Broiler Cobb 500: description of the breed, characteristics, growth chart by day, growing at home

Breed content

Proper maintenance of birds will promote development according to norms, and will also help prevent many diseases.

Conditions of detention

It is strictly forbidden to keep broilers with the possibility of walking. Optimal floor or cage storage. With the first option, muscle mass gain occurs faster. For 1 sq. m. it is allowed to place about 20 chicks or 10 grown individuals.

Temperature

The second most important condition for proper maintenance is the optimal temperature regime. Broilers require constantly high air temperatures and cannot tolerate hypothermia or sudden temperature changes.

It is also unacceptable to leave drafts in the poultry house. In this case, the room must be equipped with a ventilation system to prevent mustiness and dust.

The main purpose of keeping broilers is to gain body weight, so bird owners should know what to do if their broilers are not gaining weight.

Ideally, the temperature should be in the range of +27-33°C. At low temperatures, the chickens will crowd together and huddle near the heater. But temperatures above normal will also not bring any benefit - the bird’s appetite will decrease and it will become apathetic.

Electric heating pads or infrared lamps can be used to heat the house.

Light mode

From birth to 2 weeks of age, lighting in the poultry house should be around the clock. The fact is that at this time the bird is actively consuming food; in the absence of light, feeding is impossible, which will result in a negative impact on weight gain. After 14 days, you can gradually reduce the duration of daylight hours, bringing it to 18 hours. It is advisable to use red lamps.

Important! Despite the birds' high need for lighting, the light should not be too bright. Bright lighting causes fear, anxiety, and leads to pecking

Nutrition

Nutrition should be balanced and in sufficient quantities. Be sure to add vitamin and mineral complexes to your diet

It is important to ensure that portions are constantly increased to meet the increasing needs of rapidly growing birds. To avoid mistakes in formulating a diet and save time, you can buy ready-made high-quality feed, the composition of which has already been selected to meet the needs of broiler breeds

These foods are divided into several groups for different ages of birds:

1. "Prestart". From the first day of life to 5 days. Up to 15 g of food is required per day per individual.
2. "Start". Used at the age of 6-18 days. The daily feed consumption is 25-90 g, depending on age.
3. "Fattening." Apply from 19 to 37 days. Daily consumption increases to 100-130 g.
4. "Finish." From 38 days before slaughter. At this stage, the daily feed requirement is 160-170 g.

For normal weight gain, you should follow a strict feeding schedule. You also need to provide constant access to clean, warm water. The number of feedings depends on age. In the first week, chickens are given food 8 times, then with each week the number of feedings is reduced by half, gradually bringing them to 4 meals a day. This routine is maintained until slaughter.

Learn how to make your own broiler feeders and drinkers.

Maintaining cleanliness

Maintaining hygiene in the poultry house is another prerequisite for keeping poultry. After selling a batch of broilers, the poultry house must be thoroughly cleaned of droppings, any debris, and bedding. Next, it is treated with disinfectant solutions and ventilated, if necessary, whitened with lime.

The premises can be treated with the following preparations:

1. "Brovadez-plus." Can be used in the presence of birds. For preventive sanitation, a 0.25% solution is used; for infectious diseases, a 2-3% solution is used. Suitable for treating any surface in the poultry house.
2. "Virocide." Can be used in the presence of birds in the poultry house, is safe for people and birds, affects fungi, mold, pathogenic microorganisms and viruses. The drug is used to clean drinking bowls, feeders, and cages.
3. "Biodez-R". Destroys fungi and microorganisms. Can be used in the presence of birds indoors. For preventive treatment, a 1% solution is used; for fungal infections and tuberculosis, the concentration is increased to 2-4%.

It is recommended to carry out preventive treatment of poultry houses 2-3 times a month in the presence of birds. Before delivering a new batch of chickens, the empty (!) room can be treated with sulfur dioxide (having previously sealed the house). It will probably be useful for you to learn how to disinfect a chicken coop.

Features of keeping a cross at home

The broiler is a fast-growing bird, so it needs to create certain conditions and feeding. Correct content requires the following conditions to be met:

• Feeding. The bird will not be able to gain its full weight on a normal diet. She needs special feed with a high protein content (at least 21%). You should not save money and buy food that contains less protein (15-17%), chickens grow poorly on it and often get sick. Selecting food on your own is troublesome and unprofitable, because weight gain will slow down.
• For drinking, ordinary tap water (if not chlorinated) or from a well or borehole is suitable; There is no need to boil it, just as there is no need to add potassium permanganate.
• In order for the hybrid to gain weight faster, its walking is limited. The optimal location would be a closed poultry house or cage housing; Moreover, the grouping per square meter should not exceed 30-35 kg of live weight.

