Broilers: care and feeding at home

Compared to other chickens, broilers have a number of undeniable advantages. This bird is capable of gaining very large weight. Moreover, an increase in muscle mass is observed in her as soon as possible. Even the word "broiler" in translation from English means "meat on a spit" or "fried meat". Fast weight gain is thus the main advantage of broiler chickens. Growing, feeding and caring for this bird, however, is quite complicated. At least it is harder to maintain than the same layers. Many farmers call this bird "greenhouse chicken."

What factors should be considered

Raising chickens of this species is thus much more difficult than laying hens or even meat-bearing birds. In order to get good results when breeding broilers, the farmer should make sure that:

• the acquired young was not a cross, but a real broiler;
• in the room where the chickens are kept, the air temperature has always remained stable;
• the diet of the bird was balanced;
• chickens received food on time;
• the house was always warm and dry.

Broiler Maintenance Methods

This bird is grown specifically for meat. And therefore they usually contain it directly in the barn. That is, if they are released into broiler walking, it is very rare. Caring for broilers at home may involve the use of both floor and cell maintenance methods. Both of these technologies have both their pros and cons. In cages, chickens gain more weight. But most often farmers still grow broilers using the outdoor method. This technology is good, primarily in terms of ease of care and the absence of significant material costs at the initial stage.

The best hybrids

So, success in such an enterprise as broiler care and their cultivation depends, first of all, on how high-quality acquired young animals will be. The best meat hybrids today are:

• Cobb-500 (maximum weight 3.6 kg);
• Ross-308 (5.5 kg);
• Arbor Akers (3-4 kg);
• Hubbard (3.2 kg).

Chicks of any hybrid should only be bought from a trusted supplier. Otherwise, it will be easy to run into a fake. It is best to purchase young animals at some large poultry farm. You can also buy an incubation egg. In this case, the risk of counterfeiting will be minimal.

What temperature should be in the house

Particular attention should be paid to this indicator when growing broilers. Meat hybrids - the bird is quite frail and easily catches a cold. Broilers due will receive proper care only if there is a brooder on the farm. In this device, chicks are kept in the first week of life. In this case, the air temperature in the brooder is set to 30 C.

Starting from the second week and until the age of 14 days, this indicator is gradually reduced by 2-4 C. In the third week of life, young animals in the house maintain a temperature of 22-24 C. Starting from the month and before slaughter, the indicator is reduced to 20 C.

In the poultry house itself, two zones should be arranged for broilers - a shadow one, in which they will rest and illuminated with feeders.

Broiler chickens, rearing and care: what should be the diet

At the initial stage, chickens of this species are usually fed with special starting mixtures intended specifically for broilers. You can also use for this purpose and ordinary millet, and boiled egg. On the second day after hatching, each chicken should receive one drop of trivitamin in this case. This will reduce the lunge, which among the chicks of meat hybrids is usually significant.

Broilers, the care of which should be especially careful in the early days, also need succulent feed. Greens and vegetables for these hens can begin to be given on the fifth day. At this age, young animals also consume well cottage cheese, yogurt, soft food waste. Some homeowners feed small and young broilers with extra boiled potatoes. But experienced farmers are advised to do this as carefully as possible. From a large number of boiled potatoes in hybrids, fatal gut often occurs. Grains of chickens of this variety are usually offered for the first time on the 11th day.

From the second week until slaughter, broilers are fed, thus, with mash and concentrates. At the finish, the number of the latter is reduced. At the same time, more succulent feed is introduced into the diet of the bird.

Broiler Care: Things to Know

Pour green mixture into broiler feeders as much as they can eat in 30-40 minutes. In no case should they add soups. Otherwise, broilers can catch some kind of infection. The same goes for drinkers. Chickens should be changed after each feeding. In this case, it is necessary to use necessarily warm (about 20 C). Little chickens need to add a little potassium permanganate to the drinkers to protect them from infection.

The ratio of feed / water when growing broilers should be approximately 1: 7.

Frequency of Feeding

Thus, broilers require exact adherence to feeding dates when leaving chickens. This indicator also depends on the age of the hybrid. Broilers are fed:

• in the first week - 8 times a day;
• the second - 6 times;
• the third - 4 times.

From 4 weeks to slaughter, the number of feedings is reduced to 2 per day.

What should be the feed consumption

Care for broilers, among other things, involves the development of a fairly diverse diet for them. The farmer should take care that the bird receives the amount of nutrients it needs. About the approximate consumption of feed for one chicken of a certain age can be found in the table below.

