Growing broiler chickens is currently gaining more widespread among the owners of personal subsidiary farms, rural and even suburban areas. This business is considered profitable, as broiler, you can score the meat within 2 months after birth.
This suggests that even within the summer season you can easily grow a bird and a half to two pounds. Dishes from broiler meat are much tastier than the meat of conventional chickens. Besides, meat is dietetic, has a delicate texture and great taste.
Why breed broiler chickens?
A hybrid breed of meat chickens, which differ from other high-growth, rapid development and rapid accumulation of mass, are called broilers. The benefit of growing broiler chickens is not only rapid growth, but at a minimum cost to feed per kilogram growth, when compared with the younger individuals other poultry.
There are two main points of breeding broiler chickens:
- Meat ripeness;
- The rate of egg production.
High egg production are required to reproduction of breeds of broilers. That is why reproduction is necessary to raise chickens to adulthood. These birds will not be suitable for slaughter for meat, but they must carry that eggs hatched the new meat chickens broilers.
Why the need for the crosses?
Crosses are called lines of chickens, which are specifically based on certain inherent properties. At the present time has not yet started the active breeding of domestic hens conducted by professionals, specially selected birds relative performance and increasing the meat weight are not maintained. Now pure breed chickens usually are bred only in private households. On large poultry farms is grown cross hybrids, which have the highest productivity.
Crosses can be called mnogopotochnoy crossbreed chickens that is specifically tailored for growing in artificial conditions and controlled environment. That is why they are bred in large poultry farms, farms, poultry houses based on certain modes.
General characteristics of broilers is as follows:
- The size of the carcasses are bigger than the usual chicken;
- Can weigh up to 4.5 kg in poultry and 5.5 kg at adult rooster;
- Downed and a powerful torso, is horizontal;
- Poor egg laying, but has a well-developed instinct of incubation;
- Calm temperament;
- Legs and wings are short;
- Muscle mass is built up quickly.
How to choose the right chickens for growing at home?
Best Chicks to buy from breederswho breed the broilers specially for sale, following all rules and regulations. You can also use another option is to buy young animals in poultry farms or on stations-incubators. In both cases, however before you buy you need to clearly understand for what purpose are purchased the bird for the sake of eggs or meat.
When buying it is important to understand that the universal hybrids, which also have good egg production and rapid growth, does not exist in nature. So if the seller assures you it is not worth to trust him. In laying hens meat is more stringy and meat ripening begins at the age of six months. Meat broiler will not give a lot of eggs, and at the age of two months would weigh about 2 kg .
Now let’s look at how to care for chickens broiler at home.
Care broiler
There are two main methods of content of broiler chickens:
- Extensive;
- Intense.
The choice of method depends on conditions provided by owner of personal management of their birds.
In the first case the broiler Chicks are purchased in the spring and grown until mid-summer, until you get commercial quality. Once these qualities are acquired, the whole batch of birds clogged. Until the next breeding season is suspended.
In the second case, a new batch of broiler Chicks are purchased every 3 months throughout the year without interruption. The cultivation takes place all year round and not seasonal in nature.
In growing chickens you should pay attention to the fact that if the birds keep more than 70 days, then it will be economically disadvantageous.
To grow poultry in cages or on the floor on a Mat. Let us consider both options.
The contents on the floor
Here, special attention should be paid to the coating on the floor, but rather its composition. Litter must be loose, dry and absorb all the harmful gases. The best option will be the dried sawdust from wood with no major chips and bark.
Arrangement of the room:
- First, the floor must be covered with powder of quicklime in the amount of 1 kg per 1 square meter;
- The lime is sprinkled over the top layer of dry sawdust with a minimum thickness of 10 cm ;
- If the Chicks are one color, you need to take care of the round-the-clock lighting in the room;
- Also, you must have good ventilation;
- I should take care of the temperature inside. In the first 15 days the Chicks the temperature should be 26-33 degrees. It is important to ensure that the temperature does not fall at night;
- After 30 days, the temperature can be reduced to 20 degrees. About this indicator and temperature must remain during the whole cultivation period;
- You must also abide by the terms of relative humidity. For young chickens this figure should be no more than 65%. After 20-30 days the humidity can be increased to 70%.
You should pay attention to the fact that need electric heaters to maintain the required temperature in the room, which contained chickens.
The contents in the cells
If broiler chickens kept in cages, then you will need to adhere to the other norms and conditions. In one cell cannot contain more than 20 birds, and the requirement number will not change with the age of the broilers.
Cells can be arranged in tiers that will save much space in the room. In each tier must comply with certain standards of temperature – the temperature should not fall below 35 degrees, as the chickens in cages no ability to move quietly and look for more warmer place, unlike chickens, which are kept on the floor.
Into the cells is not necessary to lay litter, but they should be regularly cleaned and disinfected. Sanepidemstantsii give preference to poultry in cages than on the floor, as it is hygienic and safe for chickens and for humans.
In the room where the cells are supposed to be ventilation.
Here are the care requirements must be observed when the content of broiler chickens at home. Now is more detail to familiarize with the rules of poultry feeding.
Feeding broiler at home
Question broilers is the most important regarding care and maintenance at home. From proper feeding and adherence depends on the rate of increase of mass, and also the taste of the meat. Also important is the cost of feeding.
In the first days of life of broiler chickens meat fed in the same way as Chicks aicinosa rocks. After a certain period, the style and quality of feeding should be changed.
The procedure for feeding broiler:
- From the first to the third day after the birth of a boiled egg is the main food. In the early days the chickens need lots of protein, so the diet can add milk and cheese;
- Starting from the third day to the diet adds the chopped greens in the form of grass and nettle leaves. The grass can be replaced with herbal flour, if chickens are grown in winter;
- On the fifth day, to feed you need to add minerals in the form of bone meal, crushed shells and chalk. Since that time, eggs can be given with the shell;
- Two weeks after birth in nutrition introduces the grated carrots and boiled meat, and millet, oatmeal, cracked wheat, corn grits;
- Three weeks old 20% rate of grain should be replaced with boiled potatoes. All the components are mixed in a wet mash. Wet food should be alternated with dry;
- From the second month you should reduce the quantity of feed protein and increase the juicy, herbal ingredients.
When feeding should pay attention to the fact that broilers should be fed a lot and often.
If you follow the right diet, the risk of obesity would be absent.
- In the first week the diet should be eight-time;
- Starting from the second week, the Chicks are fed six times;
- The third week you can go to a four-time feeding;
- A month to the slaughter of broilers fed two times.
In addition, it is worth considering that in chickens in the troughs should always be fresh and clean water, the temperature of which should not exceed 30 degrees.