Diet of egg-laying chickens

Diet, norm in grams	Age of chicks in days
1-3	4-10	11-20	21-30	1-40
Boiled egg	2	2	—	—	—
Milk	5	8	15	20	35
Cottage cheese	1	1,5	2	3	4
Cereals: corn, barley, millet	5	9	13	22	32
Bone flour	—	—	1	1,4	2,8
Cake	—	0,2	0,5	0,6	1,2
Greens or carrots	1	3	7	10	13
Mineral feed	—	0,4	0,7	1	2

The table shows the daily norm per individual. Find out more about the rules for feeding laying chickens at home here.

Diet for broiler chickens

Feeding broiler chickens differs significantly from the process of raising laying hens, because by the age of two months, with proper management, meat chickens reach 1.5 kg or more live weight. Two methods of fattening broilers have been developed on farms: intensive and extensive.

In order for meat chickens to grow quickly, it is better to feed them with specially developed feed containing large amounts of proteins and vitamins. Be sure to place gravel in separate feeders. Feeders and drinkers should always be filled so that chickens can eat feed and drink water at any time.

Diet, norm in grams	Age of chicks in days
1-4	4-30
Ground barley	—	10
Ground wheat	40	26
Ground corn	40	30
Sunflower cake	—	16
Bone flour	—	4
Fish flour	—	6
Yeast	—	3
Chalk	—	1

Read more about feeding broiler chickens at different ages here.

We bring to your attention a useful video on the topic of feeding chickens:

On our website we have also prepared articles on how to breed and give medicinal drugs to chickens:

Furazolidone;
Metronidazole;
Penicillin.

Common mistakes

Farmers may make the following mistakes when raising chicks::

Improper feeding and care of domestic chickens in the first week. Farmers often use boiled eggs, greens, and cottage cheese for feeding. But such nutrition sometimes turns out to be tragic. It is best to use balanced and combined feeds.
Failure to comply with temperature conditions. Initially, the temperature should be 32-33 degrees. And then lower it by 1 degree every day.
Lack of fluid. There should always be fresh and clean water in drinking bowls.
Refusal of prevention. In addition to vaccination, it is necessary to add antibiotics to the chicks' feed.

Despite the fact that raising chickens at home is difficult, even a novice farmer can cope with it. To do this, he just needs to adhere to the above rules and treat this process responsibly.

Raising broiler chickens

Broilers are cared for slightly differently, aimed at frequent fattening without walking. From birth they keep 15 chicks per square meter. meter. After 60 days, chickens can gain up to 2 kg of net weight. Broiler chickens love warmth very much, so temperature indicators do not change throughout their growing period.

A very important process is lighting control:

For five days, the lamps are left on for 24 hours.
Next, daylight hours are reduced to 18 hours.

The bird must be constantly fed with balanced feed containing sufficient amounts of minerals and vitamins. Therefore, feeders should always be filled with food.

The leading position among the best broiler breeds is occupied by Cobb 500.

An important advantage of Cobb 500 broilers is high-quality and tender meat, perfect for dietary nutrition, and the rapid growth of muscle mass in young animals. With low feed costs, the bird gains remarkable weight and after 34-38 days it can be sent for slaughter

Chickens have excellent survival rate and good immunity.

But there are also small disadvantages - you cannot raise chickens in the usual way. Day-old chicks or incubated eggs are purchased only from breeders. Black clumps also have a weak brooding instinct. Another significant disadvantage is that the breed is very thermophilic, and large resources must be spent on maintaining the desired temperature in the chicken coop. The first 2 weeks are light and warm (28-33C) around the clock, after that 18 hours of daylight with a temperature of 26-30 degrees. But, no matter what, raising this breed is almost a win-win option.

By providing your chicken stock with a rich diet and quality care, in a few months you will be able to have not only egg, but also popular meat products.

Lighting mode for young chickens

In addition to maintaining an elevated temperature for chicks in the first days of life, constant lighting is important. In this simple way, the bird is encouraged to actively feed and grow. Daylight hours lasting 9–10 hours are gradually achieved by the age of two months, and walks in the sun are very beneficial for chickens, which are a measure of hardening and the prevention of rickets.

Properly selected temperature conditions for chickens, combined with sufficient lighting and diet, are the key to rapid growth, good health and active weight gain.

Heating and lighting are organized in various ways, but an increasing number of poultry farmers tend to prefer red lamps for heating chickens.

Nutrition

food should be appropriate for the age of the chicks

This is especially important for meat birds such as broilers. You should also add vitamins and nutritional supplements to your food.

You shouldn’t be overzealous with them if you want to get an environmentally friendly product, but you also shouldn’t neglect them, since a lack of necessary substances will negatively affect the development of babies. It is best to consult a veterinarian before taking the drug.

The first time to give food to chickens is after hatching, 12-16 hours later. Before this, the chicks must dry out. In nature, the first time they eat is the remains of the fetal yolk. Many owners follow this path, giving their babies finely crushed boiled yolk. Some veterinarians advise giving corn grits for the first time. Food for chickens should be served not in a bowl, but on a board or cardboard: this way the kids will learn to eat, since they don’t have a mother to show them what and how to do.

What to feed chickens

What should you give chickens to drink in the first days of life in order to build immunity and not harm them? In addition to food, chicks also need water. If it is of poor quality, it is better to pass it through a filter or disinfect it with potassium permanganate. You need to solder it so that the solution is barely pink. The use of potassium permanganate has a disadvantage: along with harmful microorganisms, beneficial ones are also destroyed.

Excessive sterility, like dirt, is harmful to young animals and chickens, as it suppresses natural immunity. However, if the conditions for keeping the bird are far from ideal or there is a danger of infection, you should not reject the old proven methods. It is very useful to add glucose to water. It will help babies get stronger and will be an excellent prevention against anemia.

Diet of day old chicks

On the second day after birth or incubation, the chicks have already adapted sufficiently, and it is time for the owner to expand their diet. At home, on the first day there is no need to introduce all types of products, but on the second day the chicks’ menu should include the following cereals: semolina, barley and wheat. You can also leave boiled eggs in your diet. It is worth trying a special feed for chickens, but you should be careful when choosing it at this stage. It must be appropriate for the age of the chickens and be of good quality. The granules should be small enough, then it will be convenient for the chickens to peck at them.

Raising pets under a hen

The proven method of raising chickens that our grandmothers used is brooding. They take a brood hen and, while she is getting ready to sleep in her nest, add a couple of chicks. If she accepts chicks in the morning, then you can add more. The maximum number of individuals that can be added is 15 - 20 pieces. If the hen is already hatching her eggs, you can add a couple of eggs from the incubator to her. If she accepts them, the number of eggs placed can be increased to 20.

Lighting and air temperature when raising chickens

During the first weeks of life, most chicks experience discomfort from hypothermia or high temperatures. After all, until the age of one month, the body of “babies” cannot effectively adapt to changes in the external environment in the shortest possible time. Therefore, the poultry farmer is obliged to monitor humidity and temperature indicators. In a cool room, you need to install additional heating devices, and the hot room should be constantly ventilated. Therefore, the conditions for raising chickens must necessarily include careful control over the temperature in the chicken coop:

For the first 24 hours, the bird's offspring must exist in the same conditions as they had in the incubator, at a temperature of 35 degrees (not lower);
Then this indicator is systematically reduced to 30-32 degrees - in the first seven days from the moment small pets are born;
From the 2nd week, temperature marks gradually continue to decrease so that by the age of one month the bird can live calmly at a temperature of 21 degrees;

Provide round-the-clock lighting for the chicken coop (especially in winter) using artificial incandescent lamps.

The first few days the lamps are on constantly and do not turn off. This makes the chicks move more actively, grow and feed.
Next, the lights are turned off for 15 minutes, then 30, accustoming the “birds” to the dark.
When the young animals turn 4 months old, daylight hours are shortened to ten hours.

