Chickens in the country: maintenance, breeding and breed selection. Tips for Beginners + 110 Photos and Videos

The cottage belongs to one of the most peaceful places to relax from the bustling city. In addition to domestic life and home care, there is an opportunity to grow food at the summer cottage. It can be anything - fruits, berries, vegetables, as well as the meat of any animals.

Breeding chickens in the country is not so difficult, and even beginners will be able to start poultry farming on their land.

Best breeds

At home, it is better to breed two types of chickens: meat and layers. The first type will provide the whole family with meat, and the second will provide fresh eggs. The development and reproduction of chickens depends on the methods of feeding and conditions of detention. Of course, birds are quite unpretentious in food and can eat any plants, vegetables, fruits, feed.

However, if your goals are for feeding broiler chicks, then it is important to provide the feed with a variety of nutritional supplements. They will enhance the growth and development of chicken muscle and meat fibers.

Moreover, these birds belong to those types of living creatures that tolerate cold well. Chickens in the country in winter feel great, feed and even breed.

The main thing is to provide them with warm sheds and a convenient place for laying eggs. For this, any kind of straw and ordinary insulation are suitable.

Suitable types:

• Leghorns.
• Loman Brown.
• Minorques.
• Hisex.

These species are well adapted to any climate and habitat, are unpretentious in food and tolerate diseases well. We can say that they have perfectly proven their functions in the industrial poultry industry and among farmers.

Buy young chicks at the market when they are 4 months old, during this special time they are just starting to lay eggs. At first, the testicles come out small, but over time they increase to full.

It is better to purchase more females and less males: 1 rooster for 10 chickens. If your plans do not include breeding chickens, then a rooster is not necessary.

A little advice! To determine the sex of the chicken, simply hang it upside down. The boy will begin to actively toss and turn and lift his head up, and the chicken will obey - remaining in a hanging position.

Meat breeds, best varieties:

• Broilers are the most popular type.
• Brahma.
• Cornish.

General requirements for feed

Some owners prefer mixed breed chickens, from which both meat and egg products can be obtained. Universal chickens, like all the others, must eat well so as not to lose their productive qualities. A little more than 180 g of food is consumed per bird per day. For the most part, there are formulated diets that are suitable for domestic chickens, with the exception of a few breeds that have a range of nutritional needs.

Table 1 shows the need for birds in certain foods, depending on the season.

Note to the poultry farmer. There are special compound feeds that contain all the necessary vitamin and mineral components. Separate types - for meat and egg production. The cost of such feeds is quite high, so the owners prepare such mixtures according to the recipe on their own.

You can diversify the diet with mash, they include vegetables, grass, waste from a person's table. It is important to remember here that such food quickly deteriorates in the heat.

In the hot season, it is imperative to give chickens green mass. In the absence of walking areas or no grass on the site, it is recommended to mow the grass for birds daily.

Care and cultivation

In order to fully maintain the chickens in the country, you need to take care of their place of stay. It is important to make a dwelling for all seasons: summer - open area; winter is a warm room.

Birds, in addition to free space, should have a place with good shade. For all important needs, you can make a separate barn or a booth with a fenced yard around the perimeter.

It is important to place several feeders and drinkers on the site if there are a lot of chickens. Chickens do not need a huge yard, it is enough to build a small house with closed housing and open area (with a protective net). Of course, babies cannot stay there forever, so you need to think about improving living conditions in advance.

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What place to choose for a chicken coop

Before moving on to the question of choosing a particular breed, it is worth talking about the place of keeping future pets. There are some nuances here, namely:

• the place for construction should be well lit all day, but you should not choose a site with constant sun;
• a lowland or windswept hill will not be suitable for building a chicken coop. Also, do not place it under trees;
• the most common method of keeping is outdoor. It is planned to build premises and a walking area here. The dimensions of the latter are calculated based on the fact that one bird should have 1 square meter. m of space. To protect the chickens from bad weather, sheds are erected, and so that the water does not stagnate, it is recommended to choose a place with a slight slope, which will ensure the drain of excess liquid.

What if you don't enclose your yard?

In the case of a free walk around the yard, there are many inconveniences:

• All flowers and a vegetable garden will be destroyed and trampled.
• Adult chickens can fly over the fence to their neighbors if their wings are not clipped.
• Chicken eggs will be around the perimeter, and some eggs will be able to eat other birds.

This prospect is not very happy for summer residents and their neighbors, so you should adhere to the recommendations for care and maintenance. And also on the Internet there are a huge number of photos of chickens in the country and their personal houses. Detailed designs and advice can be used to construct an excellent home.

About the features of feeding egg chickens

It is worth saying that different breeds need to be fed on different diets. So how to properly feed egg-laying chicken breeds? As mentioned above, in the summer it is necessary to give green mass, as well as compound feeds developed for the egg direction.

