Cottage is not just a wonderful place to relax, but also a source of fresh and healthy products: vegetables and fruits, meat and eggs. At the dacha, you can breed laying hens that will provide their owner with fresh eggs, or beef poultry.
It may seem that it is difficult to breed chickens at home in the country, but practice shows that even a beginner can do this.
Is it allowed?
Breeding chickens at their summer cottage is a good deal. Those who are engaged in this, know that all the work invested in the cultivation of birds, well pays off selling eggs or meat. Place the chickens in the country is better so that they do not interfere with the neighbors. Otherwise, you can amass yourself a lot of problems and spoil good neighborly relations.
All the rules for the maintenance of any animals in the suburban areas are indicated in the charters of country associations. Before deciding on the breeding of chickens at the dacha, it is necessary to clarify which animals are allowed by the charter. It should be borne in mind that in one summer cottage you can keep no more than 40 chickens.
What breed to choose?
Before you start growing chickens, you need to decide what is required from the birds - meat or eggs. If you need eggs in large quantities, you need laying hens, The most common breeds are:
- Minorca.
- Hisex.
- Leghorn
- Loman Brown.
- Italian Kuropatchatye.
These breeds are resistant to many diseases, not choosy and have worked well in our latitudes. Egg breeds are usually bought in the spring. It is necessary to acquire pullet not older than 4-6 months, at this time the chickens begin to nest. The first eggs are small, but over time they become larger.
The most common meat breeds are:
- Cornish.
- Broilers
- Cochinquins.
- Brama
Meat chickens are best purchased at the age of 60-70 days. The breeds of meat-laying chickens are worse, but they are gaining weight well, which is fully consistent with their intended use.
Initial training
To breed chickens in the country you need:
Dwelling. On sale there are a large number of models of chicken coops that are suitable for country conditions.The dwelling should be warm, without drafts, well consecrated. In the chicken coop should be - perches, feeders, nests and drinkers.
Place walking birds - A well-sanctified area with a small area in the shade.It is better to limit freedom to feathered in order to avoid unnecessary problems and install an aviary. Features that need to be considered when building an aviary: one hen needs an aviary with a space of 1 square meter. m
Dwelling. On sale there are a large number of models of chicken coops that are suitable for country conditions.
Place walking birds - A well-sanctified area with a small area in the shade.IMPORTANT! The larger the enclosure, the less the risk of disease and the emergence of stressful states and aggressive manifestations in chickens.
What and how to feed properly?
Proper egg-feeding and a balanced diet are important for achieving high egg production. Do not allow overfeeding and underfeeding of chickens. Feeding chickens at different times will also have a negative effect. Feeding in the morning and in the evening should be different in composition, but always strictly at a certain time.
Regularly in the diet of birds should be fresh grass, as it contains a lot of vitamins and trace elements. To make the chickens rush even better, you can use a special feed, it ideally combines all the nutrients. Grain crops are necessary for feeding of layers:
- barley;
- oats;
- wheat.
They can be added to the diet as a whole, or separately. In some cases, it is required to add vitamins and minerals to the feed, but, more often, grains are quite enough for good growth and egg production in chickens. The amount of feed consumed per day depends on the breed, age of the chicken and the time of year. On average, each bird eats 100 grams of food per day.
Water for drinking should be fresh, it needs to be changed daily. Meat chickens need to maintain cleanliness when eating. They are treading on the stern, in order to avoid difficulties, you should purchase special feeders and drinkers for them.
In the first weeks of life, broiler chickens are recommended to use crushed grains of wheat, barley and corn for their feeding. Cereals need to be carefully rubbed with cottage cheese so that the chickens do not choke. Later, broilers can be converted to dry food, grass, grain, and vegetable peeling.
Process
Breeding chickens at home is not difficult if there are hens among the chickens. The breeding process is impossible without a rooster. As a hen they choose a healthy bird with high egg production. Eggs should be carefully selected, they should be the correct form, not very large and not small, without deformation, cracks and dirt.
When the time came and all the chicks hatched - the nest was thoroughly cleaned, covered with fresh sawdust or straw, and then carefully planted the hen and chickens in place.
Diseases - diagnosis and treatment
Inexperienced breeders, as well as professionals, have problems with chicken diseases.
In order to avoid negative consequences that can be caused by infectious, parasitic and other diseases, it is necessary to promptly identify symptoms, identify a sick bird in quarantine conditions and begin treatment.
It is important to conduct daily inspection of birds for alarming symptoms. In the initial stages of the disease, the following symptoms appear:
- the bird is flaccid;
- rarely gets off the perch;
- sedentary and sits with eyes closed;
- sudden drops from a state of calm to arousal;
- heavy breathing, atypical sounds.
If you have the following symptoms, treatment should begin immediately:
- mucous discharge;
- inflammatory processes near the organs of vision or on the part of the respiratory system;
- feather condition deteriorates;
- violated the work of the digestive system.
Important time to identify the problem, establish the diagnosis and prescribe the proper treatment with medication, and you must strictly follow the prescribed hygiene and sanitary requirements.
Frequent problems
Chicken breeders, sooner or later face a number of difficulties caused by the occurrence of oddities in the behavior of birds.
- Chickens peck each other. The reason may be as a too small house, and aggressive behavior of hen hens or crowding out of young hens by older ones.
- Shedding chickens. During this period, some chickens may look sick, but molting is normal and not at all dangerous for the health of birds.
- But poor appetiteon the contrary, it can signal stress or illness.
Cultivation and breeding of chickens at their summer cottage is not a troublesome business; a beginner can do it too. The main thing to understand for yourself and adhere to the basic rules for breeding and caring for birds and then tasty, fresh and high-quality meat and eggs will always be on your table.