The light is set at a height of 45-50 cm, and the microclimate is controlled by installing a thermometer. If the inhabitants of the poultry house are crowded under the lamp or pressed against each other, they are obviously freezing. And the heat can make their wings and feathers ruffle and move little.

Overheated or frozen: what to do

If, based on the above signs, it becomes clear that the babies are overheated, you need to immediately move them away from the heat source.

You can gently wipe the chicks with a soft cloth dipped in cool water. But not in the cold, otherwise the kids will catch a cold.

Make a bath out of a bowl of water and place the chickens in it. Also try to give the kids something to drink. If they refuse, add water through a pipette.

If the chicks are cold, you need to move them to a heat source and gently rub them with your hand. When the chicks warm up and come to their senses, try to feed them. So that the body receives energy for heating.

Feeding newborn chicks

Let's talk about how to feed newborn chicks. Chicks that have just been born should first get food.

After they dry out and begin to gradually rise on their legs, they will begin to try to peck the grains. Reflexes and understanding about food will begin to develop. One day they will be able to feed their bodies on their own.

Many novice farmers practice this method: they leave the chickens for a while without food to give them the opportunity to adapt and get to know each other. This method is incorrect. This is due to the fact that the process of developmental delay may begin.

Some people think that fine corn grits are better for chickens. But if you give it only, it will not contribute to the proper development of health.

One of the big and common misconceptions is that they try to feed day-old chicks at home with boiled yolks. The mistake is that this type of diet does not have any effect on the digestive system.

Now let's discuss what to feed day-old chicks. After the day-old chicks have warmed up well under the lamp, they will begin feeding. The number of feedings per day is at least ten times. Don't forget about night feeding.

During this period, specialized crushed starter feed is used. It is placed in a small plate so that the chicks do not rake the grains. Also place a container with warm water.

What to feed week-old chicks? When the chicks gradually adapt and begin to eat cereals, you can begin to add variety to their daily menu. Add semolina, buckwheat, oatmeal, and wheat.

The norm for food consumption at this age is about twelve grams per day. The frequency of feeding is about five times a day, each time the portion becomes larger. It is advisable not to leave the feeder empty; let there always be food in it.

At this age, the chicks continue to be fed with mixtures of various cereals: corn, barley, oatmeal, wheat. The grain ratio is one to one.

It is useful to add greens to food: nettle, plantain, green onions. This will ensure the prevention of various ailments.

During this period, the chicken’s body begins to grow, so it better adapts to changes in diet. Chickens begin to give preference to one food or another, choosing what they like. Based on these taste characteristics, food can be given in a special ratio of components.

At this time, it is permissible to give porridge from your table, as the esophagus becomes quite stable. However, this does not mean that you can give everything that is on your table. In any case, feed for chickens at this age should remain of high quality and enriched with vitamins.

In one day, two-week-old chickens eat about twenty grams of feed.

These standards are used for the first 3 weeks and change when they reach one month of age.

Day-old chicks are fed crushed grain. The priority is corn, wheat, oats. The grain is cleared of films. The daily norm of crushed grain mixture is 6 g. Young animals of this age category readily eat crushed hard-boiled eggs.

Also, the feed mixture of day-old young animals includes small cereals. Including oatmeal, barley, wheat and even corn chaff.

Experienced poultry farmers advise giving carrot juice along with the egg! Boiled eggs (2 pcs.) juice obtained from a medium root vegetable. Getting a “carrot moisturizer” is easy. First, carrots are grated. Then the resulting mass is squeezed through gauze.

Fresh yogurt would be a good addition to your diet. Mash is prepared using this fermented milk product. Only fresh yogurt is used.

Experienced poultry farmers additionally pour curdled milk into separate clay or wooden drinkers.

Day-old chicks do not refuse cottage cheese, cheese, milk and herbs. The norm of these feeds is 1.5 and 2 g, respectively.

Feed for 2-3-day-old chickens includes fresh nettle, clover, grated carrots, pumpkin, beets, and grass meal. This group is fed with feed left in the beds after the harvesting campaign.

Greens hanging on the walls are used as feeding. For example, the one that was not included in the wet food mixture. Water should always be present in drinking bowls.

A 1% solution of potassium permanganate is added twice weekly to water intended for young animals aged 7 to 45 days. This is a preventive measure aimed at preventing some problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

The use of red lamps for heating chickens

Infrared radiation sources used in poultry houses must have a safe, reliable design, protected from moisture penetration, possible shocks, impacts and the curiosity of growing birds. We must not forget about the risk of fire, which will inevitably lead to dire consequences.

The infrared lamp for chickens is covered with a protective, lattice casing and suspended at a safe height. Today poultry farmers are offered several options for such equipment.

A mirrored, red lamp for heating chickens can be made with a transparent or red bulb. In the first case, the source provides not only heat, but also luminous flux, in the second, almost all the energy consumed is used to generate heat. Such lamps have a fairly high power and a service life of up to 5 thousand hours. This allows you to reliably and uninterruptedly heat small chicks, without fear that the lamp will fail at the most inopportune moment.

Lamps with a ruby dome bulb are characterized by instant heating and, thanks to their reflective properties, help save up to a third of incoming electricity. The light from such lamps for chicks is not a factor of irritation; under it they grow well from the first days until they are transferred to an adult bird.

When installing lamps for heating chickens, you should pay attention to the fact that the heat flow parameters directly depend on the height of the radiation source:

From birth to one week of age, the lamp is mounted above the chicks at a height of 50 cm.
In the second and third weeks it is moved higher, approximately 75 cm from the litter.
Then the radiation sources are installed at a meter height.

As a result of this transfer, the temperature of the chickens decreases, and the lighting and heating area increases noticeably.

Using red heat lamps to keep chicks warm stimulates rapid growth of the birds. The chicks feed more actively, gain weight better, have good immunity and consistently positive dynamics.

This effect is not accidental, since infrared radiation is as close as possible to what a bird would receive from the sun while free-range. In addition to the already proven red lamps, there are also combined devices that also produce an ultraviolet spectrum, which allows them to be used for disinfection.

Keeping chickens in a brooder - video

When chickens are just born, they need special care. Their health is fragile and vulnerable at this time. It is important to maintain the optimal temperature for chickens so that the chicks grow up healthy and can better adapt to independent existence. When they are raised by a hen, she provides the temperature they need to develop. For those chicks that are raised separately, the necessary conditions must be created artificially.

What to do after the birth of a chick

The chickens hatched in the incubator at the right time, what to do next? A day after birth, the weight of the chick is about 35-40 g. It runs fast, squeaks loudly, and is very active. Weak and lethargic chickens should be placed separately until they are fully recovered.

Little chicks

The chicks should be moved to a box no more than 60 cm high. Thick paper or lint-free cloth should be laid on the bottom. They are then transferred to the brooder. This is a box with wooden walls, a mesh instead of a lid and a lamp (60-100 W) to maintain the desired temperature. You can use an infrared lamp.

Note! The bottom is covered with a five-centimeter layer of dry sawdust

Temperature

The temperature should not be higher than 35 degrees

It is important to monitor the thermometer readings and observe the behavior of the chicks. Because the temperature is too high, they stay away from the lamp and lift their heads up

It should be gradually reduced to 28-29 degrees.

During the first day, babies do not turn off the lights, and then they begin to form the correct biorhythms. Lights should be turned on at 6 a.m. and turned off at 9 p.m. To provide warmth at night, a heating pad is placed at the bottom of the brooder, and the box is covered with a woolen cloth on top.

Temperature

Nutrition

The chickens have hatched, what to do and how to feed the babies? Previously, it was believed that chicks should not be fed on the first day. This opinion was recognized as erroneous, since the survival rate of chickens decreased by 20%. The chicken's body is still developing, so it is recommended to feed them in the first 4-5 hours. Immediately after standing on their legs, the chicks look for food, so you can pour them some crumbly food:

millet;
corn grits;
boiled, grated egg yolk;
You can add semolina to the yolk.

