How to raise day old chicks at home?

Every novice poultry farmer knows the saying about chickens, which do not always survive. Why is the mortality rate among chicks so high? These statistics clearly demonstrate that in most cases, chickens in the first days of life do not die from diseases, but from improper nutrition and diet.

The main goal of keeping chickens is to get a strong and healthy livestock at the exit, with good egg production (for layers) and weight (for beef breeds). That is why, proper care of the laying hen is also a very important point. After all, what the offspring will be depends on the health of the bird. A strong and healthy bird can only be obtained with proper maintenance and feeding, especially in the first days of life. As you know, all the problems from childhood ...

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Correct diet

Farmers disagree on whether or not to feed only hatched chicks. Doubt introduces a supply of nutrients that the chick receives in the egg from the yolk sac. But this reserve is enough only for the first 5-6 hours, it is actively spent on the formation of the digestive system of a small organism.

REFERENCE! Studies have shown that day old chicks fed within 16 hours of hatching survive 18-20% more than those fed 24-48 hours later.

The conclusion is obvious - the chicks need to be fed. Only feed for day old chicks should be special.

What to give for the first time?

The simplest clue of how day-old chicks are caring and feeding is to observe the brood in natural conditions. The laying hen already in the first 4-5 hours leads its offspring on an introductory walk to get food. Its main components are seeds, insects, greenery and sand. It will be reasonable to adhere to the natural diet of birds, of course, adapting it to the characteristics of the child's body of chickens, their conditions of keeping and feeding, the first 3 weeks.

For example, insects are replaced with yolk and cottage cheese, and seeds are replaced with cereals... From the first days of life, the feed for chickens should be based on hard-boiled and finely chopped yolk. We add cottage cheese and small cereals to it: semolina or corn. Chopped rolled oats are also good.

Groats are needed so that the yolk and cottage cheese do not stick together, and the chickens can easily peck and digest the feed. The composition of the first feed for 10 chicks of one day old chicks:

• 1 medium yolk.
• 3 tablespoons of cottage cheese.
• 2 tablespoons of cereal.

How to properly feed newly hatched birds?

Healthy chickens, like all cubs, are distinguished by increased activity. They are constantly moving around, digging out the bedding and pecking something out. By the way, they learn to peck feed from the first days of life, they learn from the mother-laying hen. Incubator chicks have feeding problems on the 1st day of housing. In this case, you need to show them how this is done using an "example". Knock the spilled rump with the tip of the knife, lift it up at the tip and drop it.

The chicks will begin to imitate you and will easily learn to peck at the feed. Like all babies, newly hatched chicks need frequent small meals. So the first day they feed the chicks every two hours, including at night. Chickens are given a different type of cereal at each meal., otherwise they will begin to peck out only those grains that they like and will not receive the necessary microelements.

The diet of babies should be varied. The feeders are less than half full so that the chickens can eat all the feed, otherwise they will start scattering it. Before adding fresh food, remove the old one so that it does not rot. The height of the feeder should be such that the chicks can reach the feed but cannot climb into it. with legs.

Once in the feeder, they will fill the food with garbage and excrement. And eating such a mixture is fraught with an eating disorder, from which the entire brood can die.

Important! Chicks should not climb into the feeder and drinker with their feet. Dirty water and feed are a favorable environment for the spread of intestinal diseases, bacteria, microorganisms.

Food for newborns

The most useful for small, 1-2-day-old chickens are special compound feed "zero", they are finely ground and contain vitamins, amino acids and vegetable fats. Wheat, corn, barley, peas are usually used as the main ingredients in them.

For one chicken, 1-2 tablespoons of compound feed are calculated per day. Starter feed is easy to prepare at home. Ingredients for 1 kg of mixture:

1. 3 cups full of corn.
2. 1/3 cup barley
3. 1 glass of wheat.
4. 1/2 cup low-fat kefir.
5. 1 glass of cake.

Finely grind and mix all components, so it will be easier for chickens to digest and assimilate nutritious feed.

Note! Food for day-old chicks at home should be as sterile and easily digestible as possible. The delicate organism and the newly developing digestive system are very sensitive.

Content up to 3 weeks

What are the features of feeding and keeping chickens in the first 3 weeks? For 1-2 day old chicks, it is very important to observe the rule: "Constant warmth and no drafts." An excellent "nest" for them will serve as a large dense box, over which a heating lamp will hang.

The initial temperature should be at least 26 degrees, then it is gradually reduced and brought to room temperature 18-20 degrees. As a feed on the 1-2 day, it is optimal to give finely chopped yolk with cottage cheese and small cereals: corn, semolina, barley and millet.

Ground rolled oats and special starter feeds of "zero" are also suitable. Chickens are drunk with fresh kefir and low-fat yogurt. From 3-4 days, chicks can be given a whole egg along with protein and add ground eggshells to the feed, removing all films.It's time to accustom kids to greenery, for which dried nettles, plantains, dandelions, alfalfa and clover are finely chopped.

The green component should not be very much so that the fragile stomachs of the chickens get used to it gradually. On days 5-6, grown chickens are fed less often: every 3-4 hours. Bunches of herbs are hung on the walls of the box for self-plucking. It's time to increase the mineral content of the feed by adding wood ash, crushed shells and fish meal to the sand.

After the 10th day, the night feeding is removed and the chickens are allowed to walk. If birds are forced to do without walking, they may develop vitamin deficiency. Then they stop growing and get sick. In this case, they must be soldered with vitamins A, D, E (1 tablet of trivitamin per 10 heads) and given fish oil (0.1-0.2 g / day per bird).

For two-week-old chickens, boiled vegetables can be included in the diet:

• carrot;
• potato;
• zucchini.

From which a wet mash is prepared. For protein replenishment, lean broth, finely chopped meat and food waste are suitable. Stale white bread soaked in kefir and crumbled is also suitable.

