Keeping chickens in the early days of life

Breeding chickens is not an easy task, because you need to know all the subtleties of how to raise chickens in the first days of life. If the brood hens chicks, she takes care of their health. If they were born in an incubator, their owner should become their mother, otherwise chickens will never become males and hens, as they will die in infancy. It is necessary to clearly know what temperature is needed for chickens in the first days of life, so that they feel comfortable.

Chicks in the first days of life

The content of broilers the first days at home should include all the rules for caring and feeding. At home, the cultivation and feeding immediately after birth is very important, since immunity is laid at this time. Subject to the basic rules for the care and rearing of birds, they make a profit and enjoy good health.

Arrange a place

The most important thing is to create chickens for newly hatched in the first week of their life the desired temperature and equipped place. In nature, the hen copes with this, hiding them under the wings and warming the body.For chicks from the incubator, it is especially important to adhere to this rule in the first 7 days: even from a slight hypothermia, the chickens will die. A place for the chicks must be equipped in advance.

A cage is suitable for keeping the chicks, but a wooden box or an ordinary cardboard box is ideal, as the walls will additionally protect chicks from drafts, which are very dangerous for newborns. To create the desired temperature, a heating source is required. Ideally, this is an infrared lamp , which will give not only heat, but also light. Other improvised means are also suitable: an incandescent lamp, a heating pad wrapped in a diaper. You can put the cage next to the battery or use an electric heater.

For newly hatched chickens, the temperature will be ideal at 29-30 ° C. Lighting is provided around the clock. If this is too costly, you can turn off the light at night or leave something like a night lamp. If the heat source is an infrared lamp that turns off at night, make sure that the temperature in the mini-chicken house does not drop.

To preserve heat, you can cover the cage or box with a piece of cloth, leaving a hole for air to pass through, so that the chickens do not suffocate. On the 5th day, you need to begin to gradually conduct hardening procedures. Heating is reduced by 2-4 ° C. In the future, every week they lower the temperature by 3 ° C. When the chickens turn one month old, they should not experience discomfort at a temperature of 18 ° C.

To find out if the owner is too zealous for hardening, you need to look at the chicks. If they cuddle together, then the temperature urgently needs to be raised or there will be no one to harden. If the temperature is comfortable, the birds eat well and move actively.

Keeping the young in the cage

The chickens need hygiene as much heat as possible. It is best to cover the floor with a cloth, which is changed 1-2 times a day. You can use the newspaper, but it gets wet quickly, and if the owner forgets to change it in time, soaked pieces will become food for chickens, and this is harmful for not yet full stomachs. From the 5th day after hatching, the chicks can be transferred to a small cage with a floor in a cage.

The cells must be spacious enough for chickens to live there, but not too large, otherwise the babies will get stuck in their feet and cripple . This design does not require thorough cleaning. If the floor can not be done, you just need to lay hay. You can use both sawdust and straw. All these materials must be changed as they become soiled. It is better not to use non-food materials: the chicks will try them for a tooth and get sick.

The footage of the chicken apartment should be observed: young animals should not crowd in a small space. Some farmers keep young animals in the brooder, which you can make yourself if you wish. Weak chicks suffer in crowding from strong brothers and sisters.On 1 m there should not be more than 25-30 chickens at the age of one day. With the growth of pets, the room should expand. If the chickens are a month old, then there should be no more than 17 on 1 m.

Food

the food should correspond to the age of the chicks. This is especially important for broiler-type meat breeds. Vitamins and nutritional supplements should also be added to food. You should not be zealous with them if you want to get an environmentally friendly product, but you can’t neglect them either, as the lack of necessary substances will negatively affect the development of babies. It is best to consult with a veterinarian before taking the drug.

The first time to give food to chickens is after hatching after 12-16 hours. Before this, the chicks should dry. In nature, the first time they eat the remains of the fetal yolk. Many hosts also follow this path, giving the kids a finely ground boiled yolk. Some veterinarians advise giving corn grits for the first time. Chickens should not be served food in a bowl, but on a plate or cardboard: this is how the kids learn to eat, since they don’t have a mom who shows what and how to do.

How to water chickens

How to drink chickens in the first days of life in order to lay immunity and not harm them? In addition to food, chicks also need water. If it is of inadequate quality, it is better to pass it through a filter or disinfect it with potassium permanganate. Solder so that the solution is barely pink.The use of potassium permanganate has a minus: along with harmful microorganisms, beneficial ones are also destroyed.

Excessive sterility, like dirt, is harmful to young animals and chicken, as it suppresses natural immunity. However, if the conditions for keeping the bird are far from ideal or there is a danger of infection, it is not worth rejecting the old proven methods. It is very useful to add glucose to water. It will help babies grow stronger and will be an excellent prophylaxis against anemia.

Daily chickens ration

On the second day after birth or incubation, the chicks have already adapted sufficiently, and it is time for the owner to expand their diet . At home, on the first day you do not need to enter all kinds of products, but in the chicks menu on the second day it is worth introducing such cereals: semolina, barley and wheat. You can leave boiled eggs in the diet. It is worth trying a special compound feed for chickens , but you should carefully consider his choice at this stage. It must be appropriate for the age of the chickens and be of good quality. The granules should be small enough, then it will be convenient for the chickens to peck.

Mandatory foods in the ration of daily chickens:

• cereals;
• sour-milk products;
• boiled eggs.

Without fermented milk products, there is a shortage of calcium, nitrogen, and also some types of proteins. Cottage cheese with low fat content is best suited for this purpose.If the chickens are not enthusiastic about low-fat cottage cheese, they mix it with an egg or cereal. It is useful to give chicks and yogurt with kefir. These products have many beneficial microorganisms that will form the basis for the formation of microflora in the digestive system of chickens, so they need to be fed young animals. It is better to give this food in special drinkers. All of the above products do not need to be replaced with milk if they are not available.