Types of food for different ages Source stroy-podskazka.ru

Broiler nutrition Cobb 500

Farmers mainly use mixed feed to feed chickens. They sell it in the store - this is PK-5 feed for young animals. Although such food can be freely reproduced at home. To prepare feed for young animals, it is worth considering some components that are mandatory in the diet.

• greenery;
• small shells;
• chalk.

It is recommended to give early chickens a boiled egg and low-fat cottage cheese. The first feed for chickens must meet the basic requirement - it must be such that the food is completely absorbed in the immature digestive system. When adding grain crops to the diet, you need to take into account the fact that with wheat in food, the level of absorption of potassium and phosphorus is significantly reduced. Therefore, additional replenishment is necessary.

Feeding chickens is a multiple, daily process. In the first week of life, young animals need to be fed at least eight times a day. After this, you need to reduce the frequency of feeding. Initially, reduce one feeding per week. And then, give food twice a day - in the morning and evening.

How to measure the weight of a broiler?

Body weight is measured at least once a week, preferably daily. The procedure is carried out at the same time, before feeding. The farmer can use steelyard, electronic or mechanical scales.

Body weight is measured at least once a week, preferably daily

Small chicks are placed in a box one at a time and a measuring device is installed on top (after weighing the container).

Adults can be placed in a strong bag or sugar bag. It is recommended to cut holes at the bottom for the paws so that the bird does not move.

Productivity table

The main advantages of the English cross: rapid maturation of chickens, large weight of individuals. Slaughter takes place on days 35-60. During this period, the birds gain up to 3-4 kg.

Despite the fact that hybrids are raised for meat, chickens of this breed are also distinguished by good egg production. Each bird produces 160-200 eggs per year, which are creamy in color and weigh about 60 g.

However, when growing Ross-308 broilers, this advantage cannot be assessed, because Oviposition begins at 6-7 months.

Comparative characteristics of Ross chickens and other meat breeds (the site already has articles with some breeds)

Productive qualities

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The productive qualities of the breed are the reason why breeders value it or dislike it. What is the productivity of the Cobb 500?

Photos of broiler chickens Cobb 500

• The bird is early maturing; 1.5-2 months after hatching from the egg it is slaughtered, but it can be done earlier. So, in a month the birds weigh 2 kg, in a month and a half - 2.5-2.6 kg, and in 2 months it exceeds 3 kg. It is unprofitable to keep the bird longer; after 2 months it practically no longer grows, but it can eat at the same pace. But if you want to wait up to 3-4 months, then you can get a bird within 5-6 kg.

Important!

Cobb 500 is uniform. If the young hatched on the same day or with a slight difference, by the time of slaughter the birds will have approximately the same weight.

• The skin color of slaughtered chicken is yellowish, which is appreciated by buyers, so the demand for them is consistently high. The meat is tasty, tender, not stringy.
• Chickens begin to lay eggs at 7 months.
• Egg production per hen is up to 150 pieces/year. And then, these are record figures. But, since cross-breeds are purchased for meat, they rarely complain about this indicator.
• The breed produces small, but tasty and nutritious eggs.

Characteristics of the Cobb 500 breed

When describing Cobb 500 broilers, it should be noted that they are considered one of the most productive crosses. Cobb 500 chickens were bred specifically to produce the maximum amount of meat with a minimum growing time. By the age of 40 days, with proper care, you can get a bird weighing about 2.5 kg.

History of appearance

At the core of their origin, cobb 500 crosses are hybrids, since other varieties were taken as the basis for this breed: Plymouthrock, Kuchinsky Jubilee, Cornish breed, New Hampshire, Zagorskaya salmon, Pantsirevsky, Rhode Island.

Important! Due to the fact that the bird reaches readiness for slaughter in a little more than a month, it is possible to raise several generations at once in one warm season. This is very convenient for those who do not leave their birds for the winter.

The characteristics of the Kop 500 broiler breed make it the best of the meat breeds; this breed is grown all over the world: the USA, Russia, Hungary, Belarus, Ukraine and other countries in Europe and Asia. Still, the Czech Republic is considered the homeland, so Cobb 500 broilers are often called Czech crosses.