For chickens from 2 weeks to 1 month, buy a special feed "Growth" or prepare its analogue at home. You will need for 1 kg of feed:

• 2.5 cups corn.
• 1 tablespoon of unrefined vegetable oil or feed fat.
• 2/3 cup wheat
• 3 tablespoons of powdered milk.
• 1 bunch of freshly cut grass.
• 2 tablespoons of feed yeast.
• 1/3 cup fishmeal.

Peculiarities

On the first day of life, the digestive system of chickens is still imperfect and is only being formed, this is due to the peculiarity of their structure. Therefore, at this stage, the chicks are fed with kefir or low-fat yogurt, populating their digestive tract with useful microflora and contributing to the active development of the digestive system.

The chicks, during the first days after hatching, do not yet know how to drink on their own, they are watered with a pipette or a small syringe. Eating disorders are very dangerous for small chickens, and the likelihood of death is very high. That is why, for the prevention of intestinal diseases, babies are given a weak solution of potassium permanganate (pale pink). All chickens should be well fed before bed.

Make sure their goiter is full. If suddenly you notice a weak, sick-looking chick with an empty goiter, remove it from the rest. Why is it convenient:

1. He will not infect others.
2. It will be easier to heal.
3. The rest of the chickens won't trample him.
4. He will be able to eat well and get stronger faster.

Important - if a weak chicken appears among the livestock, it is placed in a separate box.

Important points in the formation of the diet of young animals

Feed for day old chicks should be as adapted as possible, balanced and contain all the vitamins and minerals they need. Let's repeat and understand what components are necessary for the growth of healthy and strong birds:

• Protein - yolk, whole egg, cottage cheese, low-fat meat broth.
• Mineral constituents - ground eggshells, wood flour, crushed shells, fish meal.
• Cereals - millet, semolina, corn, barley, rolled oats.
• Greens - dried nettles, clover, plantain, alfalfa, dandelion.
• Vitamins - fish oil, vitamins A, D, E.
• For microflora - kefir, low-fat yogurt.
• For the prevention of intestinal disorders - potassium permanganate solution.

Dear poultry farmers, experienced and beginner, remember that newly hatched chicks, like children, need to be treated with care. Create a warm "nest" for them, protected from drafts. Feed the chicks more often small portions of the food adapted for babies.

Carefully monitor their health, drink the medicine, if necessary, separate weak individuals separately. Then you will definitely achieve 100% survival rate of your chicks! Good luck and strong livestock!

Useful video

We watch a video about feeding and drinking chickens in the first days of life

Chicken meat, chicken eggs are healthy foods that everyone has on the table. Therefore, raising chickens is not only a profitable business, but also a payback. However, before deciding to start breeding chickens, it is still worthwhile to study in detail all the nuances of breeding chickens, keeping and growing.

In this article we will talk about raising chickens at home for beginners, learn how to raise chickens, why chickens vilify, what to give broilers for diarrhea and other pressing issues.

How to choose chicks when buying?

Raising chickens from an incubator at home is a profitable business, because in addition to meat and eggs, bird feathers and manure can be successfully used as an organic fertilizer. But in order for this business to be beneficial, it is necessary to choose the right chickens.

The best time to buy chickens is April-May.... It is advisable to purchase day old chicks. It is better to buy chicks at poultry farms, because in these places there are guarantees that the individuals are healthy and strong. However, in order to choose chickens, you need to know the nuances of selection depending on the age of the individuals.

Daily

In order not to be mistaken and to acquire healthy day old chicks during the purchase, you need to pay attention to a number of criteria for the appearance of young individuals:

1. The chick must be dryhealthy and active;
2. The down should not be sticky. In appearance, he must be fluffy, free from dirt and foreign debris;
3. At the day-old calves at the time of sale the umbilical cord must be overgrown;
4. Be sure to carefully examine the umbilical cord. If there are secretions on it, then this young growth is not worth buying. Discharge is the first sign of an infectious disease;
5. The cloaca must be clean, pink in color with a moist texture. There should be no dirt, traces of droppings on it;
6. The chicks should have reaction to sounds;
7. The back should be straight;
8. The head should be straight;
9. Smooth and correct beak with a pigmented structure.

Newly hatched broiler chicks

Weekly

Sometimes poultry farmers buy one week old chicks to save money and time. However, this is not always the correct and correct decision. Young individuals at this age are susceptible to diseases. In addition, their body is weak and weak.

But if you do decide to purchase weekly chickens, you should consider the following selection criteria:

• Individuals must be active and healthy;
• The plumage should be fluffy without dirt, traces of droppings;
• The abdomen should be soft to the touch;
• The head is straight, proportional;
• The beak is straight with a pigmented structure;
• Good response to sounds;
• Should already be worked out pecking reflex;
• The wings should be tightly attached to the body;
• The cloaca should be clean, pink and free from dirt and secretions.

Monthly

Chicks one month old are rarely purchased for divorce. Still, some farmers believe that during this period, individuals survive better and they have developed immunity to infectious diseases... Perhaps this is so, but you should not trust this criterion. Sometimes monthly individuals get sick much more often.

In any case, the criteria for choosing monthly chicks are the same:

1. Activity and mobility;
2. Good response to sounds;
3. Plumage - fluffy, without dirt, droppings, with a smooth structure;
4. The abdomen should have a soft texture to the touch;
5. The head must be level and proportional;
6. The beak should have an even outline with a pigmented structure;
7. The chicks should already have a well-developed pecking reflex;
8. It is worth paying attention to the wings, they should be tightly pressed to the body;
9. The cloaca should be clean, pink, and free from droppings and secretions.

Newly hatched chicks in the pen

Is it better to grow with a hen or in an incubator?