The chicken body does not digest it and will not bring any benefit to such food. Sometimes chickens are categorically unwilling to eat such a healthy milk. What to do? Show yourself as a strict parent and force-feed. To do this, you need a pipette, time and iron patience. Teaching kids to a good diet is worth the hassle. After a few days, the chickens will get used to this taste and the problem will be resolved.

Feeding regimen and rates

From the first days of hatching, the chickens should be fed with an interval of 2 hours. The first days should be carried out around the clock care of broilers and other birds. That is why many people prefer young birds, so as not to grow them in an incubator, since you need to observe a lot of nuances. The quality of the feed is also very important. Yesterday’s stale food is better to remove and give a new one. If there is too much feed left, you should reduce the serving. It is also necessary to control whether all chickens are eating up. An indicator of satiety is a stuffed goiter. Sometimes weaker people simply take away food.Such chickens should not be left to their own devices: you just need to feed them separately and control the process.

Food for chickens from 2 to 7 days

The first week is very important for further growth young animals. They cannot absorb full-fledged adult food, but they must be gradually prepared for it. The peculiarity of feeding chickens from 2 to 7 days is that the number of feedings is reduced. If the first 2 days of babies were fed 12 times, then gradually this number decreases to 5-8. Hunger is contraindicated for chickens at this stage.

The minimum amount of feed should be more than 10 g. However, usually healthy individuals eat more. If the food is aimed at fattening and caring for broilers, then in food they should not be limited. Let them eat as much as they like, as this helps them gain the right weight faster. Chickens are considered to be grown if they normally tolerate a temperature of 18 ° C. Their weight at that time should not be less than 1.5 kg. Youngsters can be given greens a few days after birth, usually on the 3rd day, so that they receive not only proteins and mineral salts, but also vitamins.

Nettle, clover, and dandelions are best suited for this. If the grass is dirty, it is washed, and in some cases scalded with boiling water. Greens are finely chopped and added to the usual food, cereals or cottage cheese. From the 5th day of the life of the chicks, the menu should be replenished with green onions.This is an excellent prevention against many diseases , especially those related to the digestive system. Onions are also given to the babies in a finely chopped form.

Chicken feeding a week after birth

Weekly chicks should be transferred to more serious products. They give cereals and mixtures with the addition of vegetables. From vegetables, it is best to take carrots or potatoes. Sour-milk products should be stored in the diet, but they are not required as much as before, so the portions can be reduced. Greens also need to be preserved. And of course, do not forget that birds need to not only eat, but also drink water. Vitamins and supplements should only be used on the advice of a veterinarian. In general, the babies became more independent and the care of chickens in the first days of life was simplified.

The difference in the feeding of meat breeds and layers

Poultry growing is a profitable activity, but you should decide for what purpose it is intended. There are egg-bearing breeds, there are meat breeds, and there are those that can be used for any purpose. The features of the chicken menu depend on the breed. Meat breeds to obtain juicy fatty meat should be fed in a larger amount. You should focus on feeds with a higher calorie content, which will allow you to gain weight faster.

There should be more cereals, cereals, and mixed feeds in the diet. You can use nutritional supplements on the advice of a veterinarian. Overweight is more harmful than healthy for laying hens.However, their body should have enough calcium and other mineral salts, so you should increase the rate of fermented milk products.

Intensive or extensive way of feeding

Both have advantages and disadvantages. Rational application also depends on the breed. The method is chosen by about 2 months of age. Meat breeds like broilers need quick weight gain. On farms, 2-month-old chickens of this breed have a weight of 1.5 or more kilograms. You need to take care of them in the same way as for other birds, but you can adjust the food. To achieve such indicators, an intensive method and full-fledged cultivation are better suited. The bird does not walk, but lives in cages.

Content standards: 12 chickens per 1 meter. If these boundaries are not respected, it will not be possible to obtain the desired number of eggs in the future. The temperature intended for chickens should be without sudden changes in the range of 18-20 ° C. The air is quite humid, 60-70%. Until the chickens turn 5 days old, intensive lighting is needed around the clock. Later – a night break in lighting for no more than 5 hours. Combined feeds prevail in food, where there are a lot of vitamins, proteins and proteins. A plentiful fresh drink. Gravel is also needed for better absorption of food. Serve it in a separate feeder.

The layers are better suited for the extensive way. From 3-4 months, walks are shown for chickens of these breeds. Sometimes a bird indoors only spends the night.Natural foods predominate in feed. Particular attention is paid to the presence of food, which includes calcium.

Useful tips

In order for the stock to grow healthy, you need to pay attention to how to care for chickens in the early days life.

If the young growth is ill immediately after birth, you need to consult a veterinarian. In this case, the prescribed drugs and medicines are given. For small individuals, it is undesirable to use some medicine due to unstable immunity and young age, but if the whole chicken coop has attacked the disease, it is necessary to treat the individuals by soldering the drugs or drugs in a small dosage, which the specialist will prescribe. The dosage should be selected only by the veterinarian after a full-time examination of the bird, depending on the stage of the disease and the cause of the disease.

With an intensive method of feeding, when feathers first appear, you need to make sure that food does not stick to them. Also, if food sticks to the paws, corns form, birds die, because the paws do not move due to deposits. With this method, veterinary consultation, certain drugs to improve nutrition and immunity will not be amiss. At the first symptoms of the disease, the veterinarian prescribes the drugs. Supplements and vitamins will not be superfluous in terms of indicators, you can drink it with liquid supplements.