Appearance

It is easy to recognize a Cobb 500 bird by its appearance:

• always a white feather;
• powerful physique;
• wide back and chest;
• strong developed paws and legs with large amounts of muscle;
• a small crest of bright red color is characteristic of both females and males.

If a bird gets too angry, it can cause serious injuries. But, despite their power and strength, the breed is distinguished by a calm disposition; they are rarely the first to provoke fights.

On a note. Very often, Cobba 500 broiler chicks themselves suffer from relatives of a more aggressive nature, therefore, having introduced these birds into the house, you should make sure that they do not suffer while they are settling in.

The great advantage of this breed is its good presentation. The meat is white and the skin is yellow, which is not typical for other types of broilers. For example, Ross 308 and 700 or Hubbard breeds have a pronounced bluish tint.

Description of the cross

The homeland of Cobb 500 broilers is the Czech Republic. Now they are being bred in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, many Western European countries, as well as the USA and Canada. The following breeds took part in the creation of the hybrid:

• Cornish (obtained by crossing English fighting chickens, Malayan and white Azil chickens).
• Meat breed Plymouthrock from the USA.
• Kuchinsky Jubilee breed.
• Pantserevsky chickens.
• Rhode Island breed.
• New Hampshire.
• Zagorsk salmon chickens.
• Pervomayskaya breed.

As a result of such complex crossing, a very productive hybrid was obtained. How to distinguish the Cobb 500 cross from other varieties? It is best to first carefully examine photos of birds and study their characteristics. This is what a Cobb 500 broiler looks like, description of the breed:

• The body is large, the body is massive.
• The hips are very well developed.
• The paws are large and strong.
• The plumage is exclusively white, without inclusions.
• The comb is small, like the earrings, bright red.
• The face is covered with thin red skin.
• The skin is naturally yellow and has a good presentation.

A very remarkable characteristic of Cobb 500 chickens is that all chicks and adult birds are the same size. There is almost no noticeable difference between the weight of cockerels and hens. This gives the breed another advantage in industrial production. All carcasses have the same commercial quality - there is no need to separate the meat into grades.

Characteristics of the Cobb 500 breed

When describing Cobb 500 broilers, it should be noted that they are considered one of the most productive crosses. Cobb 500 chickens were bred specifically to produce the maximum amount of meat with a minimum growing time. By the age of 40 days, with proper care, you can get a bird weighing about 2.5 kg.

History of appearance

At the core of their origin, cobb 500 crosses are hybrids, since other varieties were taken as the basis for this breed: Plymouthrock, Kuchinsky Jubilee, Cornish breed, New Hampshire, Zagorskaya salmon, Pantsirevsky, Rhode Island.

Important! Due to the fact that the bird reaches readiness for slaughter in a little more than a month, it is possible to raise several generations at once in one warm season. This is very convenient for those who do not leave their birds for the winter.

The characteristics of the Kop 500 broiler breed make it the best of the meat breeds; this breed is grown all over the world: the USA, Russia, Hungary, Belarus, Ukraine and other countries in Europe and Asia. Still, the Czech Republic is considered the homeland, so Cobb 500 broilers are often called Czech crosses.

Appearance

It is easy to recognize a Cobb 500 bird by its appearance:

• always a white feather;
• powerful physique;
• wide back and chest;
• strong developed paws and legs with large amounts of muscle;
• a small crest of bright red color is characteristic of both females and males.

On a note. Very often, Cobba 500 broiler chicks themselves suffer from relatives of a more aggressive nature, therefore, having introduced these birds into the house, you should make sure that they do not suffer while they are settling in.

The great advantage of this breed is its good presentation. The meat is white and the skin is yellow, which is not typical for other types of broilers. For example, Ross 308 and 700 or Hubbard breeds have a pronounced bluish tint.

Czech broilers are popular all over the world. In a short period of time, farmers raise meat chickens at low cost.

Appearance of chickens

The Cobb 500 broiler breed is distinguished by its snow-white plumage. All the birds, as if chosen, are large and massive. The difference in weight is minimal between males and females. The leather is naturally yellow in color, enhancing its presentation.

Bird productivity

Broilers are highly productive. At the age of 30-45 days, broilers are suitable for slaughter. Weight varies from 1.5 to 2.5 kilograms. 73% of the meat comes from one bird. Weight gain increases rapidly over 11 weeks. Subsequently there is a decline.

When roosters and hens are fed together, weight gain by day is shown in the table.

The weight gain is clearly visible at the age of 1-2 months.

Compound feed for cross breeds can be the cheapest, but this does not affect the productivity of the breed. Feed conversion, compared to competitors, is the most profitable. The share of feed cost in the cost of cultivation is 60%.