Features of hatching chickens with a hen for beginners

How to grow a chicken from an egg at home without an incubator? Some experienced farmers prefer hatching eggs under a hen because it is a natural process.

It is worth noting that identifying a chicken that is ready to hatch will not be difficult. It is advisable to pay attention to the behavior of chickens. If suddenly the chicken does not get out of the nest for a long time or stays there for the night, then this probably means that the instinct of incubation has awakened in it.

But do not immediately lay eggs under it, it is advisable to observe the behavior of the individual for a while... It is necessary to let the chicken sit. A ready-made chicken for incubation, when pulled out of the nest, emits bubbling sounds and is torn with all its might back to incubation in the nest. In this case, raising day-old chicks at home will be quite economical.

Depending on the weight of the individual, 11 to 21 eggs are laid under it. The incubation area must be separated from the rest of the chickens. You can use a separate cage for the nesting site, or place the nest in a dark corner of the chicken coop.

Be sure to feed the henso that she does not die of hunger and exhaustion, which often happens. It is necessary to forcefully remove the chicken from the nest and feed and water it 2 times a day.

Chicks with a hen hatch in 20-21 days. Sometimes there are cases when a brood hen, without waiting for complete hatching, can throw the remaining eggs and go for a walk with the already hatched individuals. Therefore, to prevent these unpleasant problems, those individuals that have already hatched are placed in a box or in a warm place, a lamp is first installed above them. On days 22-23, the family unites.

Pros:

• Natural process;
• High survival rate;
• Chicks from the moment of hatching and in the subsequent period are together with the hen;
• Economical. This method will require fairly low financial costs.

Minuses:

• Long process;
• Low number of hatching chicks per season;
• There is a likelihood of pecking eggs by a brood hen during incubation;
• Chicks can be hatched in this way only once a season and only in warm weather.

Feeding broiler chicks hatched in an incubator

Features of raising chickens in an incubator at home and feeding them

Breeding chickens using an incubator is in great demand and the advantages of growing chickens after an incubator speak for this, among which the main ones should be highlighted:

1. Beneficial use. In one season, the incubator is used up to 10 times;
2. Simple use... This device is easy to handle, does not need to be fed, watered, and there is no need to worry that the brood hen will peck the eggs;
3. You can lay from 50 eggs and more at a time;
4. Breeding chicks all year round... These devices provide all the functions that provide output in winter and summer.

Depending on the function, incubators are mechanical, manual and automatic.

In a manual incubator, each egg is turned manually... The use of a mechanical incubator is almost the same as that of a hand held device. However, in this type of incubator, turning is carried out not for one egg, but all at once. In addition, compliance with humidity and temperature control in both types of devices lies entirely with the owner.

But devices with automatic turning of eggs greatly simplify the life of the farmer, because they have a digital thermostat. During the laying of eggs, it is required to set a certain temperature, and it remains stable during the subsequent incubation period.

If the temperature regime rises or falls sharply, then the mechanism makes a sharp sound... In addition, the eggs are turned every hour, which prevents the embryo from sticking to the shell, and increases the percentage of chick survival. However, these devices are expensive.But this is the only way you can raise healthy chickens.

Correct management of newly hatched broiler chicks

Conditions of detention

Premises

Keeping chickens out of the hatchery at home is easy. Remember a few rules for caring for a chicken house:

1. An important condition of the room is cleanliness. Be sure to clean up the place where the chicks are kept every day, remove garbage, uneaten food. Otherwise, infections can quickly appear in an uncleaned room;
2. If litter is available in the house, it is regularly changed. It must always be clean and dry;
3. It is not advisable that a large number of poultry be present in the place of detention. It is important to provide young animals with free space so that they can walk freely, run, fully exercise all motor functions;
4. Number of livestock keeping directly depends on the area of ​​the place for keeping chicks.

Do not keep chicks indoors all the time. Regularly, you need to take the bird population outside for walking, but preferably at 2 months of age. Fresh air, obtaining additional green fodder are the main conditions for the full functioning of all the poultry's digestive organs.

Light

The second important condition for keeping chicks is light. The length of daylight hours depends on the age of the young.

From the first days of a chicken's life, it is necessary to maintain the duration of daylight hours at least 18 hours... This is then reduced to 10 hours before the chicks reach 4 months of age.

These indicators do not depend on the type of chicken breed. In addition, it does not matter what the poultry is grown for - for eggs or meat, this indicator should remain unchanged. The duration of daylight hours in winter can be maintained by the presence of additional lighting in the room where the individuals are kept.

Temperature for breeding healthy individuals

Temperature parameters depend on the age of the bird:

• For diurnal individuals up to 5 days of age, a suitable temperature regime in the room is considered to be up to +32 degrees Celsius;
• With the onset of 6 days of life and up to 9 days, the temperature gradually decreases to +28 degrees Celsius;
• From day 10 to day 20, the temperature regime is reduced by another 3 degrees +25 degrees Celsius;
• In the subsequent period, the temperature should be maintained from +20 degrees to 24 degrees Celsius.

Maintaining an optimal temperature level can be ensured by using lamps for lighting. In winter, additional heaters can be installed.

Food

What to give in the first days of life

Chick feeding should be started immediately after hatching.... But still it is worth waiting for a while for them to dry out, to get a little stronger.

A small amount of corn grits should be poured into a feeder with a flat base or simply on the bottom of the box. This cereal has a fine structure, so this food will be most suitable for newborn chicks.

Do not give crushed yolk to newborn chickens. This product has a high fat content. Also, many veterinarians note that this food does not exert proper stress on the muscular structure of the stomach of a newborn chicken. As a result, the formation and structure of the walls of the stomach is disrupted. If roughage is given after this meal, it can cause indigestion.

