Broilers are chickens that are obtained by crossing productive meat breeds. They are grown solely in order to put it to meat in the future. The content of broilers in the cells at home differs mainly in enhanced feeding. At the same time, physical activity is limited, due to which the weight indicator is growing rapidly. Typically, such breeds are kept in specially equipped cages. In order for such a breeding of meat chickens to be correct and successful, you must follow the list of special rules.
So, consider the content of broilers at home for beginners. This is an interesting, exciting and profitable business.
The content of broiler chickens at home in the cage
If you usually keep birds on the floor and without a cage, it will not be easy to grow a large number, especially if the territory is limited to a small space. If there are too many individuals, then they can begin to fight for food, water and free space. The first to die are chickens, which may just be crushed, because they are weaker and not more protected. In order to prevent this situation from happening, you can use the cells collected in multi-tiered structures. The content of broilers in cages at home allows you to hold from 20 to 25 birds at a time.
Main advantages
- You can keep in the same territory 3 or even 5 times more broilers without harming their health.
- Mass gain in chickens occurs at a much greater speed, because the individual is limited in movement, and all calories go into size and weight.
- Food can be consumed with greater efficiency, because the bird will not be able to scatter it, because of this, saturation occurs from a smaller amount.
- It is easy to clean up waste such as droppings, because it gets on the pallet. So the birds will not peck it and transfer it to the feeder, becoming infected.
- Feed, clean up and regularly inspect in this case is easier and faster.
- Infectious diseases are less common because there is no contact with other birds.
- No need to lay the litter because there is a pallet.
- Cleaning feeders and drinking bowls is easier, the conditions in which broilers are kept are much better.
disadvantages
The content of broilers at home in the cells has some disadvantages:
- Have to spend money to make cells.
- You also need to lay out a considerable amount in order to acquire additional lighting, ventilation and heating. But in general, as a result, with the correct calculation, the costs will pay off well.
- As a result, the taste of meat is reduced compared to free-range chickens.
- It is necessary to clean the cells regularly, literally every day.
- Food needs to be well balanced. Under such conditions, broilers become susceptible to it. After all, they themselves can not produce various additional feed.
- If the weight of the individual is too large, then problems with legs and chest can occur, which will adversely affect the quality of the resulting meat.
- After each bird party, all cells must be thoroughly disinfected.
How to equip a room?
If you correctly organize the territory of the chicken coop, in which it is planned to place the cages, then the broiler birds grown will be healthy and productive. The room is equipped with:
- ventilation system;
- heating appliances;
- lighting;
- moisture and temperature meters.
Cell blocks must be placed in such a way that they do not cause difficulties when accessing feeders and drinking bowls in order to maintain and disinfect them.
How to choose cells?
In order for the cellular content of broilers at home to bear fruit, you need to choose the right boxes. Typically, for such individuals, cells are made of steel with a thickness of rods from two millimeters. The frames in which they are installed are of the following types:
If you plan to start a large number of individuals, it is better, of course, to opt for metal frames, because they are easier to disinfect, moisture does not accumulate in them. A wood frame is more suitable for making it yourself in a small farm, because there is a significant saving of metal.
Dimensions
Regarding cell size, there are:
- less than 0.5 m wide (suitable for keeping 3-4 individuals);
- up to 0.7 m wide (for 6-8 individuals);
- less than 1.2 m wide (for 10-12 individuals).
How deep and tall the cages will be depends on how many chickens it is planned to place in them. The largest are intended more for industry, they are inconvenient to use in home production. The best option is a cage with a width of 0.65-0.7 m, a depth of 0.3 m, and a height of 0.25 m. Such parameters allow you to place up to 8 broilers.
It must be remembered that the floor grate should be made of high-quality reliable steel, and the thickness of the rods should be from 0.3 centimeters, because if the floor has less strength, there is a chance that it will bend the bird's weight, especially if the box is quite wide.
If the chicken coop is large, and you are going to install cellular tiers along the walls, then it is most convenient to attach small wheels to those blocks that will be located in the center, then it will be convenient to move the boxes when restoring order. It is best if you place the vacuum bird drinkers, because then the minimum possibility of splashing water, and automated replenishment will make it easier to service broiler chickens.
