Grow broiler chickens yourself at home is quite difficult. But this is only at first glance. In fact, if we study in detail the information on the proper feeding and maintenance of such animals, you can achieve a positive result. In this article we will talk about how to grow chickens of broilers at home, analyze the nuances that will be useful to learn for newcomers in this business.
How to start broiler chicken farming as a business?
First you need to buy young chickens. It is better to do this at the end of spring, because by the cold the bird will already get stronger and grow up. This will help avoid the development of diseases in animals.
Also for the normal growth of young stock is required to provide a place for birds. Therefore, they need a special cell. Its size depends on the number of animals purchased.
Content requirements
Birds should pick a cage in which each bird will have enough space. Broilers are more demanding to the conditions of detention compared with other chickens. They should be provided with such habitat:
- Maintain the required temperature in the room. It should be approximately 30 degrees Celsius. After a couple of weeks, the temperature should be reduced to 20 degrees.
- Lighting. In the first two weeks of the animals should be provided around the clock coverage. This will help them grow as much as possible during this period. After two weeks, it is required to alternate the switching on and off of light every 2 hours.
- Provide adequate ventilation. Broilers should be kept in a disinfected and well ventilated area. The most comfortable option to comply with this rule is to keep broilers in special cages. They can also be kept in other places, but one should not forget that they must maintain the required temperature.
- Keeping birds clean. It is necessary to monitor the state of the cell, because in unsanitary conditions, broilers are prone to the development of certain diseases that are quickly transmitted. As a result, all individuals may die.
If the canoe decided to start broilers in the cold season, then for animals the best option would be to build a special greenhouse. In this way, it will be easy to maintain the temperature in the room.
It is important to know! Broilers lead a sedentary lifestyle! Therefore it is required to strictly observe the cleanliness in the room where they are located.
What kind of broiler birds to buy?
For breeding broiler chickens is required to acquire young individuals. This will help control their livelihoods, nutrition and mode of maintenance. Thanks to the observance of these rules, it will be possible to grow high-quality broilers that will have high egg production.
In general, the chicken has two options for broiler breeding:
- purchase of meat breed chickens;
- purchase of eggs for incubation hatching.
The second method of growing broiler chickens for meat is less expensive to purchase eggs. But it is suitable for a person who has decided to engage in this business for a long period of time. Since the purchase of an incubator is quite a costly undertaking.
If the chicken needs chickens not for business, but for personal meat use, then the option of buying young birds is ideal.
Chick care
A particularly troublesome task is to care for newly acquired young birds. This is due to the fact that it is necessary to closely monitor the temperature of the air in the room, as well as to provide constant lighting.
After 2 weeks, when the chickens grow up a little and get stronger, the temperature should be lowered. You should also not forget about the proper feeding of birds.
Increase in numbers at home
In order to start breeding broilers at home should strictly observe the conditions of the birds. You also need to pay special attention to their feeding and reproduction. We will dwell on these points in more detail.
Feeding
Chickens of this breed are usually grown to produce high-quality chicken meat. Since broilers have their own peculiarity - they very dynamically gain weight, you should pay special attention to their feeding in the first days of purchase. To do this, follow these rules:
- feeding young birds takes about 8 times a day, every 2 hours;
- the amount of time between feedings should not exceed 6 hours;
- before the 10th day, chicks should be fed easily digestible food, such as cottage cheese, milk, boiled eggs;
- after the 10th day, cereals should be introduced into the ration; preference should be given to such cereals: crushed wheat, corn grits, barley flour, oat groats;
- after 2 weeks, birds can gradually add boiled meat in a chopped form, greens.
You should also not forget about the beneficial additives when the animals grow up a bit. These are: chalk, bone grits, gravel, and more.
Under no circumstances should chicks be given raw water!
Breeding
When the basic rules of maintenance, care and nutrition are observed, after some time they begin to lay eggs. Their daily amount depends on the condition of the broiler.
Growing broiler chickens for meat
To grow a broiler with a large weight, you need to adhere to a special diet with the use of special feed. These are:
- Prelaunch. This feed is given to animals during the first 2 weeks. The amount of feed consumed should not exceed 25 g per day.
- Starting. It should be given up to 1 month. The daily amount of this feed should be about 120 g on average.
- Finishing. This feed should be given until ready to slaughter a broiler for meat. Number per day should average 150 g.
These feeds help to saturate the body of birds with nutrients necessary for active growth.
Diseases - diagnosis and treatment
Chickens broilers are usually weakly prone to the development of certain diseases. But with improper care, they can still appear. Consider the most common diseases in the process of broiler chickens at home:
- Dyspepsia. This is a disease that is characterized by impaired functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. A sick bird has severe diarrhea, weak activity, and eye irritation. To treat a sick chicken, it is required to give it purified water with the addition of glucose and ascorbic acid. Also, the bird should drink a weak soda solution.
- Bronchitis. With this disease, the bird has a cough, inflammation of the larynx, accumulation of fluid in the eyes. It is possible to cure bronchitis by using antibacterial drugs such as tetracycline, erythromycin, gentamicin and others.
- Avitaminosis. This is the result of an insufficient amount of nutrients in the chicken's body. At first glance, vitamin deficiency is not a serious pathology. But a lack of vitamins can lead to more serious diseases. Therefore, a sick bird needs a balanced diet.
- Joint diseases. They may result from injury or cramping in the cell. To normalize the condition of the bird should be given Ampicillin or Sulfadimectoxin.
After finding a sick bird, it should be isolated from healthy individuals until it is completely cured.
Frequent problems
The main problem with broiler breeding is the appearance of diseases. It can knock down all the birds. Therefore, it is necessary to immediately begin treatment of the affected individual.
Conclusion
Breeding broilers at home - a profitable and exciting business. Therefore, to hold this event, it is necessary to carefully study all the details of keeping chickens. This will help grow healthy broilers.