Keeping and caring for laying hens at home for beginners

The rules for keeping laying hens at home for beginners are of interest to many inexperienced farmers. To raise healthy birds, you need to choose the right breed, set up a chicken coop and a walking area. It is imperative to provide birds with adequate care. It includes a balanced diet, drinking regime and disease prevention.

Features of cultivation

There are several varieties of chicken breeds, each of which has certain characteristics for growing.

Meat breeds

Such breeds are very popular with many farmers because they produce a lot of tasty meat. These chickens are considered very unpretentious, but require certain rules to be followed. It is recommended to keep birds clean, so it is worth systematically changing the litter.

Meat breeds do not require too bright lighting. Therefore, it is worth making 1 small window in the poultry house. In order for birds to gain weight well, it is recommended that they be provided with an optimal temperature regime of +25 degrees.

Such chickens need a lot of protein. Therefore, fish or meat meal should be present in the diet. Birds should also be given cottage cheese.

Broilers

Cages are used for breeding broilers. A room with deep bedding is also suitable. There should be a maximum of 18 chickens per square meter. Broilers need full ventilation, constant lighting and high temperature.

At the initial stage of cultivation, the temperature in the poultry house can reach +35 degrees. Gradually the indicator is reduced to +18-20 degrees. It is worth heating the room using infrared heaters.

Laying hens

Such chickens require adequate lighting and good ventilation. The room should be maintained at a constant temperature of +23-25 ​​degrees. The parameters of egg production are affected by the physical activity of chickens.Therefore, in the summer it is recommended to release them into the walking area.

Such birds can fly, so the aviary should be fenced with a net with small cells. It should cover the pen and the space above. This will help prevent wild birds, which are a source of infection, from entering the aviary.

Breed selection

Not all breeds are suitable for household use. Therefore, beginners are advised to choose chickens depending on the characteristics of the content. They can be simple or thoroughbred. The first category has fewer requirements for feed and maintenance.

Chickens come in meat or egg varieties. From meat broilers during the season it will be possible to raise an individual for slaughter. Its weight is 3-4 kilograms. Egg breeds lay well. However, with the arrival of molting, they are allowed to be killed.

Beginning poultry farmers should pay attention to the following breeds:

• Leghorns;
• Red Whitetails;
• Russians are white.

How to choose young animals?

It is recommended to purchase young chickens from poultry farms. It is there that the rules of keeping are strictly followed, there is strict nutrition control and disease prevention is carried out. When choosing young animals, you should pay attention to the following features:

• sufficient activity;
• healthy appearance;
• soft belly;
• clean cesspool;
• smooth beak and neck;
• normal head size;
• overgrown umbilical cord;
• the fit of the wings to the body.

At 1 month it will be possible to determine the sex of the birds. It is worth considering that for every 10-13 females there should be at least 1 rooster. If you plan to buy 20 hens, you will need 2 males. This number of hens will produce approximately 60 eggs per week.

Types of content

There are several types of bird keeping. Each of them is characterized by certain features.

Cellular (free-running)

This type of chicken breeding is usually used for meat breeds. It greatly simplifies bird care. Domestic chickens need free space. This is especially true for laying hens. Egg production depends on their mobility.

Birds that need to gain weight quickly are kept in cages. This method has undeniable advantages:

• there is no need to worry about the safety of individuals;
• cages are easy to wash and clean;
• it is possible to make the dispensing of water and feed automatic;
• it is easy to increase the number of livestock;
• the risk of infection of chickens is minimized.

A decrease in the physical activity of meat breeds in combination with a properly formulated diet ensures rapid weight gain. This content is used when raising broilers.

Vygulnoe

This method does not mean that the birds are constantly in the open area. In such a situation, they make a closed chicken coop and an aviary for walking. In winter, the room must be heated. The aviary is supplemented with a high fence to prevent the birds from flying away. The ratio of the area of ​​the chicken coop to the pen is 1:4.

The walking method is characterized by the following features:

• the quality of eggs improves and their quantity increases;
• the bird is free;
• Feed and electricity costs are reduced;
• chickens get sick less and retain reproductive capabilities for a long time.

On mesh (slat) floors

This option allows you to accommodate a larger number of individuals than in a regular cage. It is worth keeping up to 10-12 chickens per 1 square meter. This is ensured by the self-cleaning of the poultry house.

It is recommended to use a metal mesh instead of a floor. A wooden lattice works well too. Thanks to this, feces fall through the cells, ending up on a removable tray or concrete floor.

Feeders are installed from the outside. Thanks to this, chickens do not trample or spread food. This makes it possible to save 15% of feed.

On deep litter

It is irrational to keep chickens using this method, but it remains popular among many poultry farmers. To implement this method, it is recommended to construct cages. Litter is placed on the floor of the chicken coop. It includes a thick layer of straw or wood shavings. Biochemical processes help heat the litter to +35 degrees. This allows you to save on electricity.