How many times should you feed? Feeding on the first day is done every 2-3 hours. For drinking, use boiled water or a herbal decoction of chamomile and yarrow. Usually the chickens’ natural instinct kicks in and they start pecking on their own.

Note! But some of them will have to help. The chicks are placed separately and begin to be hand-fed and watered using a pipette.

Further diet is every 3-4 hours. Chicks one day old can eat a wider variety of foods:

cereals: wheat, semolina, barley, millet;
low-fat cottage cheese;
ground oatmeal.

The drinking bowl can be filled with whey or low-fat kefir. It is recommended to feed starter feed with all the necessary vitamins. You can begin to introduce crushed eggshells without film into the diet to help the chick's digestive system function normally.

After three days, the chicken menu includes finely chopped greens: dandelion leaves, green onion feathers, young knotweed, and dried nettles. You can mix it with cereals. An oil solution of vitamin D is added to the cottage cheese. A grated chicken egg can be given completely.

Important! It is necessary to maintain cleanliness in the brooder by promptly washing containers with food and water, changing the litter as it gets dirty

Chick heating system

The following methods can be used to warm birds:

Water heating pad.
An electric heating pad that must be protected from moisture.
Warm water bottles can be used. To heat chickens with them, you need to wrap them in several layers of cotton wool, cotton or wool.
The temperature can be increased using incandescent lamps.
It is acceptable to use reflectors as long as they are out of reach of the chicks.

When organizing heating, it is important to ensure the safety of the chosen method for birds. It is important that they cannot get burned or damage the device used for heating.

Main causes of death

When chickens are born and the hen does not care for them, then with insufficient care, the death of the feathered population is possible.

This happens for the following reasons:

If the chicks are not cared for properly.
If the diet is incorrect, then it is also dangerous for them.
A chicken's internal organs are very delicate. The slightest damage poses a danger to their life. One possible danger is gastric blockage. For example, this will happen if a pebble is swallowed.
Due to weak immunity, infectious diseases can be fatal. Treatment is usually ineffective at this age. Here, only preventive measures are usually used.
Infection with pullorosis occurs at the stage of development when the egg matures. Then a sick chick is born. Almost everyone infected with this disease does not survive.
Sometimes, with insufficient care, chickens begin to peck each other. First, the chicks pluck each other's feathers, then injure each other with bites, pinching off pieces of their bodies. After this, infection usually occurs and the chickens die.
Foods included in the diet may contain pesticides that are harmful to chickens. If an inexperienced farmer feeds birds with greens on which pesticides remain, then this threatens them with death. Symptoms of poisoning include the following: parts of the body turn blue, wings droop, and birds die from suffocation.
If the diet does not have enough vitamins A and B, and there is no calcium and phosphorus in the required quantities, then the chickens develop toxic gastric dyspepsia. In the initial stage, the temperature rises, the chicks walk sleepy and droop their wings. Death occurs as a result of muscle spasms.
If chickens are fed only soft food and no solids in their diet, it will lead to stomach atrophy. This is expressed in the following symptoms: the birds develop severe thirst, the chicks walk around ruffled, and lose weight. If no measures are taken, then death occurs.

Chickens have a very weak body. To help them survive, it is necessary to take good care of them, providing them with everything they need.

In the first days and weeks of their lives, chicks die very easily - they catch a cold from any draft and contract various diseases. Therefore, in the absence of proper care for day-old chicks, their mortality rate approaches one hundred percent.

Note! Newborn chickens are vaccinated in the first days of their life. Before vaccination, you should consult with your veterinarian to select the right medications.

Reasons for high chicken mortality:

infectious and parasitic diseases (in particular, coccidiosis);
larger animals (both predators and, for example, domestic cats);
colds caused by temperature changes;
digestive problems and subsequent diseases.

Intensive or extensive feeding method

Both methods have pros and cons. The rationality of use also depends on the breed. The method is selected by approximately 2 months of age. Meat breeds such as broilers need to gain weight quickly. On farms, 2-month-old chickens of this breed weigh 1.5 kilograms or more. They need to be cared for in the same way as other birds, but their diet can be adjusted. To achieve such indicators, an intensive method and full cultivation are better suited. The bird does not go for walks, but lives in cages.

Maintenance standards: 12 chickens per 1 meter. If these boundaries are not observed, you will not be able to obtain the desired number of chicken eggs in the future. The temperature intended for chickens should be without sudden changes within 18-20°C. The air is quite humid, 60-70%. Until the chicks are 5 days old, they need intense lighting around the clock. Later - a night break in lighting of no more than 5 hours. The food is dominated by mixed feed, which contains a lot of vitamins, proteins and proteins. Drink plenty of fresh water. Gravel is also needed for better digestion of food. It should be served in a separate feeder.

For laying hens, the extensive method is better suited. From 3-4 months, chickens of these breeds are given walks. Sometimes the bird only spends the night indoors. Natural products predominate in the feed. Particular attention is paid to the presence of foods that contain calcium.

Infectious diseases

Infectious diseases are transmitted from one bird to another through contact or airborne droplets. Sick birds can be distinguished visually. When chickens become infected, their body temperature rises. Such a chick stands at a distance from others, its feathers are ruffled, its wings are lowered. Often the mucous membranes of the beak and eyes turn red. Feathers and wings that are dirty at the back also indicate the presence of infection. Among contagious diseases, the most dangerous are the following.

Pullorosis - fowl typhus, is caused by bacteria from the genus Salmonella. It is especially dangerous for chickens in the first days of life. It appears already at 3-5 days of age. The chicks are sleepy and gather in flocks. They stand with their legs spread wide apart. Frequent excrements of white or greenish color mixed with mucus make the chicks' down sticky. Antibiotic therapy is carried out, but salmonella is not completely destroyed. The bulk of such chickens die within a week. At the age of two to three weeks, the disease slows down the growth of young animals and decreases appetite. But at this age, chickens can recover.

Coccidiosis is an infection by protozoan organisms. Chickens get sick starting from the 4th day of life. Coccidia causes general weakness and loose stools. The fluff around the cloaca is stuck together and falls out.

Paratyphoid fever (salmonellosis) - affects chickens aged from 1 day to 30 days growing in crowded and unsanitary conditions. The disease begins with a rise in temperature and a depressed state. Purulent conjunctivitis appears, the chickens fall on their feet. The feces are liquid, drying out in the form of lumps around the cloaca. They are given antiparasitic serum, furazolidone, and biomycin. Upon recovery, they are given an antiparasitic vaccine. Most of the young animals die. At older ages, the disease is treatable.

Pasteurellosis - affects chickens at two months of age. The bird is not active, with drooping wings. The main symptom is bloody diarrhea. Chickens can be cured if therapy is started in the first hours of the disease. Polyvalent serum and systemic antibiotics are used.

How to raise chickens: tips and tricks from experienced poultry farmers

The main efforts of the poultry farmer should be aimed specifically at preserving the number of chicks.

After the chick hatches, it is immediately removed from the incubator.
The first vaccination of pets is carried out on the first day of their life.
Maintaining a constant comfortable temperature and no drafts.
The room in which chicks are raised must be protected from both pests and pets (cats and dogs).
It is necessary to maintain cleanliness in the cage or brooder, promptly clean the tray and change the bedding.
Weak or sick chicks need to be resettled to give them the opportunity to get better and get stronger.

In general, before raising chickens, you should first consult a veterinarian in order to know exactly what vaccinations the chicks are given and what food is best for them.

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Caring for day old chicks at home

Information on how to care for chickens at home in the first days is especially important when it comes to chicks born in an incubator, since she takes care of the chicks hatched by the hen on her own. However, even naturally bred chicks need the care of farmers.

Day old chicks

Caring for day-old chicks at home consists of several stages:

maintaining a comfortable temperature;
feeding;
pest protection;
disease prevention.

The suitable temperature for chickens in the first days of life is 29-30 degrees. It is maintained at this level for 5-6 days, and then gradually begins to be lowered - one degree per day, until it reaches 25-26 degrees.