If priority is given to your own feed, it is recommended to use different types of grain (can be given in mixtures or separately).Grain contains vitamins and mineral complexes in the amount in which chickens need them, and this ensures good growth and productivity.

Each owner should monitor the nutritional status of pets. Being overweight, like being thin, leads to decreased productivity and health problems. Approximately one bird should have about 150 g of grain, you also need to remember about water tanks.

If young animals were purchased, then they will need special feed, namely:

• boiled chopped eggs;
• corn grits;
• millet;
• finely grated carrots;
• green cut grass.

From the 30th day of life, young animals can start complementary feeding with grain, compound feed, food waste and mash, to which feed chalk containing calcium is added.

Photo of chickens in the country

Frequent problems

Breeders of chickens, sooner or later, face a number of difficulties caused by the occurrence of strange behavior in birds.

1. Chickens peck each other. The reason may be either too close the house, and aggressive behavior of the brooding hen or the displacement of young chickens by older ones.
2. Molting of chickens. During this period, some chickens may look sick, but molting is normal and not at all dangerous to the health of the birds.
3. And here poor appetiteon the contrary, it can signal stress or illness.

Growing and breeding chickens in a summer cottage is not a troublesome business, a beginner can cope with it. The main thing is to understand for yourself and adhere to the basic rules for breeding and caring for poultry, and then delicious, fresh and high-quality meat and eggs will always be on your table.

How much does a kilogram of chicken cost in a store

The price of chicken meat in 2020 increased by almost 20%. This is due to many factors, including the decline in the share of imported products. In summer, prices are lower, and by winter they increase.

Naturally, the price of chicken meat differs in different regions. Here are some examples of what is offered in different areas:

• In Samara chickens chilled at 145 rubles.
• Sevastopol - domestic chickens cost from 288 rubles.
• In the Sverdlovsk region, farm chickens are sold from 250 rubles.
• In Murmansk, you can find a chicken carcass for 88 rubles / kg.
• In the Moscow region, the online store even offers 600 rubles for a chicken carcass. Although in ordinary stores this price starts from 170-200 rubles.
• In St. Petersburg, a boneless chicken thigh is sold for 329 rubles / kg.

The price difference is huge, even within the same city.

Mistakes of novice poultry farmers

Those who are just starting to breed hens often make mistakes typical for beginners, associated with the level of knowledge about the correct keeping of chickens and the lack of proper experience.

• the diet of chickens should be varied and balanced, but when feeding, different varieties of cereals should not be mixed, since the birds will eat only what they like, leaving the other untouched;

• In the morning it is recommended to feed the chickens with "soft" food - vegetables and peelings, and in the afternoon - with grain or cereals. The predominance of root crops and berries in the feed ration will cause diarrhea in layers;

• green potatoes should not be fed to poultry. It contains a large amount of the glycoalkaloid solanine. This can lead to bird poisoning;

• the absence or lack of protein in the diet of birds leads to metabolic disorders and growth retardation. It is imperative to feed the hens with protein foods: legume grains, cake, meat and bone meal, skim milk;

• You can give the shell to the hens, but before that it must be properly prepared - rinse thoroughly, fry in the oven, and then grind to a powdery state;

• the chicken coop must be insulated. For the winter, you can fix the plastic wrap or put a double frame in the window openings. Lay straw or hay on the floor. Insulate the walls with foam.In a cold chicken coop, birds will stop rushing;

• It is not recommended to walk chickens in subzero temperatures, as they can catch a cold or frostbite on their paws, and this, in turn, will lead to a decrease in egg production and muscle atrophy.

• sand, small stones are very important in the diet of chickens. The point is that birds have no teeth. In order for food to be processed faster, birds subconsciously eat sand, which, when it gets into the stomach, helps to grind the food. You can make a separate gravel feeder.

The intensity of the light radiation has a significant effect on the performance of the laying hens.

Birds have poor vision at night and are very sensitive to light. Thanks to lighting, the chickens regulate various natural processes: sleep, appetite, hatching of offspring.

In natural light, chickens hatch chicks in spring and summer. Electric light will artificially lengthen the day and increase the laying period.

It is necessary from the very beginning, but gradually to accustom the chickens to stable lighting. Daylight hours should be 16-18 hours.

They differ in character

Surprisingly, chickens and hens are as different in their personalities as

other

... They can be curious, timid, outgoing, fussy, grumpy - whatever! They require very little attention, but the more time you spend with them, the more their behavior will resemble those of other pets. They will even start to greet you when you arrive.

Chickens and hens are as different in temperament as other pets.

They can fly

This may not happen, but it’s better to learn about it and think about it before you actually find your chickens at the top of the neighbor

and you will scratch in the back of your head, wondering how to get them out of there. The good news is that your pets are quite happy to be closer to home and - more importantly - to the food source. Therefore, they are not particularly eager to realize their ability to fly.

Make fences and fences higher