Feeding day old chicks

The diet of diurnal individuals, in contrast to newly hatched chicks, is already more varied. In addition to corn grits, individuals can be given other types of feed:

1. Semolina;
2. Barley groats;
3. Millet;
4. Ground oat flakes;
5. Wheat groats.

The feeding process for day old chicks should be done every two hours.... Feed should be given in small portions. It is advisable not to mix cereals, otherwise some individuals will begin to choose the food they like the most and will only eat it.Therefore, it is best to give feed mixtures individually and dry.

For full growth and development, chicks, in addition to cereals, should be given other components. For young individuals, cottage cheese is very useful. Thanks to this product, the body of chickens is saturated with nitrogenous substances and calcium. Cottage cheese can be given from 2-3 days after the emergence of chicks in the morning, pre-mixing with cereals.

Organization of feeding of grown chickens

It is worth remembering that dairy products provide high value for babies... Instead of water, you can pour whey, liquid kefir into the drinker. On the third day, individuals can be fed with greens. For food, you can use plantain, clover, dandelion, nettle, bummer. On the 5th day, green onions should be introduced. Green onions have a beneficial effect - they provide high protection for the body against various intestinal diseases.

Weekly

Individuals of one week of age can already begin to give a mixture of corn, barley, oat and wheat groats. The cereals are mixed in equal proportions - 1: 1.

Additionally, chopped herbs and dairy products can be added to the mixture. During this period, individuals can already be fed less often, but the portions should be large. Up to 4-5 feedings should be received per day.

Period

From a month or more, chicks are released outside for walking. For this reason, the diet during this period is green. Through the use of herbs and other greens, individuals receive the vitamins necessary for their growing body.

Besides coarsely ground grain is introduced into the diet of individual layers... From a month and a half, adults should eat whole grains. You can give meat and bone meal and food waste.

How to determine the gender of a chicken: chicken or rooster?

In the egg

How to identify a chicken from a rooster in an egg? Not many poultry farmers will be satisfied when, after hatching, the percentage of males will be almost 80-90%. Therefore, in these cases, the method of determining the sex of a cock or a chicken by egg is used. It would seem that this task is difficult and almost impossible, but this is far from the case.

To determine the sex of the egg, recommendations will help:

• First you need take an egg in your right hand, while the sharp end of the egg should be directed upward;
• Further run your left finger along the top of it;
• If a ring and tubercles are observed at the upper end, then these criteria indicate that a cockerel will appear. If the top of the egg has a smooth structure - a chicken.

Hatching chicks with a brood hen

At day-old

How to distinguish a chicken from a cockerel at one day of age? At one day of age, sexual characteristics do not appear at all clearly, so it is quite difficult to determine the sex. Females usually have more luxuriant plumage., but males, on the contrary, are scarce, in some places they can be without fluff.

At 2 months

How to tell a rooster from a chicken at 2 months old? At this age, gender can be determined using several methods:

• By plumage... Individuals with abundant plumage are females, and those with poor plumage are males;
• By this age, the cockerels have a comb, the beard turns red, and the face is rounded;
• In cockerels, legs become longer, spurs can already be seen on them;
• In males, overgrown plaits appear on the tail.

At 3 and 4 months

How to distinguish a rooster from a chicken at 3 or 4 months At the age of 3 months, sex determination of individuals is much easier, in roosters you can see the following external characteristics:

1. The scallop becomes bright in color;
2. The crest, beard and earrings become large;
3. The legs become high;
4. Spurs are already clearly visible on the legs;
5. The tail has long braids.

Methods for determination in poultry farms

In addition to traditional methods for determining the sex of chickens, there are other methods that are commonly used in poultry farms. These methods help to determine the gender with the greatest probability.

Cytogenetic way

How can a cockerel be distinguished from a chicken by this method? This method is based on the determination of the age by the karyotype of the fast-acting cells of the feather pulp. Usually in males who are not even a month old, the Z chromosome acts as the longest metacentric.

In females, the number of these chromosomes is 10 times less; W-chromosomes - submetacentric - predominate in their bodies. If, during the analysis, it is found that the Z-chromosome is present in the body in a single copy, then this is a chicken, if there are a lot of these chromosomes, then a cockerel.

Sex determination of chicks by different methods

DNA

This method of how to distinguish chicks from females from cockerels allows you to determine the sex of the chicks with the greatest probability. It is based on blot hybridization of blood DNA with a primer.

A juvenile can be identified with high accuracy using the analysis of samples or whole blood, washed erythrocytes. The disadvantages of this method include high cost and labor intensity.

On the wings

Determining gender using this method:

1. The first way is inspecting the color of the wings... At the age of 2-3 days, the wings of the chicks are examined - in males they are slightly lighter than in females;
2. The second way is in counting feathers... It is necessary to pull the wing of the chick and spread it. Chickens fledge first, for this reason 6-7 primary feathers are large in size, unlike others. But males have all the same feathers.

To size

The sex of the chicks is determined depending on their size. Typically, a high-precision balance is used for this method. If an individual has a large enough mass for its age, then it is a cockerel. If the mass is small, then this is a female. Usually the difference in weight is about 5 grams.

How to tell the sex of a hen by color?

Determination of sex by color of plumage is mainly used for purebred individuals:

• Running shoes... At about the age of 1 day, sexual characteristics are determined: beige is typical for females, and white for males;
• Autosex breeds... Chickens have monochromatic colors - gray, white, black, and males have stripes;
• Brahmas... Females have distinct stripes on the back and points on the head. Males also have stripes and dots, but they are slightly blurred;
• Rhode Island and New Hampshire breeds. On the second day after hatching, dark spots and stripes can be seen on the head of females; males do not have these characteristics;
• Adler silver. Females are yellow in color, and males are lemon with a black stripe on their heads.

Japanese method

This method of sex determination of chicks is used in many poultry farms. The accuracy of this method is almost 95%. However, to implement this method, you need to have special skills.