Note! A thermometer for determining air temperature is fixed as low as possible to the floor. After the chicks are 10 days old, the temperature continues to decrease, only now more slowly - by 2-3 degrees per week

When changing heat levels, it is important to pay attention to the well-being of the chicks and adjust the temperature level depending on whether they are hot or cold

After the chicks are 10 days old, the temperature continues to decrease, only now more slowly - by 2-3 degrees per week

When changing heat levels, it is important to pay attention to the well-being of the chicks and adjust the temperature level depending on whether they are hot or cold

For one month of age, the optimal temperature is 20-21 degrees. The normal state for chicks at the right temperature is activity and good appetite; if they huddle together and stay close to the heater, the air is too cold; if they stay apart, away from the lamp, and drink a lot, the cage may be too hot.

Important! At an early age, both overheating and hypothermia are dangerous for chickens. In the first ten days, it is better to organize the heating of the cage so that the heating of the air is uniform - especially if there are a lot of chicks and they cannot move freely around the cage

During the same period, you can use an electric heating pad for additional heating, the main thing is to make sure that the chicks cannot damage it

In the first ten days, it is better to organize the heating of the cage so that the heating of the air is uniform - especially if there are a lot of chicks and they cannot move freely around the cage. During the same period, you can use an electric heating pad for additional heating, the main thing is to make sure that the chicks cannot damage it.

As a rule, for artificial heating of a cage (or brooder) the following is used:

infrared lamps;
infrared heaters.

Advantages of infrared lamps:

Relatively low price and duration of use (up to 5 thousand hours).
Ease of use.
The color of the lamp has a calming effect on the chicks.
It is easy to maintain an optimal level of humidity in the room, since they affect not only the air, but everything that is in the cage.
When using a power regulator, they allow you to change the amount of energy released - and therefore the temperature in the cage.

Infrared lamps

Disadvantages of infrared lamps:

Require additional lighting (although it is possible to use transparent rather than colored lamps).
Suitable only for chicks; radiation may harm adult birds.
They are quite vulnerable - they crack from water or can be damaged by chickens, so they require additional protective measures (for example, a metal mesh around the lamp).
They consume a lot of electricity.
Requires additional equipment or changing the height of the lamp to adjust the air temperature.

In the first week, the recommended installation height of the red lamp is 50 cm. After that, it is fixed at a height of 75 cm for a period of 1-2 weeks. In the fourth week, the infrared lamp is fixed approximately a meter from the floor.

Infrared heaters are generally more convenient than lamps, but they have not only pros, but also cons.

The advantages of using heaters are as follows:

The ability to timely adjust the temperature in the cage.
Minimum power consumption.
Safety and ease of use.
Duration of use.
It is easy to maintain optimal humidity in the brooder.

The disadvantages of infrared heaters are as follows:

Compared to infrared lamps, the cost of heaters is much higher.
The heater is more difficult to install.
You may need to install a thermostat to control the temperature.
Additional lighting sources are required.

Reliable heater

How to choose?

When choosing chickens to raise at home, you need to take into account age and sex characteristics.
In addition, the selection of young animals is carried out according to external characteristics. If the chicks are healthy :

they have a toned stomach;
umbilical cord;
there are no signs of bleeding;
the fluff is shiny and even.

Age

The optimal age for acquiring chicks remains 20 days. It is not difficult to raise healthy chickens at home from this age; they no longer depend on laying hens, they are able to feed on their own and find food for themselves.

Rooster or chicken?

The choice here must be taken into account for what purpose the farmer intends to raise the chicks. If for the sake of eggs, then you should choose breeding chicken breeds. Both rooster and chicken are suitable for meat. In addition, a rooster is necessary to increase the egg production of laying hens .

Hatching in an incubator

Incubation of chicken eggs is a very responsible task, because the efficiency of hatching the young will depend on the temperature and humidity. First of all, you need to select the eggs correctly. For this purpose, only high-quality specimens of characteristic shape and color are selected. In addition, they must be fresh (no more than 7 days), without growths or stains on the shell or any foreign unpleasant odor.

Before laying, the incubator chamber must be thoroughly washed and disinfected. At this time, the eggs are transferred to a room at room temperature for uniform heating, and the blunt or sharp end is marked with a marker to control the coup in the future.

It is very important to control temperature and humidity levels throughout the incubation period. With severe deviations, the embryos may die

How do chicks hatch in an incubator?

Each stage has its own indicators (Table 1). In the first week, the temperature is maintained at 37.8 degrees with a humidity of 55%. The revolution is carried out 4 times a day at regular intervals, while trying not to ventilate the chamber too much. If it is possible to carry out a revolution without opening the lid, it is better to take advantage of this opportunity, since during this period ventilation is not only not needed by the embryos, but can also destroy them.

In the second week, the temperature is kept at the same level, and the humidity is gradually reduced to 45%. Turning over is carried out as before, but additional ventilation will be required - 5 minutes twice a day.

Table 1. Temperature and humidity at the main stages of incubation

Over the next four days, they continue to maintain the temperature, while increasing the humidity to 50%. Turning is required up to 6 times a day, the duration of ventilation is increased to 20 minutes. If you did everything correctly, by the end of the 18th day you will be able to hear a faint squeak from under the shell.

Starting from the 19th day, the turning of eggs is completely stopped, since by this time the chickens have time to get stronger. It is also necessary to reduce the temperature (to approximately 37.3 degrees), increasing the humidity to 65%. Ventilation is also carried out less frequently - only 5 minutes twice a day. From about 21 days, the eggs will begin to hatch into chicks and can be gradually transferred to the brooder after drying.

How to grow using an incubator?

Breeding for Beginners

How to ensure proper breeding of chickens in an incubator for a beginner? Before laying eggs in the incubator, you need to set the required temperature settings. For the 1st week of incubation, the optimal values remain 38.5-39 degrees. You need to use an egg no older than 3 days. Cancel the laid eggs with a pencil (with a dash on one side and a cross on the other).

After laying, they will warm up for a day, and then they can be turned over. On the 19th day of incubation, the hatching process occurs. At this time, stop turning the eggs and lower the temperature to 37.5 degrees. On the 20th day, a mass hatching of chicks is carried out, and on the 22nd day it ends. There is no need to incubate the egg any further.

After the incubator

After the incubator, when raising chickens at home, the chicks can be kept in boxes for the first 1-2 weeks. But for full development, much more space is needed. The temperature in the first week should be 30-33 degrees , and after a month it drops to 20-22 degrees.

Be sure to provide the chickens with adequate watering. Change water in drinking bowls 2 times a day. The composition of the grain mixture looks like this:

Wheat and corn – 35% each.
Oats – 10%.
Barley – 20%.

As the first food for chickens after the incubator, it is necessary to give a boiled egg - 1 piece per 30 chickens.

Temperature standards

Normal growth of newborn chicks is achieved by providing a balanced diet and comfortable warm conditions. A feature of newly hatched chicks is their high sensitivity and vulnerability to external conditions. A damp floor or a small draft can lead to irreversible consequences. In this regard, the chickens are dried as quickly as possible after hatching from the egg, creating conditions for them that would be provided by a hen. Temperature indicators for keeping chickens throughout their life are not constant, they change downward. It should be indicated what the temperature standards should be for chickens of different ages.

From birth to 7 days

This is the most crucial period for the poultry farmer and his feathered pets. Chicks are so vulnerable and weak in the first week of life that a loss of 1-5% of the entire population is considered normal. Young animals vitally need warmth and round-the-clock illumination, which activate life processes. The optimal temperature in the first 5 days is considered to be 30-32 C, by days 6-7 you can reduce the temperature to 26-27 C. It is advisable to install a thermometer, which should be fixed at the approximate level of the baby’s chest.

