Recommendations for keeping laying hens in cages

Often in small farms do not have enough space for free-range keeping of chickens. Not so long ago, the technology for keeping hens in cages, which was previously used only in poultry farms, came to the rescue. This method makes it easier to care for and easier to collect eggs.

Content of laying hens in cages

Method specifics

Many poultry farmers believe that special laying conditions are required for laying hens I, because the number of eggs that it will produce in 1 week depends on the individual’s activity, but this is all a big misconception: the properly organized cellular content of laying hens at home does not affect egg production at all. This method is great for laying laying hens in at home in the absence of an area for walking or for owners of a mini-business .

To properly organize the cellular maintenance of laying hens at home, you need to know all the nuances of breeding birds. This method is not suitable if the chicken contains cages for quotes, if it is decided to increase the number of livestock: quotas cannot reproduce in the conditions of the cage.There is an option to plant rooster for hens, but due to the characteristic features, the male will soon begin to show aggression. It is necessary to equip an additional place where the hens will spend time with the rooster, and then put them back into the cages.

If you prefer the method of cage keeping, you need to think about the optimal temperature, illumination and ventilation. It is very important to properly organize care for individuals of various ages. Each age category needs a separately equipped cage . You can design houses for breeding domestic chickens in cages with their own hands. This will require metal and wood.

Pluses of the method

Today, more and more people who own private households prefer breeding involving the cell content of laying hens. And not in vain, because the method gives a lot of advantages:

• it becomes possible to grow a fairly large number of birds in a small barn or in the same room with another living creature;
• procedures and egg collection becomes much simpler;
• the entire population is constantly in sight, which simplifies the inspection and culling of sick chickens;
• the risk of various predators entering the barn is reduced;
• separate content of individuals of different ages reduces the risk of infectious diseases and contributes to the preservation of offspring .

You can save a lot of space by arranging the cells in tiers. Saving feed and guaranteeing the purity of the drink, thanks to the nipple system of drinking, is another of the big pluses. Based on these data, it turns out that it is much more profitable and easier to keep chickens in a closed way.

There is a fly in the ointment in any barrel of honey: and this way of keeping is not without its minuses. The disadvantages include:

• the immobility of chickens;
• the purchase of special equipment is quite expensive;
• a decrease in the protective functions of the body in birds due to the lack of natural light and fresh air;
• the genetic characteristics of some breeds do not allow them to be kept in cages;
• the life of laying layers is significantly reduced;
• if the cell is not mounted correctly, problems may appear with the limbs of birds.

Scientists have proven that not one, even the most complete feed , is not able to replace natural food obtained independently. With the cellular content of chickens, some disadvantages can be avoided if you plant chickens in houses only in the cold season. In total, keeping chickens in cages is much more profitable when there is a large number of livestock.

Optimal conditions

In order to keep egg productivity at a certain level, with closed keeping it is necessary to ensure maximum favorable conditions. The entire structure must be carefully planned.It is very important to choose the shape and size of the cells correctly.

This method of keeping involves placing chickens in small groups: up to 6 individuals in one cell. Planting density – 100 sq. Cm per individual. If the birds are constrained, their productivity will decrease significantly. When the cellular content involves single houses, then 5 square meters are enough for chickens. cm per individual.

How to make houses for pestles

Making houses for birds with your own hands is quite difficult, however, it will be possible to initially plan the location and the structure itself for the room, and also make houses with orientation specifically for your breed of birds, its features. In fact, it is a frame made of dense material: metal or wood. On the walls it is best to take a grid with small cells. Alternatively, you can make all the walls of OSB and only the front of the grid.

For the floor, metal rods are used, the distance between which is about 5 cm, no more. Under the cells, special pallets for feces will be installed. It is also important to consider that the floor must be fixed under a slight slope so that the egg rolls into the groove specially designated for this, and the chicken does not have access to it. A small space is left from the front of the cage to form this groove.

The feeder and the water container are attached externally. Alternatively, nipple systems are used for drinking. Usually, 2 drinking cells and a feeding trough are placed on 2 conjugated cells.You can watch the house design scheme in the video, where you can actually find a detailed drawing and a description of the work sequence.

How to choose a house for pies

The cameras should be oriented to the needs of the laying hens.They are mainly characterized by compact size and low activity. If you decide to buy a finished construction, it is important to take into account some nuances:

• so that the bird does not hurt or fall out, the mesh cells should not be large;
• the most suitable material is it is metal, it is convenient to wash and it is durable;
• the floor slope should be 7-9 °;
• the distance from the pallet to the cage floor should leave at least 15 cm;
• landing density should not exceed the established standards.

For each age category, it is important to choose your own design. For chickens you will need a chamber with an area of ​​10 square meters. cm, for grown chicks – 30 cm, and for sexually mature individuals – 60 cm. For the manufacture of cameras at home, it is better to prefer galvanized metal or ecological plastic. Another important criterion is the total weight of the livestock that will live in the cage and the materials used for construction.

How to properly position the livestock

The density of planting is directly related to the size of the house . To create proper care and living conditions for one adult bird will require from 15 to 20 square meters. cm square. On average, no more than 6 animals can be in one cell.

If the houses will contain birds transferred from free range, the area of ​​cages for keeping chickens should be twice as large.Especially the quotes are experiencing tremendous stress: if there is not enough space, they can completely stop rushing. Such individuals must be gradually transferred to the cellular mode. In order to avoid conflicts, it is possible to plant chickens of the same age and species in one cage.

Diet and drink regimen

At home, when closed, birds do not have access to walking, and accordingly, they can’t collect pasture when they want, and independently replenish the lack of vitamins with greens. In this regard, feeding is the most important aspect of this type of content. The basis of nutrition is combined feeds, which give from the very beginning of puberty to the end of masonry.

Feeding should include cereals, oilcake, calcium carbonate, vegetable oils, salt, multivitamins. The composition of the feed should not be medicines, for example, antibiotics or dyes, and various food additives. Ideally, the composition should be as follows:

• 15% – protein food;
• 5% – fats;
• 6% – fiber;
• about 3% are minerals.

Chickens are fed through hopper feeders . Food from them goes to separate trays located on the front side of the houses. Drinking water is a very important aspect of closed content. The daily water intake for a mature individual is at least half a liter per day.

How to care for a bird house

An isolated room with a large number of birds needs constant cleaning and disinfection. Every day, or at least every 2 days, you must wipe the house with a damp cloth. After each meal, all vessels for water and food should be thoroughly washed. Several times a day it is necessary to remove the droppings from the pallets and disinfect them with alcohol or potassium permanganate solution.

The content of laying hens in the cells requires especially careful care for the health of the birds, because the general resistance of the body decreases. If it’s not entirely clear how to care for the birds with the cell breeding system, you can watch videos that are shot by experienced farmers who have long been using this method.