Before you start sex determination using this method, it is worth understanding the structure of the chicks' genitals and finding out their differences.

Males can be separated from females by detecting a tubercle in the anus, which is absent in future chickens:

1. First of all, the chick's cloaca is cleaned of traces of droppings;
2. Next, the individual should be taken in the palm of your hand, turned over, the legs should be spread so that the cloaca is clearly visible;
3. The hole must be pushed apart, at the same time you need to press on the abdomen. As a result of these manipulations, the internal structure of the cloaca will be clearly visible.

External differences between the cloaca of females and males:

• In females, the cloaca looks like a neat nodule without bulges;
• In males, a genital tubercle is quite often found.

To avoid unpleasant consequences, this method should only be carried out by an experienced poultry breeder or farmer.

Arranging a place for newly hatched chicks

Reflex

how to distinguish chicks by sex using this method? This gender determination method is performed in two ways:

1. You should take the chick by the scruff of the neck and look behind the legs for a while. Usually chickens try to curl their legs, and clench the claws.At the same time, it raises the paws a little. And the bettas, on the contrary, do not twist their legs, and do not move them, they hang in an even position;
2. You can, on the contrary, take the chick by the legs and look behind the position of the head. Chickens usually lift their heads up., and the cockerels, on the contrary, hang without moving.

How to distinguish a cock from a chicken by voice?

Usually this method is used by the Orpington and Cochin peoples. The voice of males is the most coarse, similar to a quack. In females, on the contrary, the voice is softer, they mostly squeak. This method does not always allow you to accurately determine the sex characteristics of individuals. It is mainly used by experienced poultry farmers.

How do you determine your age?

Usually the age of chicks is determined by the plumage. It is advisable to remember the features of plumage depending on age:

• Between 8 and 12 days of age, feathering appears in the shoulder area;
• In the period from 12 to 16 days, feathers appear on the crop and breast;
• In chicks of three weeks of age, the first molt is observed, while all the fluff falls out of the tail;
• At the end of the fifth week, flight feathers grow, and feathers appear on the back of the body;
• At six weeks of age, a feather covers the head and lower body;
• Full plumage is observed at the age of 3 months.

Diseases of chickens

Chickens, as well as chicks of other bird species, are susceptible to various diseases. The following diseases are most common:

1. Avitominosis;
2. Poisoning;
3. Digestive disorders;
4. Salmonellosis;
5. Coccidosis;
6. Typhus and many others.

In order to properly treat diseases, it is worth knowing what symptoms are characterized by diseases in chickens.

Diarrhea in chickens

Why broilers vilify chickens is sometimes quite difficult to figure out. Below, let's try to figure out and understand all the reasons for this phenomenon.

White diarrhea in broilers: can it be cured?

Quite often, chickens develop white diarrhea. It is also called pullorosis. This disease usually occurs in an acute form and quickly affects the fragile intestines of chickens. The causative agent of this disease is a bacillus called salmonella. The disease usually spreads at a high rate, in a few days almost all birds can get sick.

White diarrhea in broiler chicks

How to cure diarrhea in chickens? For prophylaxis, you need to clean the room of debris, disinfect everything. It is also imperative to check the room temperature and ventilation.

Recovered individuals are subject to destruction. Meat from sick birds should not be eaten.

Yellow diarrhea in broilers: why it occurs and how to treat it?

This diarrhea can occur during infectious diseases, as well as if the conditions of detention are not observed. Sometimes yellow droppings are seen in Gumboro disease. In these cases, an examination, testing is carried out.

Besides yellow diarrhea can result from stress, hypothermia, due to poor quality feed. In these cases, folk remedies are used for treatment and the premises are disinfected.

Yellow diarrhea in chickens

Bloody diarrhea in chickens: a symptom of what diseases?

Bloody diarrhea usually occurs with coccidiosis. This disease is dangerous and often leads to the death of the entire bird population. This disease occurs due to poor hygiene, namely, untimely cleaning of the room. This disease affects the intestines. In addition to diarrhea, the following conditions are observed:

• Loss of appetite;
• Lethargy, inactivity;
• Tousled plumage;
• Impurities of blood and mucus appear in the droppings.

How to treat if chickens have bloody diarrhea? For treatment and prevention, it is necessary to clean and disinfect the room in a timely manner, vaccinate and give the appropriate chemicals.

Light brown diarrhea in broiler chickens and its treatment

Broilers have brown diarrhea with eimeriosis. This disease is caused by various parasitic protozoa that accumulate in the intestines of chickens or hens. Infection usually occurs through food, dirty bedding, gadfly.

Symptoms of the disease:

1. Individuals sit in one place with their eyes closed;
2. Tousled plumage;
3. The wings are hanging to the floor;
4. Lack of appetite;
5. Brown diarrhea with mucus.

The disease is determined during the study. Treatment is best done at an early stage. For treatment, drugs are used - coccidiostatics.

Light brown diarrhea in chickens

Chickens vilify green

Green diarrhea can occur with pasteurellosis disease. In this case, examinations, analyzes are carried out. If the diagnosis is confirmed, then appropriate treatment is prescribed.

In the absence of pasteurellosis, green diarrhea can cause poor-quality expired feed. In this case, the treatment is carried out using adsorbing agents (activated carbon). Suspicious feed must be disposed of and only high quality feed provided.

Green diarrhea in chickens

Worms

Chickens often have such an unpleasant disease as helminthiasis. This condition poses a particular danger, and in almost 50% of cases, if not treated promptly, it leads to death. Signs of worms in chickens are severe emaciation.

The main danger of this disease is that it affects all individuals in the same room. Worms are excreted along with the droppings of affected individuals and, together with food, enter the body of healthy individuals.