Careful observation of them will allow you to draw a conclusion without a thermometer whether the ambient temperature is comfortable for week-old chicks. If the body is cold, the chickens will huddle together in the corner of their home, and the outermost chicks will try to crawl into the center of the huddled relatives. If they are hot, the chicks demonstrate this by spreading their wings, frequently opening their beaks, the birds puff up their down, and also quickly and greedily drink water. If the ambient temperature is normal, the chicks show active behavior, do not sleep in a group, and drink enough water.

For individuals older than a week

As they grow, the external temperature is still important for the chicks, but “greenhouse conditions” are no longer required. It is recommended to lower the temperature gradually, by 1 - 0.5 degrees every 2-3 days. We present in the table the norms of temperature indicators for two-week-old chickens and older individuals.

Maximum temperatures, C

Minimum temperatures, C

Over 2 months

It should be borne in mind that these indicators are averaged for laying chickens and broiler chickens. Laying hens will tolerate a slight decrease of 1-2 degrees in these temperature indicators in the room (without drafts), especially at one month of age and beyond. And for broilers it is better not to lower the minimum values, since in a cool room their growth and weight gain slows down and even stops.

The importance and rules of insulating a chicken coop

Heated mats are the most popular in use - this is a more economical option, with good heating from below. Now you can choose mats of the appropriate size for the brooder. Incandescent lamps are often used; they are installed for two purposes: lighting and heating. It is usually recommended to install lamps in pairs, this creates more uniform heating of the chickens’ habitat. There are lamps for heating chickens of the following types.

Fluorescent lamps are the most economical of all types of lamps, but they produce little heat and are unlikely to help if the temperature in the chicken coop has dropped. They are intended as a backlight, although they can cause discomfort to chickens due to the constant flickering effect. It has been observed that it has a negative impact on the behavior of birds.
LED is a more expensive option, but profitable and effective due to durability, adjustability, low power consumption, and safety for birds.
Infrared (IR) - these lamps are an excellent heater, they provide good illumination and do not create nervousness in the coop. You can create an infrared source of light and heat yourself by screwing a light bulb into a red-painted glass container of a suitable size (you can cover it with red film). The finished lamp should be hung at a distance of at least 45-50 cm from the chicks; for additional safety, you can put a lattice casing on the IR lamp. Experts recommend using infrared lamps for birds no older than 1-1.5 months.
Combined - the optimal combination of ultraviolet and infrared light sources and heat. Ultraviolet light promotes the death of bacteria and is beneficial for the growth of chickens. And IR radiation increases the birds' appetite and provides constant warmth and light.

The importance of observing temperature indicators when keeping chickens is determined by strengthening their immunity and positive growth dynamics. Stable, warm temperatures are especially important for broilers, as they are less active than laying chickens and may not thrive in cool conditions. If in the first 14-21 days of the chicks’ life it is necessary to install a heater and lighting in the brooder or other home of the chicks, then after this period the birds are transferred to natural light and they try to gradually lower the ambient temperature to 20-21 C. Typically, chicks are kept:

in a cage specially equipped for young animals;
in a box made of thick cardboard, the walls of which do not allow drafts to pass through;
in a wooden box (brooder).

When the age of the chickens exceeds 35-40 days, they can be transferred to a regular chicken coop or cage, which must first be insulated and all cracks that create drafts dangerous for the birds must be sealed. In this case, the following nuances for keeping chickens in a poultry house are taken into account.

Creating a bedding from sawdust, hay or straw. It is not recommended to allow the litter to become wet, which leads to the growth of bacteria in the house and the risk of bird diseases. You need to make sure that the chickens do not spill water.
Installing a thermometer to monitor air temperature. During the day, the temperature should not fall below 16-18 C, and the average nighttime readings should be 10-14 C. There should be no strong temperature changes in the chickens’ habitat.
When the temperature drops, you can temporarily (at night or during bad weather) cover the cage with a quilt, leaving little access to oxygen for the birds.
Overheating is just as dangerous for birds as cold. It is necessary to protect the box or room where the chickens are kept from active sunlight with canopies.
Good air exchange is important in the poultry house, but without drafts. Avoid high humidity and dampness.
When using heating devices or lamps, it is important to take care of the safety of the chickens by avoiding excessive heating of the heaters. The temperature near the device should be 3-4 degrees higher than normal.
Providing free-range chickens significantly improves the health of the chicken population. Laying hens are usually walked longer than broiler hens, which need to gain weight. It is important to ensure that there is no precipitation outside, and contact with wet grass is dangerous for fledgling individuals.
It is important to carefully observe the chickens and notice changes in the behavior of each individual. In comfortable conditions, birds do not huddle together, move actively, do not open their beaks, drink water moderately, and eat well.

Why do you need to observe the temperature regime?

To ensure the safety of the livestock and the proper growth rate, it is necessary to maintain the optimal temperature regime.

Hypothermia leads to weakening of the chick and activation of microbes that live everywhere: inside the body, in feed, water, and the surrounding air.

At low outside temperatures , moisture condenses, unsanitary conditions are created, and coccidiosis occurs, a protozoal disease characterized by high mortality.

Overheating poses an even greater danger - the chicks cannot breathe freely, enzyme systems do not work correctly, and intoxication develops.

The lives of grown-up chicks with mature plumage are not threatened by cold, but the irrational expenditure of energy to maintain body temperature increases. Chickens heat themselves from the inside, which leads to excessive feed consumption.

In hot weather, birds protect themselves from overheating by reducing feed consumption, which is accompanied by a drop in weight gain. The owner needs to think through measures that ensure optimal temperature conditions, otherwise raising broilers will become unprofitable.

Where to keep chickens

To keep laying chickens you will need a chicken coop. If there is no such thing on your personal plot, for the first time a barn will be quite suitable as a home for several birds. Especially if it's made of wood. For 1 sq. It is recommended to place no more than 5 birds per meter.

In the absence of outbuildings suitable for raising chickens, it is allowed to keep chicks in cages - each with 4-5 chicks. Modern cages provide automatic cleaning of manure and feeding.

Most experienced poultry farmers believe that laying hens grow and develop faster in a cage. And subsequently - they lay a larger number of eggs in comparison with birds that grew up in an equipped chicken coop.

If you plan to raise egg-laying chicks in the warm season, you can limit yourself to an aviary. Birds will be able to constantly walk in the fresh air, nibble grass and independently obtain other food (bugs, worms, crumbs). The main thing is to protect the young animals from attacks by raccoons, dogs, cats and other animals.

What features to look for when buying chickens

To select good chicks you need to have experience. The following tips will help you with this. And then it's a matter of practice.

Choose cheerful and active ones.
Healthy chicks react quickly to extraneous sounds. So, make some noise. Tap the box or cage where they are sitting. The ones that run towards the sound are the ones you need.
Good chicks have a toned tummy, a nice and even fluff, and a clean butt.
The wings are not spread apart, but adjacent to the body.
Chickens of the Cobb-500 and Ross-308 crosses have special features. They may have a slightly enlarged tummy. The color of the beak and legs is blue.

One day old healthy chick

How to determine the sex of a chicken

When you buy chickens, you usually want to buy hens. To distinguish them, spread your wings and look at the feathers.

If it is a chicken, then the feathers will be of different lengths.
If it’s a cockerel, then it’s the same length.

Broiler weight by day: table

To monitor the growth of chickens, you should weigh them every day and keep a weight gain chart. During the first month, up to 80% of the energy goes into growth, the rest goes into maintaining the vital functions of the body. The norm for daily weight gain is not less than 60 g. How much does a broiler normally weigh in 1 month table:

Day	Mass, in
40–45
1	50–60
2	65–80
3	85–95
4	100–115
5	120–135
6	140–165
7	170–190
8	200–220
9	230–250
10	260–280
11	300–325
12	345–370
13	380–420
14	440–460
15	485–520
16	540–565
17	580–630
18	650–690
19	720–750
20	780–820
21	850–890
22	920–970
23	1000–1030
24	1070–1100
25	1150–1200
26	1230–1270
27	1300–1350
28	1400–1450
29	1480–1500
30	1550–1580

It is important to know not only how much a broiler should weigh at 1 month, but also its weight throughout the entire growing period. You can check the diagram

The weight of a newborn chick is about 50 g. If it is not possible to weigh the bird, you can use the following approximate data. If a chicken differs in external characteristics from its relatives of the same age, the trend will not change within 30 days. If it is much smaller, then you can’t expect a strong weight gain. And vice versa - a large chick will grow better than others.