Character of the breed

Cobb 500 broilers are friendly and calm. They are not afraid of the presence of people. Sometimes young individuals suffer from aggression and cannibalism. This behavior is explained by excessive daylight hours. Young bullies are seated in different cages.

Table of weight gain by day

The gain of live body weight of broilers by day depends on the breed, sex of the bird, and conditions of detention. The weight gain of hens is slower than that of roosters. The norm for daily weight gain is not less than 60 g.

On average, the weight should correspond to the following indicators:

Feeding

Broilers need proper nutrition. Adult birds are fed with broiler feed or natural food - grains, boiled vegetables, herbs, mash, fish and meat waste.

Chickens are fed like ordinary chickens, preferably with cottage cheese and boiled eggs. Young animals need to be given water with decoctions of chamomile or nettle.

• Stern
• Recipes
• Supplements

Compound feed pk-1

Description of food for egg breeds. Instructions for feeding laying hens

Read

Compound feed pk-2 and pk-3

Mineral and vitamin compositions, feeding standards

Read

Compound feed pk-4

Used to feed laying hens aged 15-17 weeks

Read

Compound feed pk-5

Composition and instructions for feeding broiler chickens

Read

Purina Pro

Important differences from the previous line, application patterns Start, Growth, Finish

Read

Barley and wheat for laying hens

Germination and steaming of barley and wheat for chickens: how to do it correctly and how to give it to laying hens

Read

Wheat for broilers

Rules for feeding broiler chickens with wheat. Dosage for chickens from the second day of life and adult birds

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Mash

Making mash for broilers at home

Read

Rice and buckwheat

How and in what form you can use rice and buckwheat to feed chickens. Standards for adult birds and chickens

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Bread

What kind of bread can you feed chickens and how to do it correctly

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Fish

The product is given in limited quantities: overfeeding can cause serious harm to the bird Contents

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Chalk

Chalk as a food additive for chicken feed. Feeding standards for chickens, young animals and laying hens

Read

Meat and bone meal

Meat and bone meal is a mandatory additive for feeding chickens, containing protein and fats of animal origin.

Read

Fish fat

How to give fish oil to chickens, layers and broilers. What are the benefits of the drug and are there any contraindications?

Read

Limestone

Limestone (dolomite) flour in the diet of chickens. Advantage over chalk and feed shell

Read

Salt

Daily dosage of salt for adult birds and young animals and cases of unwanted use

Read

Recommendations from experienced poultry farmers

Broilers: chickens and chickens

Thanks to the experience of farmers who have been growing this particular breed for many years, we can draw up a list of recommendations that will help avoid the most common mistakes:

1. Food and water should be lukewarm, as cold foods are difficult to digest.
2. When organizing the nutrition of birds for slaughter, the emphasis is on protein-containing feed, but laying hens need more greens.
3. Since there is practically no walking, broilers do not need to organize ash baths; fine sand scattered on the floor is sufficient.
4. If you plan to raise birds in winter, you should prepare vegetables for feeding. They are dried and simply soaked before being placed in feeders.

Growing rules for beginners

Cobb 500 broller chickens are becoming increasingly popular: raising them is so simple that even a beginner can handle it

However, it is important to provide quality care for birds

Optimal conditions, temperature conditions

You can choose one of two maintenance methods - cage or closed poultry house. Calculation of room area - per 1 sq. m. no more than 30 kg of live weight.

To decorate the floor, use a mesh with a fine mesh, a bedding made of sawdust, shavings, and straw. The top layer of litter is periodically updated, replacing it once a year in the summer.

The temperature regime is not lower than +14 degrees, Cobb 500 birds are very susceptible to cold. However, for the fastest possible weight gain, it is recommended to maintain a temperature of +25 degrees. Additional recommendations:

• For the first 14 days of life, Cobb 500 chickens need 24 hours of light.
• Gradually, the indicator is reduced by an hour, reaching 16 hours.
• The lighting should not be bright, otherwise the birds become aggressive and may start pecking.

Compliance with maintenance recommendations is a guarantee that birds will not engage in cannibalism

Features of feeding and care

It is allowed to give cobbs 500 wet mash or ready-made feed. Birds should always have access to clean water, and drinkers and feeders should be washed every day. For beginning breeders, the easiest option is to use mixed feed, but it is also possible to create your own diet.