What to do if chickens develop worms? In order to save the entire livestock of birds, you need to plant infected chicks in time, clean the room, remove all bedding and disinfect everything. Infected individuals should be given antihelminthic drugs and nutritious food. Medicine for worms in chickens should be given as early as possible.

Disease prevention

Preventive measures for various diseases of chickens include the following recommendations:

• Timely cleaning and disinfection of the premises saline solutions, caustic soda, bleach;
• Compliance with the density of livestock in the poultry house. It is desirable that the number of chicks in one room be moderate;
• Quality feed with a high nutrient content;
• It is imperative to equip the ventilation of the room;
• Compliance with the temperature regime of the room;
• Soldering birds with drugs against infectious diseases;
• Timely vaccination.

Breeding chickens is a laborious process that requires a lot of responsibility. In order for the livestock to be healthy, it is imperative to follow all the rules of keeping. The main condition for the full growth and development of chicks is care and attention!

Now you know how to raise chickens at home, how to treat chickens, what to do if chickens develop worms, and how to treat diarrhea in chickens and adults. Follow all recommendations and watch out for chicks.

And a video on how to feed chickens:

An increasing number of backyard owners are convinced that keeping chickens for eggs or meat is profitable and not as troublesome as it seems. The most responsible and painstaking stage in this case is raising chickens, which require both a particularly careful attitude and a special feeding regime.

How to choose feed and create conditions for the growth of young animals? How to care for chickens? And what are the preferred methods of keeping at home?

Caring for chickens in the first days of life

The future development and health of chicks depends on many factors. But, even having created all the conditions for growth for the bird, it is difficult to expect good results if the chicks are initially weak. Therefore, when selecting from an incubator, young animals are strictly sorted, taking only the most viable individuals for further cultivation.

The first days of life are the most difficult and crucial period for both the chicks and the poultry farmer.

The care of day-old chicks, most vulnerable to disease and often suffering from poorly selected diets, should focus on creating and maintaining:

• the required temperature regime;
• optimal air humidity;
• lighting and ventilation modes;
• balanced diet and nutritional dosage.

Dried strong chicks from the incubator are transferred to a brooder with conditions created for a comfortable habitat of chicks or placed under an experienced hen.

The main requirements for the premises where the chick population is located are:

• dryness and cleanliness;
• maintaining proper temperature and humidity;
• correctly selected lighting and ventilation mode.

Before the poultry house accepts the chickens, it is cleaned, disinfected, dry loose bedding is placed, the presence of protection from rodents is checked, and everything is completed with everything necessary to support the life of the pets.

Such equipment includes not only lamps and heating devices, hygrometers and thermometers, but also feeders and drinkers. Their design should be chosen in such a way that it is safe to use them, and the number is determined based on the number of livestock. No more than 12 chickens are settled per square meter when keeping chickens at home.

Subsequently, the premises are regularly washed, the old bedding removed, disinfected and ventilated.

Air temperature and lighting for growing chickens

The first days and weeks of life, chicks often suffer from hypothermia or, conversely, an excessively high temperature. The fact is that until the age of one month, the body of chickens cannot yet quickly and effectively adapt to changes in external conditions.

Therefore, in caring for chickens in the first days of life, strict control over the temperature in the poultry house or brooder must be included:

1. The chicks should spend the first day in an atmosphere similar to that in the incubator. And for this, the air is warmed up to a comfortable 35 ° C.
2. The next day, the room is gradually cooled. In the first week, the air can have a temperature of 30–32 ° C.
3. Such heating is necessary not only in the daytime, but also at night, especially the poultry farmer needs to be especially attentive in cloudy weather and periods of cold snaps.
4. From the second week, the temperature is reduced by another couple of degrees, and the grown bird already feels great at a temperature of at least 21 ° C.

It is convenient to measure temperature using a thermometer located inside the house. It is better if the appliance is fixed slightly above the floor, at the level of the chicken. This will give the poultry farmer an accurate picture of the bird's health.

Whether the chickens are comfortable when they are kept at home can be judged by their behavior:

1. Chicks crowding under the lamp or next to each other are clearly freezing.
2. From the heat, the birds ruffle their feathers and wings, become inactive and sink to the floor.

As much as temperature, proper lighting in the house is important when raising chicks. The first few days the lamps are not turned off at all. With this, the poultry farmer pushes the pets to eat, move and grow more actively. Then the chicks begin to gradually accustom themselves to darkness, turning off the lights first for 15 minutes, then for half an hour, each day increasing the time for rest.

Feeding chickens when raised at home

A balanced diet, matched to age and needs, is a guarantee of good health and active growth of chickens. The first feeding of chicks when nursing and rearing at home is done shortly after the chicks are born. The sooner food is offered to the young, the faster they acclimate.

Chicks usually become self-sufficient at around 8 hours of age. By this time, they can be offered a chopped, hard-boiled chicken egg.It is included in the menu for 3-4 days, gradually adding new healthy products to the diet.

The first addition is boiled millet, then chopped wheat and crushed corn appear on the menu. The choice of these two cereals is due to their good digestibility, which is not the case with oats or barley. The rough shells of their seeds irritate the digestive tract and lead to diarrhea in chicks.

Raising chickens at home assumes that not only dry food, such as cereals, but also greens, lactic acid products, mineral supplements, and potatoes should be used when feeding. Greens, which have a beneficial effect on digestion, enter the feeders already in the first days. This could be:

• Clover;
• scalded and chopped nettle;
• green onions, containing, in addition to vitamins, mineral salts, moisture and fiber, also phytoncides useful for poultry;
• root vegetables of carrots, which are given to chickens in a chopped form.

An irreplaceable source of protein at an early age is cottage cheese, whey, yogurt, buttermilk. They are added to wet feed and grain mixtures.

From the fourth day, containers with fine gravel, shells and chalk are placed in places where chickens are kept at home, meat and bone or fish meal, which is an excellent source of animal protein, is added to the feed.