After the first week of life, it is recommended to systematically weigh the chicks. This period is the main indicator of future development. Normally, the weight of a healthy chick should be at least 200 g. This is the start, after which the weight gain will be significant and will grow progressively.

Advice! In order not to miss the reasons for the slowdown in growth and to have time to prevent diseases, it is necessary to weigh the livestock every week.

It’s better to look at how much a broiler weighs in the first month in the table. But on average, by day 30 the weight of the chicken should be at least 1.6 kg. If the bird develops normally, you can continue the same care. If the weight does not correspond to the norm and is below the average of 1.5-1.6 kg, the principles of maintenance should be changed. Perhaps the farmer made a mistake at the initial stage. In this case, it is recommended to change the feed mixture and check the conditions in which the broilers are located.

At 2 months of life, a broiler normally weighs 2.7 kg. This is the result of properly organized maintenance and feeding. Living conditions and food meet the requirements. Universal advice: give more fresh grass and greens; the diet should contain crushed potatoes and grains. Thanks to this diet, chickens receive vitamins and essential minerals. It is also a prevention of vitamin deficiency.

Additional Information. To prevent protein deficiency in chicks, dairy products should also be included in the diet - milk and kefir. However, such products do not replace water.

From the broiler weight gain table you can get information on the difference between females and males.

Age	Weight. Female	Weight. Male
A week	90 g	100 g
2nd week	170 g	210 g
3rd week	330 g	410 g
Month	560 g	660 g
35th day	820 g	940 g
6th week	1.06 kg	1.26 kg
8th week	1.57 kg	1.88 kg

How to properly weigh chickens:

Place the chick in a cardboard box and put it on a scale, weighing one at a time.
Weigh at least once every 7 days.
Broilers should be fed after the weighing procedure.

Scales must be of high quality and accurate. The scales should not be changed. This may affect the accuracy of the data.

What weight should broilers have: table by days, weeks and months, growth rates for chickens

Farmers often raise poultry for meat. To do this, they purchase chicks of meat breeds, which, with proper nutrition, can gain a good weight from 1,600 kg to 3 kg in a short period, which is usually the summer months.

Broiler breeds are especially valued among farmers; they only need to be fed for up to 3 months and get more than two kilograms of clean meat.

To understand this whole process, how broilers gain weight by day, the table will be our best assistant.

To weigh small chickens, you can use electronic weighing devices with or without a bowl, mechanical spring scales and a steelyard.

In order to weigh a broiler using a spring scale or steelyard, you can use an ordinary shopping bag, but the bird will break out and the weighing accuracy may suffer.

You can make two holes in the same bag where the chicken’s paws will stick through, this way it will be fixed and hang quietly. To weigh chickens, you can sew a small gauze bag with a thick bottom and handles. The chick is placed in it and the steelyard is raised up.

To determine the weight of birds using electronic weighing instruments, a box with a lid is ideal. You just need to first weigh it empty. But you can try to determine the mass this way, without additional devices. Chicks of this breed, and even adult chickens, have a calm character and can stand quietly for several minutes.

In poultry farming, certain rules must be followed for accurate weighing. You can find out the weight of a chicken at any age, doing this daily or every 10 days.

Control measurements should be taken only at the same time of day before meals - this way you can achieve accurate weighing. To properly control the weight of broilers, there is a table of standards in which grams are listed for all days and months.

Thanks to these numbers, you can understand whether the chickens are fed properly and whether they have all the conditions for gaining weight.

Broiler weight

Broiler chicken breeds have an excellent appetite and, under the necessary conditions and proper nutrition, the weight of such a chicken increases 20 times in 21 days.

Improvements in the diet of birds have already made it possible to shorten the feeding period, reducing it from 63 days to 37. In almost 40 days, an increase in the mass of the pectoral muscles is achieved; today this value is 320 g.

Thanks to such successes, feed costs are reduced, and consequently, the cost of 1 kg of breast fillet is significantly reduced.

When hatching

Broiler chickens at hatching are record holders in terms of weight. The average weight of one newborn reaches 40 g, but there are also larger individuals, and can weigh 42-44 g. If we compare the chicks of an egg-bred chicken and a broiler, the chickens of the latter are strikingly different from the former in their power and large paws.

In 10 days

After 10 days, the chicken should have this weight: 200–250 g. It should be immediately noted that the weight of the chicken and the broiler rooster will be different

Females will weigh 20-30 g less, but it doesn’t matter, they will still eat on par with roosters and continue to gain weight

After another 10 days, the chicken will on average add about 500 grams more and weigh 800 g. Poultry farmers are well aware that such accelerated weight gain affects the health of the bird’s skeleton, so the pens where chickens are kept are equipped so that they cannot walk around looking for food. Feeders are located near them, and the chicks can almost always be near food.

An interesting fact is that poultry farmers in Veliky Novgorod were able to fatten a chicken to a weight of more than 2 kg in just 21 days, when in the table you can see that according to standards at this age, chicks should weigh up to 900 g. And such records are not uncommon.

Per month

The weight of a chick per month should be 1500-1600 g. In fact, such a chicken is already perfect for slaughter, but with the right diet, after 2-3 months the chicken can weigh 3 kg. There is no point in keeping broilers any longer, since their weight cannot be changed much, and they will eat more and more, and keeping them is not profitable.

Table of weight gain by day

In poultry farming there is a convenient table where all weight indicators are listed by day, from the very birth of the chicken until the 50th day of their life. Thanks to it, you can find out how much a broiler should weigh at a certain age.

"Weighing chicks using mechanical scales"

This video offers one of the options for determining the mass of birds, and chicks of different breeds, but of the same age, are taken. This example clearly shows that the broiler breed is strikingly different in this indicator from other breeds over the course of a month.

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Mykhailo
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Raising poultry at home

In the first month, especially the first 10 days, chickens need special care. They need a warm, dry, clean room with good ventilation, but without drafts. No more than 20...25 chickens should be placed per 1 m2. After 4...5 weeks they are planted in 17 heads each, and after 10 to 20 weeks - 10 heads per 1 m2.

For the first 3...5 days, it is better for chickens to lay paper on the floor, and sprinkle sifted chicken feed and fine corn grits on it. Chickens rummage in such litter without harm to themselves and remain clean.

You cannot feed chickens on a cold floor, otherwise they will catch a cold. In no case should chickens climb into feeders and drinkers with their feet: feed and water contaminated with droppings cause intestinal diseases, and wet litter is detrimental to immature chickens.

In the first 10 days, chickens are fed every 2 hours. During this period, the best food for them will be finely chopped hard-boiled eggs, crumbly cottage cheese mixed with semolina or corn grits. For 10 chickens, give one egg or 50 g of cottage cheese mixed with 50 g of cereal. It is useful to give chickens small cereals, lightly ground rolled oats, chicken feed, adding dry milk (1/4 of the volume of cereal or mixture of cereals) and one ground multivitamin tablet (for 10 chickens). This dry mixture is convenient because the poultry farmer can go away for a long time, pouring feed into the feeder, and the chickens themselves regulate their feed consumption. After each feeding, check that all chicks have full crops.

From 3...5 days of age, chickens are taught to eat finely chopped greens; at 5...7 days of age, it is good to give crumbly mash on yogurt, meat and fish broth, as well as meat and fish waste (5...7 g per head), with On the 10th day, boiled potatoes, grated carrots, pumpkin, zucchini and other vegetables are given. Wet crumbly mash should be eaten within 30...40 minutes (they give 30...40 g per head), the remains must be removed (soured feed causes poisoning and death of chickens). Fresh yogurt, kefir, and whey are very useful for the intestines of chickens, which are given in the morning, and then the drinking bowls are filled with fresh water. As a disinfectant, a weak solution of potassium permanganate is given 2 times a week for half an hour, but it should not be given immediately unless necessary in the first days of the chickens’ life.