Feeding self-prepared food gives less rapid weight gain, but is also used on farms. Good enough food for Cobbs 500 includes:

• wheat;
• barley;
• feed yeast;
• corn;
• ground grass;
• meat and bone and fish meal.

Note! Weight growth is well stimulated by corn; when preparing a feed mixture for fattening, its percentage is 50%. If birds' food includes wheat, they absorb phosphorus less well, so they need an appropriate mineral supplement. If wheat is included in bird feed, they absorb phosphorus less well, so they need an appropriate mineral supplement

If birds' food includes wheat, they absorb phosphorus less well, so they need an appropriate mineral supplement.

Raising chickens

Breeding Cobb 500 broiler chickens has one caveat: it is impossible to breed purebred birds at home. The hybrid was obtained as a result of complex crossing; only specialized poultry farms and farms can have good lines. It is best to buy hatching eggs or ready-made chicks.

How much do chickens cost? The price of Cobb 500 broilers is not that high. Eggs are very inexpensive, only 15-20 rubles apiece. However, the price of day-old chicks is also low, from 55 to 75 rubles per head.

To buy Cobb 500 cross broilers or hatching eggs, you need to choose proven farms where they have their own parent tribe, chickens are bred under normal conditions, and the sale has been going on for a long time. It also doesn’t hurt to study the breed from a photo to get an idea of ​​the appearance of the chickens.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with Revealing all the secrets of preparing delicious and juicy whites

Hatching eggs can be placed under a hen of a different breed or in an incubator. The material must be marked, the fertilization of the eggs is checked using an ovoscope, then they are gradually heated to a temperature of 25°C. When artificially breeding, the indicators in the incubator should be kept at 37.6-37.8°C.

Raising small Cobb 500 cross chickens is also not particularly difficult. The main thing is to maintain temperature standards and round-the-clock lighting from the first day. The place must be kept very clean and cleaned daily. On industrial farms, to prevent diseases, antibiotics or special antibacterial agents for chickens are added to feed and drink.

Advantages and disadvantages of cross

As we can see from the description of Cobb 500 broiler chickens, growing this cross at home is very profitable. In a short time you can get tasty meat without spending too much money on feeding them, which is why Cobb 500 chickens receive such good reviews from farmers. Here are a number of advantages that poultry farmers note when describing the breed:

• The growth rate of young animals is high.
• The final price of meat is low, since very little feed goes into 1 kg of meat.
• Slaughter can be carried out as early as 1-1.5 months.
• Yellow color of the skin, which increases commercial quality.
• Large muscular thighs that increase the yield of meat in the carcass.
• White and tender breast with a lot of weight.
• Uniformity of individuals in the population.
• Good chick survival
• Increased resistance to many diseases.
• Possibility of breeding both in industrial farms and in small households.

The Cobb 500 breed has its drawbacks. Since it is a hybrid, you cannot breed chickens yourself. In addition, laying hens have completely lost the ability to hatch eggs. To hatch chicks, the hatching egg must be kept in an incubator. The cross is sensitive to cold, so growing in northern conditions involves additional heating costs.

How to protect a bird from infections?

Day-old chicks are fed a 10% glucose solution. It's in Chick First Aid Kit #1. If there is no glucose, then use sugar water: 2 tsp/l of boiled water. It is an antioxidant and strengthens the immune system. The next day, the livestock are given vitamin supplements.

In the future, they resort to the following scheme of drug administration:

• 3-5 days – prevention against infectious diseases: use “Baytril”;
• 14-15 days – anthelmintic treatment is carried out; drinking with Baycox for coccidiosis;
• Potassium permanganate is added to the bird's drinking water once a week.

Broilers are not vaccinated, so preventive measures should not be neglected. Keeping birds in cages minimizes the spread of infection among the flock. Chickens can be used 2 weeks after preventive measures.

Breeding Cobb 500 cross broiler chickens is not particularly difficult. To obtain good productivity from them, it is necessary to adhere to the rules of feeding and maintenance. No other poultry or animals are placed in the poultry house where the cages with chickens are located. Broilers can get infections from them.

What affects the growth of broiler chickens?

It has been established that the lighting regime has the greatest influence on the variability of live weight.

These patterns should be taken into account when choosing crosses for a specific technology. The productive qualities of broilers are significantly influenced by environmental factors. A special place among them is occupied by anthropogenic factors, that is, those introduced by humans through industrialization, the introduction of various systems and methods of keeping poultry, and stimulating the metabolic processes of the body.

The main exogenous environmental factors include:

• Feeding;
• lighting;
• planting density;
• humidity;
• temperature conditions, etc.

