How to determine the age of the hen: the age of laying hens

In the village is rare territory, for not walking Pets. The presence of chickens in the countryside is the norm. Despite the fact that the chicken want freedom.

Lately, chickens are bred even in the flats, and also love to care for them at their summer cottage. Regardless of where you will be living bird, before buying you need to answer the question. How to determine the age of the hen laying?

How to determine the age of the hen laying?

The determination of the age of a chicken may depend on its breed. The average age of the birds is up to fifteen years. Laying hens are more actively acting in the first three years of his life. The most important to determine the age of laying hens for increased egg production. One egg a day from the hens is the norm. Despite the fact that laying hens can live for ten years, they contain not more than one year. After that, the performance of the birds is declining every year, an average of fifteen percent.

Yearling hen is meat. To determine the age of the hen, in this case without problems. In his household there are no such strict requirements, such as, for example, in manufacturing plants. At home maintenance in the second year hens give slightly fewer eggs but they are larger in size. For novice farmers, it is important to know how to determine the age of the chicken.

What are the parameters to determine the age of a chicken?

If you could build a chicken coop, bought a good forage and grain, and bought an old bird. Then all your efforts will go down the drain. In order to avoid a “gap” at this point, you should know how to determine the age of the hens. Productive age of a bird is not more than three years. In this first year more productive rest. Experienced farmers annually conduct an audit of their farms. Old chickens, they let the meat. And new they buy. Despite the fact that the hens can live another decade to lay eggs, she will not be able.

To determine the exact age of the bird impossible. Error in the determination of the age can be from one to six months. Some experts there are several signs of the appearance of a bird which, it is possible to know the age. Behavioral signs of this activity. Young will run to the trough, while old graceful. In addition, youngsters has small bones.

How to determine the age of the chickens?

In order not to fall for the tricks of the seller and do not buy the old bird, you need to know the external signs of the young.

1. The size of the animal. The young are always smaller. It has miniature size and light weight. At any age you can sell a middle-aged chicken.
2. The appearance of the scallop. A must-see scallop. Young growth has bright red vet. To the extent that the hen gets older the color of the lobes and scallops dim. It will obviously pale. Touch the comb should be warm. It depends on the circulation of the animal. In adult chicken, it is not the same.
3. At the beak it is also possible to determine what age is the hen. It is the main indicator of birds. If the bird is young, then her beak will be smooth. He will have bright yellow and rich color. The aging of the birds beak will have grey shade and will fade. To the naked eye, visible cracks and other irregularities.
4. Inspection of the abdomen chicken. Signs of aging hens is palpation of her abdomen. Palpation should not be hardening. If the chicken is old, has obesity, the solid lumps will be present. The hen in the first year of life not suitable to the broth. So you should pay attention to this symptom.
5. The condition of the bird’s legs is also true predictor of age. The skin on the legs of the young birds have to be yellow and evenly colored. The old hen has paws with fading color. Should pay attention to the soles. They may appear roughness and crack. It is worth noting that the scales on the feet of young animals of small size. They are dense, neat same size. They must attract, not repel.
6. You need to pay attention to the plumage of a bird. This feature is important because the bird feathers changes every year. The young are covered with clean and smooth pen. After looking closely to it you will see a thick crust, slightly shiny. Under the feathers should be down.

• During the inspection wing in the young there are two strokes of the pen.
• The edge needs to be 10 long and strong.
• After the separation of the wing must be 15 primaries of the wing.
• The youngsters on the tail should be tail feathers.
• On the coccyx of stone feathers.

The progress of moult of feathers is seen for changing the flight feathers of the wings. At the beginning of the separation shed feathers. They fall for one and grow some. Replacement wings full of starts in a year and a half. In males starts and ends later than the chickens.

The pullets molt may occur from the laying of eggs. After a year they stop laying eggs altogether and start dropping feathers. Then, they have launched the restoration of the pigmentation. Precocious hens are highly productive. They lay their eggs before moulting begins. They have this process in the fall and comes quickly. They look worn.

Age of chickens: how to define?

The young high egg production may be at the age of five months. As promised the farmers that they can maintain high rates for two years. But in fact, only in the first year of the chicken can really carry a lot of eggs. After two years it was starting to cull.

Chicken-pullets – this is the bred species of bird. These birds are recommended to be purchased as laying hens. Optimal for their age is from four to six months, inclusive. Some of them have been specially bred as egg crosses. They can be at the age of five months.

When buying pullets is best to determine the age of the scallop. If the seller flatly not allowed to touch this part of the chicken, then obviously his product is not pullets, and the real old Chicks. In the soup they are clearly not fit and probably will not become a champion egg production.

You have chicken small and bright comb, which does not turn pale. If you touch it, it will be warm and elastic. It should not be cold or flabby.

To determine the age of the hens, perhaps, from the point of view of productivity. This parameter is difficult to determine with precision. But birds are actually plays a role in error a few months.

Please note that early spring pullets to buy. Spring sell grown hens at the age of six weeks. Immediately after the winter the sellers, sell to the bouillon of the chickens they don’t want to feed during this period.

There are some simple techniques that will help you buy quality HH-pullets.

• There is a yellow beak.
• The presence of a red comb, soft to the touch.
• Clear, pure eyes.
• Yellow and smooth beak.
• Legs and skin should be yellow, clean and smooth.
• Claws are not cracked, and heels delicate with no cracks and calluses.
• The stomach is small and the distance from the keel to the womb three fingers.

Now you know the basic parameters by which you can easily determine the age of the chicken. But if for you this parameter is set. Best on the market to go with an experienced farmer or an expert in this region.