Starting from 10 days of age, chickens are given finely crushed chalk, well-boiled ground eggshells, and separate feeders should always contain fine gravel or coarse sand.

In the first month, chickens are very demanding of heat; they die even at room temperature. For the first 5 days, the temperature in the area where the chickens are placed should be 29...30 °C, from the 6th day it is reduced to 26...28 °C and every subsequent week - by 3 °C, by the end of the month it is brought to 18 °C. It is good to heat chickens with infrared lamps: they do not glare and can be left overnight. In warm, sunny weather, chickens can be taken outside as early as 3 days of age. They get used to walking gradually.

In homestead farms, chickens are mainly kept on deep, permanent litter. Deep litter contributes to the release of a large amount of heat, protects the chickens’ legs from the effects of low temperatures, affects their general condition and health and, naturally, is one of the significant environmental factors. As a result of enzymatic decomposition occurring in the litter under the influence of bacteria, the bird receives an additional source of biologically active substances, mainly B vitamins. With good care, the litter does not stick together into lumps that stick to shoes, springs when walking and crumbles when squeezed in the hand.

Good bedding materials are peat, straw, wood shavings, and sawdust. Litter mixtures have proven themselves to be the best. Peat moss absorbs about 3 times more moisture from the air and droppings than sawdust and wood shavings, and 2 times more than straw chaff. The moisture capacity of peat increases if it is stored in the attic in winter, where it freezes well.

The main advantage of peat as bedding is its ability to destroy unpleasant odors. Litter, especially liquid litter, mixes with peat and becomes invisible. Peat dries the bird’s feet very quickly and thereby prevents the occurrence of colds. Eggs laid by chickens at night do not break when they fall on a layer of peat, and if they do break, their contents are mixed with peat, which prevents the development of such a defect in chickens as egg pecking. Finally, peat along with droppings is an excellent fertilizer.

Peat is poured in a layer of 8-15 cm. This bedding can be used for up to 4-5 months. In this case, once a week you need to remove the top layer along with the droppings. Consequently, peat bedding is not only healthy and comfortable for the bird, but also saves the time and labor of the amateur poultry farmer.

The moisture capacity of straw bedding is significantly less than that of peat, wood shavings and sawdust. Less B vitamins are formed in straw bedding. Uncut straw is not used as bedding, as it becomes moist and moldy very quickly. In Ukraine, crushed corn cobs are used as bedding, but only for adult birds. Due to its high toxicity, its use in raising chickens is not recommended.

All bedding materials can be used for bedding mixtures. A mixture consisting of different parts of peat, wood shavings and straw chaff is especially convenient. The high content of wood chips in the litter mixture slows down its decomposition and biological synthesis. The thickness of the layer depends on the material used and the density of the birds. At normal planting density, the layer thickness should be 20-25 cm. In this case, the litter will remain dry throughout the year.

To stimulate the biological activity of fresh litter, it is necessary to leave a part (5-10 cm) of the old litter, which acts as a “starter”. Over time, when loosening, the old and fresh layers gradually mix. The frequency of loosening depends on the microclimate and the type of bedding material. In humid air conditions (winter), it needs to be loosened daily to increase evaporation from the underlying layer.

To bind moisture, it is recommended to add lime (0.5-1 kg per 1 m2), but the structure of the litter does not improve. The addition of superphosphate (0.5 per 1 m2) helps improve the structure of the litter. The bedding material should be loosened to its full depth. Otherwise, anaerobic conditions are formed in the lower layer and beneficial aerobic populations of microorganisms die. Floors must be well insulated from soil moisture. Wooden floors do not require a protective coating, since deep underlayment does not destroy, but rather preserves the wood.

It is recommended to prepare the litter in the summer and store it indoors to prevent it from getting wet. Litter is usually laid in the poultry house in the fall in dry weather. To prevent it from getting wet, iron trays or stands are placed under the drinking bowls. Excessive dryness of the litter is undesirable. When humidity is below 20%, enzymatic processes are suspended. When the litter is dry, the dust content of the air increases. During the hot season, it must be sprayed with water. At the same time, dust levels are reduced, and the evaporation of moisture helps to lower the temperature in the poultry house.

When poultry is kept on damp, moldy litter, diseases can occur - aspergillosis, coccidiosis, and respiratory tract diseases. Helminth eggs and chicken mite larvae develop in excessively moist deep litter. Damp litter becomes cold, which lowers the temperature and increases the relative humidity, contaminating feeders and drinkers.

Feeding the chickens

Chicks hatched under the hen. Now they have dried out and begin to peek out from under the wings. Watch them and you will see that the chickens are already pecking at something. They try to search for food soon after hatching.

Previously, many poultry farmers believed that chickens should be fed only on the second day of their life. It was a mistake. Poultry scientists say something else: the earlier you start feeding chickens, the faster their residual yolk is absorbed and they develop better.

Good feeds for chickens in the first days of their life are; finely crushed high-quality grain mixture, finely chopped hard-boiled egg, well-squeezed non-acidic cottage cheese, hard-boiled porridge, sour milk. From the very first days of growing, chickens should also be given finely chopped fresh greens - alfalfa, clover, nettle. Flour mixtures from grain, animal and mineral feeds are gradually introduced into the diet: first dry mixtures, and then wet ones. To moisten the mixtures, use whey with pressed yeast diluted in it.

Chickens up to one and a half to two months of age are given dry mixture as much as possible: the feeder with the dry mixture should be kept near the chickens at all times.

Until ten days of age, chickens are fed six times a day, from the tenth day to one and a half months of age - five times, and then switch to four feedings a day. Previously, we said that feeders for wet mash should be washed and dried frequently, and when feeding chickens this is especially important: sour and contaminated feed causes diseases.

The number of feeders and drinkers must be sufficient, otherwise the chickens will interfere with one another.

The chicks' crops should be full after evening feeding. If there are chickens with an incomplete crop, they must be transferred to another room and fed separately. Mineral feed should be kept in separate feeders.

The water needs to be changed several times a day.

Feeding chickens

Successful poultry farming largely depends on the feeding regime. In winter, adult birds should be fed 2 times a day - morning and evening. In the morning you need to give soft and warm food, in the evening - dry grain. This rule is very important, since in winter there are short days and long nights. While sitting on perches at night, a bird that has eaten hard grains feels less of the effects of frost, since the activity of the digestive organs continues. In the intervals between morning and evening feedings, you can let cabbage or greens peck, hanging it on the walls or hanging it from the ceiling of the house so that the bird can reach it. Greens do not contribute to obesity, and birds peck at them with great pleasure.

In the warm season, feeding can be done according to various regimes. Where the bird uses spacious walks covered with vegetation, it is enough to feed it once a day - in the morning. During a short night the bird will not get hungry. In autumn, when the bird can eat grains on the stubble, there is no need to feed it at all. Where there are no spacious walks, the bird needs to be fed more often than in winter, namely 3 times a day.

Chickens should be fed as often as possible: in the first days of life, 5-6 times a day. Then, until 3-4 weeks of age - 3-4 times a day. As they grow, depending on whether the chickens have the opportunity to get some of the food themselves, the number of feedings is determined.

The bird must be given as much feed as it needs to keep it healthy and productive. Lack of feed weakens the body and reduces productivity, and excess leads to obesity and also decreased productivity. Determining the required portion of food depends on the experience and observation of the owner. Experienced poultry farmers advise giving so much food so that the bird does not eat to its fullest and greedily takes the food to the next dacha. If she accepts food sluggishly, being quite healthy, the portion should be reduced.

Depending on the properties of the food, it should be given in larger or smaller quantities. Birds eat less dry grain than soft food, vegetables and herbs. You cannot compare feeding grain feed and, for example, bran mixed with water. Much more of the latter will be needed to provide the bird with a small amount of nutrients. Great importance is also attached to the variety of food. It is better to give one or two types of grain as the main food, diversifying it with soft food for another dacha, and also additionally feed vegetables, herbs, and meat.