Endogenous factors include genotypes.

The development of an organism occurs as a result of the interaction of two main factors: genotype and environment, i.e. genotype and the influence of environmental conditions. The experience of industrial poultry farming convinces us that the production of the maximum amount of high-quality products is possible only by taking into account the biological characteristics of the bird, i.e. the genotype and the influence of external environmental conditions on it.

The influence of individual technological factors on the live weight of broiler chickens of various crosses was studied using multivariate analysis of variance. It allows us to determine the influence of each factor under different conditions, when other factors also change, and to obtain more information about the nature of their interaction.

The research was carried out in 2013-2017 at Plempol CJSC, in the village. Gavrilovka, Vyshgorod district, Kyiv region. Using the method of analogue groups, 48 ​​groups of broiler chickens of 100 heads each were formed. The research material was broiler chickens of the Cobb-500 and Arbor Eikers crosses at the end of the growing period.

On average, the weight should correspond to the indicators.

Features of poultry feeding

Compound feed, grains, roots and vegetables

Cobb 500 broilers eat simple food, no frills, so there is no need to spend money on expensive feed. Chickens quickly gain weight, but for this they must have the most balanced diet possible.

For broilers, of course, compound feed is best suited. In this case, you can buy a not very expensive brand, the birds will be happy about it. In addition, you will need grains, root vegetables, boiled or fresh vegetables, finely chopped. Soaked bread and crackers will not hurt, but such an addition is no more than 5% of the daily requirement. And, of course, part of the feeding should be fresh grass and insects.

If possible, premixes are added to the mash to increase its nutritional value and enrich the diet with vitamins. The amount and type of premix should be checked with your veterinarian.

Important!

Broilers have a fast metabolism. Therefore, in order for the bird to quickly gain weight, access to food must be constant!

The weight gain of Cobb 500 broilers directly depends on the diet and nutritional balance. Experienced breeders prefer not to calculate the required amount of certain nutrients, but use ready-made, clearly balanced feed consisting of fiber and a grain mixture. When using it, within a month and a half it is possible to obtain a full-fledged chicken, ready for slaughter.

Professional poultry farmers recommend using their own feed for each age. Thus, newborn chickens up to 10 days of age should be fed with the crushed “Start” composition, which is designed for the delicate stomachs of babies, contains a huge amount of protein and is easily digested. Then, until the 23rd day, the young animals are given “Growth”, containing a large percentage of proteins necessary for the development of muscle mass and good weight gain.

• 48% ground corn or cornmeal;
• 13% wheat;
• 7% meat and bone meal;
• 1% vegetable fat;
• 18% sunflower cake;
• 8% barley grain;
• 3% grass meal;
• 5% feed yeast;
• 0.1% salt.

When using such a mixture, it should be taken into account that a high wheat content somewhat impairs the digestibility of phosphorus and calcium. Therefore, if it is not possible to replace it with barley, the amount of phosphorus and calcium supplements is slightly increased. It is also recommended that protein-vitamin complexes be added to the prepared mash in a volume of at least 10% of the total amount of the mixture.

In order to reduce the cost of keeping broilers as much as possible and reduce feed consumption, kitchen waste and vegetables from the garden are included in the diet of birds. Some farmers have had successful experience feeding chickens with food made from boiled potatoes with the addition of vegetable peelings, grass meal and crushed grain.

As feed for broilers, they use specialized feed or prepare it themselves.

In the first 10 days, chickens benefit from fine-grained starter feed. In the next 11-22 days, there is a rapid increase in muscle mass; granulated food, for example Rost, is required. At the age of 1 month and beyond, they are fed with finishing compound feed.

Additives and water

Clean water should be freely available in the poultry house. They change it every day. In addition to the main food, the diet includes crushed shells, chalk, coarse sand, feed yeast, salt, and grass flour.

Phases of bird maturation

The development of broilers is divided into 4 phases. They allow you to calculate the amount of feed for each period. Highlight:

1. Prestart. Age from birth to 5 days. Each individual consumes 15–20 g of food.
2. Start. Duration of the period from 6 to 18 days of development. For one chick they spend 25-90 g of feed.
3. Fattening Duration from 19 days to 1 - 2 months of age. Feed consumption is 90 - 160 g for each chick.
4. Finish. Appears at 3 months of age. At this time, weight gain stops. One broiler eats about 160 - 170 g.