Before using deep litter, it is worth compacting the earthen floor well. It is then covered with a layer of lime. For 1 square meter of floor use 1 kilogram of the substance. The litter must be at least 15 centimeters thick.

The disadvantages of this technique include contamination of the eggs, inefficient use of the premises, and the risk of disease. A maximum of 5 birds can be accommodated on 1 square meter of the chicken coop.

General Content Rules

To keep chickens, it is recommended that they be provided with optimal conditions. This will help strengthen the birds' immunity and prevent dangerous diseases.

Room for keeping chickens

First of all, you should properly equip the chicken coop. It must include the necessary equipment. It is important to insulate the house and ensure adequate ventilation.

Poultry house materials and construction

A small chicken coop is easiest to build from wood panels. It is worth placing insulation between them. Its role is played by polystyrene foam or glass wool. If a large population is planned, the poultry house is made of brick or foam blocks.

Lighting in the chicken coop

To increase egg production parameters with decreasing daylight hours, there is a need for additional lighting. At the same time, it is worth lengthening the day after the molting process is completed.

Microclimate and ventilation

The optimal temperature for chickens is +23-25 ​​degrees. It is in such conditions that chickens lay eggs well. In winter, the temperature should not fall below +15 degrees. Ventilation is important. It is best to make a hood with plugs.

Walking yard for birds

For chickens to be highly productive, they must receive a sufficient amount of vitamin D. Birds receive this substance only during walks. The walking area should be fenced. Shelters should be made on the territory. It is also recommended to place drinking bowls and feeders.

Feeders, drinkers and ash baths

When setting up a chicken coop, it is worth putting 2 feeders and drinkers. One set is placed inside the chicken coop, the second is placed outside in the aviary. The drinking bowl should hold 5-6 liters of liquid. It is recommended to buy feeders in a store or make them yourself.

The ash bath is of no small importance. To do this, it is recommended to take a wooden box and fill it in equal parts with wood ash and sand. This structure helps to cope with bedbugs, ticks and other pests.

Chicken litter

The floor of the chicken coop should be covered with sawdust, hay or straw. This will become dry bedding for the chickens. It is recommended to change this layer periodically. In winter, its thickness should be increased to 50 centimeters.

Bird care

Rules for caring for birds vary depending on the season and other features.

In summer

In summer, caring for chickens is easy. Birds should primarily be free-range. They should be provided with access to fresh grass and insects. Thanks to this, the birds will be able to receive a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals.

During abnormal heat there is a risk of decreased egg production.If the temperature exceeds +30-35 degrees, it is worth shading the chicken coop and the walking area.

in winter

During the cold season, bird productivity decreases. This is due to low temperatures and shorter daylight hours. The walking area should be cleared of snow. Walking is permissible if the temperature is at least -10 degrees. In such conditions, walking lasts no more than 15 minutes.

The temperature inside the chicken coop should be at least +15 degrees. For this, infrared lamps are used. It is worth introducing dried herbs or root vegetables into your diet.

Chicken diet

It is recommended to feed the birds twice a day. To do this, use ready-made food or make it yourself. Do not use too much wet mash. It is worth adding herbs and vitamins to the composition. Young birds are fed 3 times a day. It is prohibited to overfeed them.

How to raise chickens correctly

Raising chickens is profitable. Chickens are raised for sale or for fattening. Most hybrid breeds have lost the skill of hatching eggs. That's why an incubator is used for this. It is a closed device for eggs with a heating system.

The eggs should be checked carefully beforehand. With the help of an ovoscope, it is possible to illuminate them, identify defects and evaluate the development of the embryo, which will make breeding chickens more effective.

Some birds themselves hatch their offspring. A hen requires a small nest. It should be equipped with a thick bedding and a recess in the central part.

Chicken diseases and their treatment

Chickens often encounter various diseases. To avoid problems, you should follow the rules of hygiene and get vaccinated on time.

Non-infectious

Such diseases are caused by various disorders in the functioning of the body.Pathologies are considered non-contagious, but are very dangerous for chickens. Non-infectious diseases include gastroenteritis, goiter atony, vitamin deficiency, and cloacitis.

Diseases are usually caused by poor diet or poor hygiene. To cope with them, it is worth making adjustments to the birds’ lifestyle.

Infectious

The development of such diseases is caused by the penetration of foreign objects into the body. They are characterized by an incubation period. The infection enters the body through the digestive organs, skin or respiratory system.

Most often, colibacillosis, salmonellosis, Newcastle disease, tuberculosis, and pasteurellosis are observed in chickens. Treatment is usually carried out with antibacterial drugs.

Parasitic

They are caused by infection with internal or external parasites. There are many anomalies that differ in their course and degree of contagion. Antiparasitic drugs are used to treat such diseases.

Even inexperienced poultry farmers can keep chickens. To raise healthy birds and protect them from dangerous diseases, it is recommended to observe a number of important conditions. To do this, it is necessary to properly equip the chicken coop, provide a nutritious diet and engage in disease prevention.