Chickens require a much more varied diet. At the beginning of life, they should be fed with animals and soft food, giving, of course, one or two types of grain. As you grow, the portions of grain increase, and the portions of animal feed decrease. Gradually, the number of food components is reduced, and the bird is content with those few types of food to which it has become most accustomed in recent times.

Types of feed

There are two main types of food: hard and soft. The first type includes mainly grains or grass seeds in their natural state, the soft type includes flour made from the same grains, as well as vegetables, various greens and animal feed. Grains and seeds soaked in water or scalded with boiling water should also be considered soft food. Often soft food is made from different types of flour, as well as bran with the addition of various boiled vegetables and herbs. Greens and vegetables are always given in chopped form, both boiled and raw. Flour is used to make mash with milk, whey or just water.

Soft feed is digested faster in the bird's body, so it is mainly used for fattening and raising chickens. It can be given to molting and convalescent birds in cases where enhanced and varied nutrition is required. Soft food is also fed in case of increased egg laying, but in moderation for fear of bird obesity. It is good to mix ginger and mustard with it, but with great care. First, give a small pinch, and then gradually increase the dose.

Soft food is used both cold and warm. In the warm season it can be cold, and in the cold - warm, so that there is no loss of heat in the body, the consumption of which at this time is greater than usual. The feed temperature should not exceed 40 °C. Soft food is given in a container that is easy for pecking; hard food can be given by scattering it on the floor of the room. This method of providing food is preferable, since the bird, while collecting it, at the same time produces some exercise, which is very important in winter, especially for those birds that are deprived of walking. You should not throw food on snow or frozen ground, or give it chilled in the cold. Compliance with these rules prevents diseases.

Feeding mode

Plant food

Feeds of plant origin include grain feeds, industrial processing waste (flour milling, oil milling, beet sugar), green, succulent feeds, and hay.

Grain feed forms the basis of the bird's diet. From grain feeds, birds are fed: oats, barley, corn, rye, millet, buckwheat, peas, vetch, sunflower seeds, flaxseed and, in addition, waste obtained from grain processing (bran, sweep, chaff, flour dust) and oil mill industry (cake, meal).

Oats are the main grain feed in some areas. It is fed to both adult breeding birds, especially during oviposition, and to young animals. The disadvantage of this feed is the large number of films, reaching up to 30-40% of the weight of the total grain. Chickens should be given oats in ground and sifted form. It stimulates feather growth. Good oats should be large, white or light yellow in color, dry, with a moisture content of no more than 30%. Oats are also fed in sprouted form.

Barley can be included in the diet along with other grain feeds. Birds eat it less readily than corn or wheat. It is better to get used to it from a young age. In areas where barley is a common crop, it can serve as a major component of the grain diet. Good barley should be full-grain and thin-skinned, light yellowish-white in color, with some shine, a fresh strawy smell, without mustiness. It is fed as part of a flour mixture and in its entirety.

Corn is a valuable grain feed, most readily eaten by poultry, especially chickens. Due to its high content of carbohydrates and fat, it is considered a good feed for fattening; it is easily digested. In areas where corn is primarily grown, it is a component of almost every diet and is fed either whole or coarsely crushed or ground.

However, the protein in corn is considered deficient in certain amino acids. In addition, it is poor in minerals, especially calcium, so it is better to feed a mixture of grain feeds. When feeding corn to an adult bird during egg-laying in the warm season, it should not be introduced into the diet in large quantities, as this contributes to obesity; in the cold season, the risk of obesity decreases.

Rye is similar in composition to wheat, but is relatively poorly eaten by birds, especially in its whole form. When feeding poultry with wet mash, rye is added in ground or steamed form. Rye flour is included in fattening rations and during the first fattening period.

Millet is close in composition to oats. It is fed whole and ground, as well as hulled (millet). Millet is given to chickens in the form of hard-cooked crumbly porridge. Ground millet can be included in grain mash.

Bran is a waste product from the flour milling industry. Wheat bran is most often used. They contain a lot of phosphorus, but compared to grain feeds they have little calcium. Bran can be given to chickens 30 g, ducks - up to 60, geese - up to 80 g per day.

Grain chaff (grain waste) is very diverse in quality. The fewer foreign impurities in them (straw particles, chaff, earth, dust), the more nutritious they are. The composition of wheat and rye chaff used for poultry feed varies within the following limits:

broken and large grain - 20-44%
weed seeds - 19-68%
various impurities - 5-45%

Flour dust is a mixture of flour and bran with an admixture of earth, dust, etc. White dust is the most nutritious, gray dust is less nutritious and dust with a large admixture of earth particles is the least nutritious. Flour dust, preferably white, can replace part of the grain in the diet, especially when the birds are already laying eggs.

Malt sprouts are produced by sprouting barley. They are added to the grain diet. Sprouts contain a special substance called lecithin, which is rich in phosphorus. They must be given to laying hens and males to obtain breeding eggs with high fertility and subsequent viability of the embryos.

Yeast, as a small addition to the diet, serves as the main source of vitamin B1 for poultry. Composition of dry yeast:

protein - 48.1%
carbohydrates - 29.3%
water - 10.8%
fiber - 2.6%
minerals - 2.6%
fats - 1%

Yeast is introduced into the diet mainly for chickens raised without walking, in an amount of 1-5%.

Adviсe

How to catch a bird? Birds should be caught in a darkened room, using blue light lamps. The best time to catch is when the bird is perched. It is convenient to use a corner made of timber and metal mesh. With this device, the bird should be pressed against the wall and caught by the wings. If you need to catch individual individuals, it is better to use a wire hook with a diameter of 5-6 mm and a length of 1 to 1.5 m. Waterfowl are caught by the neck, the rest - by the leg.

What are the requirements for drinking water? Contaminated water serves as a source of infection. Wild birds should not have access to the water. The design of drinking bowls should prevent water contamination by the birds themselves. The frequency of water changes depends on weather conditions and the type of bird. In the warm season, water should be changed at least 3 times a day; Drinkers should be disinfected 3-4 times a month.

How to yeast flour mixtures? Yeasting of flour mixtures is carried out to increase the nutritional value of feed and enrich it with vitamins. For this purpose, darkened rooms are used, the temperature is maintained within 18-20 °C. Per 1 kg of flour mixture, 10-20 g of baker's yeast are diluted in warm (30 ° C) water. The feed is covered in a layer of up to 30 cm. For 1 kg of flour mixture you will need 1.5 liters of water. After thorough mixing, the food is left for 6 hours and mixed again every 2 hours. The temperature of the yeast mass should be 20-27 °C.

How to germinate grain? The grain is poured with water for 1-2 days, after which it is scattered in a layer of 5-8 cm until sprouts appear. Sprouted grain is given to chickens in the amount of 30-40% of the daily grain portion of the diet.

How to grind grain? As a result of grinding, the particle size should be between 1 and 2 mm. The degree of grinding depends on the type and age of the bird. The quality of the crushed feed will be higher if it contains less dust fraction.

What are the feed intake rates? Geese and ducks, due to their biological characteristics, use silage better than chickens and turkeys. At low productivity or during unproductive periods, the amount of silage fed is increased. Combined silos begin to be fed to young animals from three weeks of age.

Combined silos are prepared from clover, alfalfa, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, and sugar beets. Silage humidity should not exceed 70%. Before feeding, add 5 g of chalk per 100 g of silage.

How to feed food? To reduce feed losses, you should use feed appropriate to the species and age of the bird’s productivity, as well as convenient feeders. There should be no sudden changes in the composition of the diet. The height of the side of the feeder should not be lower than the back of the bird. Feeders should be filled one-third full with bulk feed, and half full with whole grains. Give wet mixtures more often. The length of the feeders should ensure that all birds can approach at the same time.