Growing broilers Cobb 500

Maintenance of broilers Cobb 500

These are unpretentious creatures. Considering that Cobb 500 broilers are raised to produce high-quality meat, they are kept using the floor method in a chicken coop or in cages, without walking. If the birds are raised seasonally, then the chicken coop is kept simple, without heating and perhaps even without lighting. Such a room should be ventilated, but without drafts.

Important!

When raising chickens in cages, you should take a responsible approach to compiling their diet, otherwise, due to a sedentary lifestyle, they may become obese.

The premises are kept clean. It is cleaned frequently, and the litter is changed approximately once every 3 weeks.

It is extremely important that the birds are also clean. Any dirt in the cage, on the run or in the chicken coop is removed so that the birds do not smear their feathers, and for their bathing a basin with pitch and ash is placed inside

If you decide to raise broilers at home, you do not need to start by purchasing chicks. Before purchasing the selected breed of broilers, you should prepare a place where they will feel comfortable.

The room must be specially equipped, with ventilation and heating provided to maintain comfortable conditions. At first the room may be small; some day-old chicks are initially kept in a spacious cardboard box.

Cobb 500

To equip the poultry house you will need to purchase:

• heating lamps;
• thermometer (to monitor temperature conditions);
• Feeders and drinkers;
• Bedding that will need to be changed regularly, for example, stock up on sawdust.

Feeding

Nutrition plays no less a role than comfort in keeping broilers.

It is most important to provide the birds with sufficient nutrients and minerals during the first month so that the birds gain weight quickly

On a note. New products should be introduced gradually so that the body has time to get used to the new components.

By one month, the broilers’ diet, in addition to feed and cereals, should contain greens and other nutrients

It is important that the food is fresh and not sticky or sticky. Birds must always be able to drink water, so drinking bowls are filled in a timely manner

Feeding

Walks

Broilers feel great without walking around spacious areas, so pens for them can be made small

But they need fresh air, so it’s important to take the birds out or let them out for at least a couple of hours

On a note. During cross-country walks, it is recommended to thoroughly ventilate the room and clean it if necessary.

Raising Cobb 500 broilers has few differences from the general principles of keeping meat poultry breeds. Still, there are certain features of feeding and maintenance, and they should not be ignored.

Growing

Today it is not difficult to buy birds of any breed. It is best to buy one-day-old young animals so that you can independently choose a regimen for additional supplementation with antibiotics and vitamins, as well as monitor their nutrition. When purchasing live young animals that have already been bred, you must ask the seller for a certificate, which will confirm their age and belonging to the selected breed.

You can breed chickens of this breed yourself using special equipment. Before placing the egg in the device, the egg is heated to a temperature of 25 degrees. The incubator is set to 37.5-38 degrees. The chicks should appear in 21 days.

On a note. If you follow all the rules for incubating eggs, then each egg placed in the incubator should be marked with the name of the breed.

While the eggs are in the incubator, you can start preparing the room. At first, it is allowed to keep small chickens in a spacious box, but not for long. When the babies get a little stronger, they are transferred to the poultry house. The Cobb 500 breed does not require long walking; they can always be kept in a warm room with a constant temperature.

Important! Birds cannot tolerate sudden changes in temperature, high humidity and changes in lighting. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the temperature is between 28-32 degrees

Representatives of Cobb 500 cannot tolerate gas pollution and drafts. Until the birds are 2 weeks old, they need 24-hour lighting of at least 25 lux. The use of LED devices is allowed.

It is very important to keep poultry houses clean. The bedding in the shed should be changed every three weeks, it is better if cleaning is done more often

The bird should not be in the mud. In such conditions, it can quickly become infected with diseases, which can cause birds to die en masse. Diseases in broilers that are kept in dirt develop very quickly.

Broiler breeding

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It is difficult to obtain Cobb 500 broilers using the natural method. Typically, breeders purchase either eggs and raise them in incubators themselves, or young animals. When breeding, you need to provide the chicks with normal care, warmth, lighting, and feeding. The features of caring for chicks are the same as in the case of other breeds. If everything is done correctly, the survival rate of young animals will be no less than 97%.

Photo of the incubator and chicks

Important!

One of the main disadvantages of the Cobb 500 is the inability to breed birds naturally. Eggs only need to be purchased separately.

In the first 2 weeks, 24th illumination is provided. From 14 days you can set a 12-hour day. The temperature should be slightly elevated so that the chicks do not freeze. The brooder should be such that the chicks are not crowded. They must have a place to run, stretch their legs and wings. The feeding trough is usually set up for everyone, but it is large so that there is enough food for everyone. The same idea applies to a drinking bowl – there should be enough water!