When raised at home, chickens may be offered finely chopped meat trimmings or ground earthworms instead of flour. Protein intake is especially important when it comes to raising meat chicken breeds.

When caring for day old chicks, feeding is carried out at intervals of two hours, laying out the feed on flat sheets or pallets. Then the number of meals is reduced to 6, and after another 2-3 weeks to four. The grown bird feeds in the morning and in the evening.

How to raise chickens at home if they were born in the cold season, when there is not enough green food? In this case, the bird is offered sprouted cereal seeds, which include a large amount of vegetable protein, fiber and vitamins. Herbal flour will also be a good help.

Excellent results when growing chickens are shown by feeding them with ready-made mixtures. Most often, such compound feeds are divided into starting, growth and finishing and differ in the size of the fraction and composition.

In addition to feed and mineral supplements, the house should always have clean water at room temperature. Also, chicks are regularly given a solution of potassium permanganate, which is a kind of prevention of intestinal diseases. The liquid is changed daily, along the way, thoroughly rinsing the containers. Drinking bowls for chicks must be safe. Since hypothermia is fraught with the death of the chick, the bird should not be allowed to get wet while drinking or can go into the water.

Features of keeping chickens at home

During the period of raising chickens at home, special attention is paid to birds that are lagging behind in development, gaining little weight and eating less actively than their peers. To avoid further harassment from strong rivals, these chicks are caged and personally cared for.

From one week of age, when keeping chickens at home, they are satisfied with walking. Sun exposure is an important part of preventing rickets and other diseases caused by vitamin deficiencies and metabolic disorders.

The first walks last no more than an hour and a half, but growing chicks over time can stay in the pen for a walk longer and longer. The main thing is that the walking space is safe, well ventilated and well lit. For poultry, it is better to provide a canopy and drinkers and feeders placed under it.

Proper nutrition and maintenance of chickens - video

Part 1

Part 2

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Caring for chickens is not easy, troublesome, but with a responsible approach, it is very profitable.How to organize the process at home so that a full-fledged healthy chicken grows from small fragile fluffy lumps? How to properly balance feeding and create conditions so as not to lose a single chick?

Raising chickens requires skill and skill from the farmer

How to choose chicks to raise

It is preferable to select healthy young growth from the incubator for growing, otherwise the cost of feed will not be justified, a weak chick either dies in the first week, or significantly lags behind in growth.

Healthy chicken:

• stands steadily on his feet;
• moves well and quickly;
• reacts to light and sound;
• the pecking instinct is developed;
• the tummy is tucked up, soft;
• the umbilical cord is healed;
• clean and pink cloaca;
• the eyes are convex, shiny;
• the wings are tightly pressed to the body.

Healthy chicks have clear eyes and soft plumage

Care in the early days

The most critical period of rearing is the first weeks of life, at this time the chickens are especially vulnerable to all kinds of infections, so they should be looked after especially carefully. In the early days, of particular importance are:

• optimal temperature conditions;
• quality food;
• a sufficient amount of water;
• conditions of detention.

When the chicks are dry, they are removed from the incubator under the hen or in a prepared box. If caring for them is carried out without the participation of a chicken, the best option for placing them after the incubator is a wooden or cardboard box, placed in a warm, dry room. Such a dwelling will make it possible for babies to adapt and get stronger, it is easier to warm it.

The bottom is lined with a cloth in several layers. The paper will not fit, weak paws slide over the surface, this can be the cause of the dislocation.

They will get entangled in the straw, if you put sawdust, fools can peck small wood residues and die.

Dried up chickens are put in a box

Requirements for the premises

After a week, the chicks can be moved to a permanent place in the chicken house. Cleanliness in it is the main prevention of diseases. Overcrowding of young stock, remains of spoiled feed, droppings, all this leads to the development of diseases. Therefore, where chickens are kept, it should always be dry and warm. Basic requirements for the premises:

• before placing the young, it is necessary to disinfect;
• it is important that cats or rats do not get into it;
• humidity not more than 70%;
• per sq.m. place no more than 12 heads;
• Regardless of the quality of the floor, a thick layer of bedding made of absorbent material is required: hay is best suited for this purpose, it should not be moldy.

Walking is allowed from a week of age, the sun's rays have a beneficial effect on metabolic processes, this is an excellent prevention of rickets. To begin with, the duration of the walks is about one and a half hours, then the chickens will gradually be outside for most of the daylight hours. To do this, make a corral, closed with a net, so that they do not scatter, cats or crows do not reach them. Well, if a roof is provided, then sudden rain will not harm if the owner is not around.

Chicks can be released for a walk from the age of 7 days

Temperature and light conditions

Thermoregulation in chicks of chickens will form only by the end of the first month of life, therefore it is important to monitor the temperature in the box. On the first day, it is better if it does not differ too much from the incubator, therefore 35 ° С is the optimal indicator, the next day you can reduce it to 30-32 ° С.

Round-the-clock heating in the box is carried out by an ordinary incandescent lamp; heaters or more powerful lighting devices can be used for the chicken house. They should be positioned so that the chickens can bask freely under them, or move away if they are hot. It is placed at a distance of 40 cm from the floor surface.

Up to one and a half months, they continue to heat the premises, especially in cloudy weather and at night.If in the first week the comfortable temperature is at least 32 ° C, then it is lowered by 3 ° C per week. For grown chickens, 21 ° C is quite enough. The control thermometer is placed at a distance of 10 cm from the floor.

How comfortable the chicks feel can be judged by their behavior. When they huddle together, nestle against each other, then the temperature is too low. This should not be allowed, chicks are especially sensitive to hypothermia, they can get sick and die. If they behave calmly during rest, move actively, eat, everything is fine, conditions are good.