Temperature
In order to keep broiler chickens at home, it is important to maintain the same temperature. If it rises above the normal level (which is 24 degrees), the livestock will certainly get sick, because the chickens simply will not be able to go somewhere and change their position.
In order to control the temperature level, it is best to use special thermostats, thanks to which the process of maintaining the desired temperature can be made automated. To heat a room with broilers, you can use:
- gas heaters;
- electric;
- infrared.
Heating
Keeping broilers in the winter at home requires a well-thought-out heating system. If you install a gas heater, then the breeder’s costs are seriously saved, but in this case it will be necessary to carefully observe the fire safety regulations. Only representatives of specialized organizations with a license can engage in the installation of gas heating, so this maintenance of heat is more suitable for farms.
Due to electric heaters, a large amount of energy is expended, compared to infrared heaters, due to which not the air is heated, but the surrounding objects, and air heating is already happening from them. Therefore, the use of infrared emitters is more profitable and efficient. Based on the age of the chicken, the following temperature is set inside the cells:
- 1-5 days - 34 degrees;
- 6-11 days - 30 degrees;
- from 12 days - 18-24 degrees.
Lighting
When broilers are kept in cages at home, the daylight hours should be approximately 15-18 hours. This is due to the fact that thanks to light, the bird more often consumes food and, accordingly, is gaining mass. When broilers are kept at home, the room is lit with electric lamps. In order to maintain the required light mode, you can use the timers, which can be configured to automatically turn on / off the light. In broiler chickens under the age of a week, the light should burn around the clock, when the individual reaches seven days, the light period lasts up to 18 hours.
Every 4 square meters m. should be lit not less than 100 watts of incandescent light or 12 watts of LED lamps. It is better not to use energy-saving lamps, because if they flicker, the birds become sick and lose their stored mass.
Humidity
This indicator must be maintained within 55-65 percent, if it is higher, mold can begin to develop and bacteria multiply. But if the humidity is reduced, feathers will break, water exchange in birds will be disturbed.
How to feed broiler chickens?
In order for individuals to quickly gain the necessary weight, it is necessary to ensure the proper maintenance of broilers and care at home. You can start feeding birds already from the first week from the moment of their stay in the cages, the main thing is to follow all the rules and regulations. Due to the fact that only chickens that are born have an underdeveloped digestive system, you can give as an initial feeding:
- grated protein of boiled chicken eggs;
- finely divided grain;
- fat-free or with minimal fat cottage cheese;
- yogurt.
To feed young individuals, you need to insert a special trough in the feeders located outside so that the chickens can reach the food. Hooks must be integrated in the feeders in order to adjust them to the required height of the cage for birds of different ages and weights.
We must not forget that young birds should consume a mash daily (porridge consistency feed). It can be prepared by diluting a dry grain mixture of husk of corn and oilcake with water or not very fat milk. The proportions for dilution should be 4: 2: 1.
Dry foods (home or industrial) can be used to feed birds that are already old enough. Industrial compounds contain all the necessary nutrients, as well as useful trace elements, minerals and vitamins, mixed in the required ratio. When broilers are kept in cages at home, the breeder should only pour the feed into containers specially designed for this purpose. But it is worth remembering that the price of feed for industrial production is much higher than the price of self-produced. In the compositions of our own preparation must necessarily be such elements as:
- crushed grain;
- whole grain;
- cellulose;
- useful microelements;
- fats
- calcium.
The fat contains sunflower cake, which the broiler needs in order to grow healthy, regular feathers, and also have a favorable state of health in birds. If there is not enough fat, you can mix vegetable oil in dry compound feed (one teaspoon of oil per kg of dry food). Cooked vegetables, which can give up to 30 percent of the total feed, will be a useful additional component to broiler chicken nutrition. Possible vegetables include:
When keeping and growing broilers at home, owners can add food waste to regular feed. But we must not forget that their number in percentage terms should not exceed fifteen percent of the total mass. Waste (especially those that contain solid vegetables) must be boiled and chopped before being added to the feed, otherwise it is likely that the bird will choke on hard pieces in the feed.