If you are breeding more than 20 birds, it is important to be vaccinated to reduce the risk of diseases and their spread.

Features of growing and keeping colored broilers

The main advantage of these birds is their excellent adaptation to different climatic conditions. The basic rule for raising colored birds is daily care and proper feeding. To obtain good productivity, you should follow the advice and recommendations of experienced poultry farmers. To preserve the livestock in winter, it is necessary to create a normal temperature regime, and for this it is necessary to organize heating for the birds’ habitat.

Places for keeping

The following types of rearing are used for chickens:

• floor with walking,
• in poultry houses,
• in cages with a metal mesh on the floor.

The storage location must be determined and prepared in advance. It should be borne in mind that young individuals do not need long walks. The chicken run must be fenced. In addition, when raising young animals, you cannot accumulate many birds in a small area.

Microclimate

Adult broilers are unpretentious to temperature fluctuations. But in areas where young animals are located, it is best to maintain an optimal temperature of +25°C. The best temperature regime for the full growth and development of livestock should be from +15 to +25°C. But do not forget that the room temperature should not fall below +5°C.

Broiler care

Colored broiler hens must be kept in warm rooms, otherwise part of the chickens' energy will be spent on heating the body. To avoid this, all drafts in the room should be eliminated and all holes in the shed should be sealed. It is advisable to insulate the floor of the barn with shavings, peat or sawdust, which will help absorb excess moisture.

Like other chickens, broilers can suffer from various infectious diseases. To avoid this, pets need to be vaccinated on time and regularly fed with the necessary vitamins, adding them to nutritional mixtures.

Feeding

By adhering to the right diet, you can achieve excellent results in breeding broiler chickens. For this purpose, feed containing the required amount of nutrients, vitamins and microelements for the active growth of birds is sold on the agricultural market. Also, factory feed may contain medicinal components that can increase the immunity of birds to protect against many diseases.

Young animals

From the first days of life, it is best to feed chickens with mixed feed. Not every breed of colored broiler can be raised on food waste or grain alone. For active growth and gaining the required weight, it is recommended to feed young animals with balanced feed. From 7 days of age, chickens should begin to be accustomed to natural products and, if necessary, crushed grain should be added to the “menu”. Corn and wheat are added to the diet of young meat hybrids for better weight gain.

Gradually, the chickens begin to eat vegetables and greens, which over time should make up half of the birds' diet. For stable growth, the chicks are given yeast, fermented milk products, in particular cottage cheese. When feeding young animals, it is recommended to adhere to the following schedule: for the first 10 days - every 2 hours, until the 45th day - every 3 hours, and then every 4 hours.

Chicken diseases

Cross Cobb 500 is quite resistant to various diseases, this is clearly indicated by the description of the hybrid breed. Proper maintenance and feeding, normal temperature conditions further increase the survival rate of young and adult birds. Still, there are some pathologies that can affect individuals or entire livestock. Here are the main diseases that Broller chickens can contract:

• Dyspepsia. Appears if you feed chickens with food that is not appropriate for their age. The chicks become weaker, lose their appetite, their stools are frequent, liquid, yellow-green, with undigested food.
• Bronchopneumonia develops in drafts or due to hypothermia. Symptoms: the bird is breathing heavily, wheezing, stretching its neck, and its temperature rises.
• Marek's disease. It manifests itself as lameness, drooping wings and tails in chickens, twisting of the neck, and loss of vision.
• Avitaminosis. Manifestations depend on the type of vitamins that are lacking in the diet. The chickens grow poorly, they lose their appetite, and after the first month their feathers begin to fall out rapidly.
• Enteritis. Caused by bacteria or viruses, small chickens are more likely to suffer and manifest as diarrhea.
• Aspergilosis. The pathology is caused by a fungus that affects the upper respiratory tract. This happens under the wrong conditions.
• Salmonellosis. A bacterial infectious disease that is dangerous for both chickens and people. The affected herd is slaughtered and the meat is destroyed.

For any symptoms of the disease, you should contact a veterinarian and not self-medicate. There is a direct relationship between timely assistance and the survival of the herd.

Cobb 500 broilers always receive very high reviews, so it’s worth thinking about breeding this breed. Hatching eggs, raising chicks and keeping chickens is easy. Beginners are advised to buy and carefully study the manual, which describes how to breed correctly, then losses can be avoided, and the business will begin to generate good income after just one or two years of growing crosses.