Housing arrangement: litter

The broilers, which were cared for correctly, reach slaughter weight very quickly - in three months. This bird is raised in most cases in the summer. A heated barn with this method, of course, is not needed. If broilers are grown for sale by "flow", the house should be built from "warm" materials and equipped with heaters.

As already mentioned, most often broilers are kept outdoor. In this case, even in the summer in the barn should provide at least a thin straw litter. Subsequently, it will have to be changed at least once a week. The case of broilers often happens precisely because they are kept on a cold floor. This bird also does not tolerate drafts. The fact that they were not, the owners should take care necessarily. Otherwise, the chickens will catch a cold.

Growing and caring for broilers is quite complicated also because the top layer of the litter will need to be constantly loosened. At the same time, dirty straw is supposed to be removed, and instead of it, pour clean straw. The total thickness of the litter should not exceed 35 cm. Otherwise, broilers will not be able to dig it to the floor. As a result, the litter is acidic. In winter, meat hybrids are supposed to be heated using special equipment, and not due to rotting of the litter.

Feeding troughs and drinking bowls

Instead of perches during floor keeping, broilers usually have shelves. They are placed at a height of about 30-50 cm. Feeders and drinking bowls in the barn can be installed, both industrial production and home-made. The main thing is that they are enough for all chickens and there would never be a “flea market” next to them. Clean feeders and drinking bowls once a day.

Cellular Features

Proper feeding and care of broilers on the floor can give just great results. But in some cases, such a bird is grown in cages. This method is usually chosen when broilers are kept in very large quantities for sale. The main advantages of cell growth, in addition to quick weight gain, in this case is the ability to save room space and reduce mortality due to disease.

The temperature regime in the house with cell contents is the same as with the floor. In this case, the farmer must also comply with such requirements:

• cells must be sorted by age;
• it is necessary that the floor in the cells be made of fine mesh.

Cleaning in cages for chickens should be carried out using this method of keeping daily. In that part of the house where the youngest broilers live, additional lighting needs to be arranged.

Since the bird cannot move freely in this case, and the landing area is significant, it is also imperative to provide at least primitive ventilation in the barn.

Useful Tips

In terms of grooming, broilers are therefore quite demanding. When growing such a bird, farmers often have all sorts of problems. So, for example, if:

• the bird fell to its feet, which means it lacks vitamin D;
• broiler plumage has become dull and brittle - it is too dry in the barn;
• difficulty breathing in the bird and intermittent - air humidity should be reduced.

Cell feeders

The diet for chickens in this case is developed the same as with floor keeping. At the same time, the feeders are mounted outside the cages in such a way that the bird can easily reach the food, with his head poked through the rods. The most convenient type of drinkers in this case are considered vacuum.

How to make a cell yourself

Farmers often use industrial structures to grow broilers. Such cells are already initially equipped with feeders, and sometimes automatic drinkers. They represent racks in several rows. Good broiler feeding care requires proper. In industrial cells, this procedure is, of course, very convenient. However, such designs are quite expensive. Therefore, in some cases, the owners of household plots make cells on their own.

To make such designs is not too difficult, for example, from the netting and timber. In this case, at first they usually simply knock down the frame of the rack completely. Then, using a beam, it is divided into sections. Then sheathe the floors of future cells. In this case, a fine metal mesh is used. Next, the cells are sheathed with a chain link.

At the final stage, trough-feeders are brought down along the entire length of the racks in each tier. Drinkers are also installed.

Cages with wheels

Walking on the street of broilers with the outdoor way of keeping is sometimes still released. It is believed that fresh air is reasonably good for this bird. With a cellular content, it is also possible to provide chickens with comfortable conditions in this regard. To do this, use not too large shelving with wheels. If necessary, the bird kept in this way is simply taken from time to time to the yard.

Major diseases

A sign of health in broilers is soft tummies and clear eyes. Such a bird is active and has a good appetite. Feathers in healthy broilers are clean, and the wings are firmly pressed to the body. Most often, when growing meat hybrids, farmers face a problem such as digestive upset. To prevent this from happening, the bird should be given water every other day with a small amount of potassium permanganate added to it.

Also, chickens should receive fine gravel. Chickens from the age of five can already be given not only vitamins, but also chalk. With a lack of vitamin D, broilers often develop rickets. In this case, the birds begin to fall when walking.

Of infectious diseases, broilers most often suffer from coccidiosis and chicken pox. In this case, a veterinarian is usually called for treatment.

Instead of a conclusion

Thus, broilers require proper care and feeding at home. In the event that the farmer follows the basic recommendations for the cultivation of this bird, it will gain weight very quickly. In addition, there will not be too many attacks in the herd. At the same time, the farmer himself will definitely receive the profit that he was counting on.