The light regime plays an important role in poultry rearing, with its help it is possible to regulate the development of young chickens, long-term illumination contributes to rapid growth. At first, the lamp is left for a day, it can be turned off for 15 minutes, gradually accustoming the young to the dark. Over time, the duration of daylight hours is reduced.

Chicks in a box should not huddle together, this is a signal that they are cold

Feeding

A complete, varied feeding is the key to the health and good growth of chickens. They are already capable of pecking on their own 8 hours after hatching. The main food during this period:

• A finely chopped boiled chicken egg is the main type of food for day old babies. It is given for 4 days.
• The next day, you can gradually diversify the feeding. Lightly boiled millet will do. The groats are well digested at this age, and the grain size is optimal for small beaks. First, it is given in small quantities along with an egg, then constantly up to two months.
• Shredded wheat and corn are added.
• It is better not to give barley and oats, chickens cannot digest the film until they are one month old, this provokes a disease of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Well, if you can find high-quality feed mixtures, they can be used already for 3 days.
• At this time, it is time to introduce green food - this is finely chopped nettles, alfalfa, clover, carrots, green onions. All this contributes to proper digestion, is a vitamin supplement to the diet.
• Fermented milk products are gradually introduced - cottage cheese, reverse, dry milk is added to the mash:
• On day 4, you need to put a container with gravel in the box, this is necessary for better digestion of food.
• Be sure to include meat and bone meal in the diet. If not, minced meat waste or earthworms are a great substitute for the valuable supplement.
• Small shells can serve as a source of calcium.
• In feeding chickens, wood ash is used, up to 0.6 g of the product is added per head at a young age to the mash. By 2 months, the dosage is increased to 6 g.

In the first decade, feed is given with an interval of 2 hours, then the frequency of feeding is reduced to 6, then to 4 times. At first, it is better not to put it in the trough, but to scatter it in the place where the chickens eat. So they will not push and interfere with each other. The index of satiety and health of chick chicks is sleep after eating.

In the first ten days of life, chickens eat every 2 hours

The table shows the approximate nutritional norms for chickens of egg breeds of hens per day, in grams. Age is in weeks.

The diet	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Egg	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Fat-free cottage cheese	1-2	3-4	5-6	6-7	—	—	—	—	—
Millet porridge	3-4	5-6	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Wheat, corn	5-7	10-12	15-20	25-30	40-50	50-60	60-70	70-80	80-70
Boiled potatoes	—	—	3-5	7-10	15-20	25-30	30-40	40-50	50-60
Meat and bone meal	—	1-2	2-3	2-3	2-3	3-4	3-4	3-4	3-4
Mineral feed	—	0,3-0,5	0,5-1	1-2	1-3	2-3	3-4	3-4	3-4
Carrot	0,5-1	1-2	4-5	5-7	8-10	10-15	15-20	25-30	35-40
Greens	1-2	2-3	5-6	8-10	15-20	25-30	30-35	35-40	40-50
Salt, no more	—	—	—	—	0,1	0,1	0,2	0,2	0,3

During the growing period, special attention should be paid to weakened individuals. Those who eat poorly, are not mobile enough, it is better to plant them, then more active brothers will not interfere with their nutrition, and soon they will catch up with them in growth.

Clean, boiled water should be in the house at all times from day one, it is important that the surface of the drinker is limited to prevent the fluff from getting wet. For this, a saucer is suitable, a half-liter jar or glass is placed upside down in it. Small sticks are placed under the edges, as the liquid decreases, the dishes will be replenished again.But this does not mean that the water does not need to be changed, the bowl is washed every day, the water is replaced with fresh water.

A chick drinker can be purchased at the store

Growing broiler chickens

There is a significant difference in the maintenance of broilers and chickens of ordinary chickens. Meat breeds of chickens gain weight very quickly, after 2 months, with a rational approach, their weight reaches 1.5 kg.

They are grown in two ways, farmers usually use intensive cultivation:

• From birth, day-old chickens are kept tightly in cages: by 1 m / sq. 12 individuals are accommodated; before slaughter, the dimensions of the room remain unchanged.
• The feeder must be placed so that there is at least 3 cm of area on the head.
• Broilers are demanding on temperature, therefore, throughout the entire period, the rates should not decrease.
• Lighting also plays a role: the lamp should be on around the clock for 5 days, then, until the chickens are 22 days old, it is reduced by a few minutes. Then you can reduce it by 30 minutes daily, bringing daylight hours to 18 hours.
• Feeding is carried out with special balanced compound feed. They contain a sufficient amount of proteins, proteins and vitamins. It is important that there is always feed in the feeders so that broilers can meet their food needs at any time.

With the extensive method, young meat chickens are raised at home in the summer, using a walk, fed with ordinary feed, taking into account the intensive weight gain.

Chickens are kept at the rate of 12 heads per sq. m.

Under the hen

Growing young at home under a laying hen is an old method, proven for centuries. A caring mother will warm it up, show you where the delicious bug is hiding, and the owner will have less worries, taking care of the chicken is much easier.

It is better to choose experienced laying hens for these purposes, with a well-developed maternal instinct, so there is more guarantee that she will not abandon the chicks. When the chicks are not hatching, but from the incubator, it is better to test the hen before replanting. At night, when she sits on eggs, a couple of chickens are laid under her, if she accepted them, the next evening it is the turn of the rest. The number of foster children depends on the weather and the size of the hen. In early spring, 15 chicks are enough, in hot summer it can warm up to 20.

Feeding under the hen begins when she brings the chicks out of the nest, the first month the frequency of food intake is at least 5 times. For the brood hen, the grain is given separately.

High-quality and varied food, cleanliness in the room, warmth and care will not be left without a reward. In the fall, you can already admire young and healthy chickens and cockerels, capable of providing a whole family with meat and eggs in sufficient quantity, and will remain for sale.

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