Peculiarities and rules of keeping and feeding laying hens

In fact, the laying hens are, in our usual sense, ordinary chickens that are raised to produce eggs. They have a small muscle and fat mass, consume less feed than meat breeds, and are slaughtered for meat only when the chicken "serves" for at least 2-3 years. In this regard, the breeding of laying hens has some peculiarities, which we will discuss today.

Features chicken egg breeds

All egg breeds of chickens have a number of similar characteristics that determine their productivity.

Laying hens are usually they "mature" earlier and start rushing already at 4-5 months of life. The second difference from meat and egg-meat breeds is body weight. Adult chicken weighs no more than 2 kg, roosters can weigh a little more (up to 3 kg).

Egg breeds of chickens have light bones, rather dense healthy plumage, which covers the whole body, except for paws.

The third difference is well developed wings. You may have noticed that meat breeds have massive, well-developed legs, but the wings are not suitable even to fly over a meter fence.

Laying hens are very mobile. Due to the fact that birds have to lay eggs every 25 hours, their metabolism is accelerated. These chickens constantly need food that is rich in minerals and vitamins.

In order for the result to meet the expectations, you need to know everything about the hens, so now we will tell you about the average egg production and what it depends on.

Breeding breeds bring at least 200 eggs per year. The average value of egg production in farms is 275 eggs per year, which is a very good result. There are also particularly productive hybrids, which produce about 300 eggs per year, but this productivity is due to high costs (more feed, more electricity costs due to the increased length of the day).

It is worth remembering an interesting feature that relates to reducing the number of eggs. The older the chicken, the greater the egg mass. Thus, the average weight of 10 eggs in the first year of life is equal to the mass of 8-9 eggs in the second year of a bird's life.

On average, egg production falls by 15–20% each year, so the hens that are 5 years old become practically useless. This is connected not only with a decrease in the number of eggs, but also with the fact that in the third year of life many ovarian cancer develops, and this problem can be dealt with only by buying new layers.

How to choose laying hens when buying

Many owners are wondering how to choose the right layer. Basically, chickens are bought in mass markets and bazaars, where one can only dream of good quality birds.

Every owner wants to buy a quality product, but, as you understand, a quality product is quite expensive.

That is why it is very important to choose not only the breed you need, but also healthy young animals.

Of course, we recommend buying birds on farms and in special nurseries, where they are properly cared for and bred, keeping the rules of selection. However, not everyone has this opportunity.

Let's start with when it is better to buy laying hens. Many know that it's better to buy a bird in the spring, then the peak of their productivity will fall in the summer, and you will immediately justify the money spent.

You need to buy young at the age of 4-5 months - that is, those chickens that have just started to rush.

Each owner has his own approach to the selection of young stock, as well as his own assessment criteria. Now we will talk about external signs, which can determine the health of the chicken and its belonging to the egg-breeds.

1. Appearance. Chicken should be clean, well-groomed. The presence of baldness, wounds, growths or deformities is unacceptable. The plumage of a good young is uniform, brilliant, smooth. Late shedding is a sign of a good hen.
2. Infections. If you notice that the chicken near the anus is full of excrement, this indicates the presence of intestinal infections, which not only lead to weight loss and egg production, but are transmitted to other birds.
3. Hidden problems. When buying a bird you need to carefully examine the skin, raising the plumage.Healthy skin color is pale pink. If under the plumage you notice a yellow sagging epidermis, it means that the young have serious liver problems. In no case can you buy such a bird.
4. Colds. Attention should be paid to the head. Bird's scallop should be red, smooth, without deformation, wounds or swelling. Eyes should be bright, bulging, shiny. Sunken, faded or soured eyes are a sign of problems. If the bird sneezes or it has discharge from the nostrils, this is a sign of respiratory diseases (mycoplasmosis).
5. Rickets and bone problems. The abdominal cavity of the chicken should be soft and elastic. The presence of curvature or sagging in the keel indicates rachitis or other bone problems.
6. Determination of chicken productivity. It is possible to determine a good layer on the stomach, in which the oviduct is located. A good chicken should have at least four fingers between the pubic bones and the posterior end of the sternum. A bad chicken fits just two.

Thus, according to the described criteria, you can choose really high-quality young animals, which will give an impressive amount of production.

Peculiarities of laying hens

The quantity and quality of eggs depends on the content and feeding of laying hens. Therefore, we will talk about the conditions of poultry, which increase productivity and preserve health, so that at the time of slaughter to get healthy and tasty meat.

Requirements for the room

Laying hens are kept in specially equipped chicken houses, which must meet the minimum "standards".

The coop should be located on a hill, in a windless place. The accumulation of moisture or flooding by groundwater is unacceptable.

Now consider the scheme of construction of the optimal chicken coop for layers.

The room is rather small and suitable for keeping an average bird population. When calculating the area of ​​the chicken coop, you need to know that at least five square meters are allocated to five individuals. m

Growing a laying hen, you need to maintain a certain temperature, which affects the health of the bird and egg production. The temperature is affected by the height of the ceilings, which should be no more than 180 cm. In order for the chickens to feel good, the room should be 23-25 ​​° C.

In the chicken coop must necessarily be ventilation, which provide vents or hoods. The absence of this element in the chicken coop will lead to a lack of fresh air and excessively high temperatures in the summer.

An important part is the floor covering. Many owners think that if you concreted the floor or put wood, then cleaning will not be so problematic. However, in the case of concrete, you will get a very cold room (the floor in winter will be so cold that chickens will feel discomfort, regardless of the air temperature), and the wood can bend.

For flooring, straw, hay, sawdust or other hydrophobic natural materials are used that will not hurt the bird and will not lead to its death if the litter is eaten.

Laying hens require good lighting, so in the hen house per 1 square. m floor should have at least 11 square meters. see windows. This calculation allows you to build a well-lit room.

In summertime, chickens do not need additional lighting, since daylight hours are more than 13 hours. In late autumn, in winter and in early spring, it is imperative to maintain the same light regime with the help of artificial lighting.

We should not forget about the disinfection of the room, feeders and drinkers. On this depends not only the smell emanating from the chicken coop, but also the condition of the bird.

Walking yard for chickens

Poultry needs extra walking space. It is for this purpose that it is necessary to fence off the territory under the walking yard near the hen house. The courtyard is limited to a wooden or mesh fence. The fence must be checked for the presence of "dangerous" places, stumbled upon by which the bird can get hurt.

The walking yard is recommended to do under a canopy, which will protect chickens from extreme heat and will not allow precipitation to accumulate on its territory.

Do not leave the ground in the courtyard without coverage, as the activity of the bird will turn it into a marsh, which threatens not only the adjacent building, but also the health of the hens.

Nests and nests

Nests and nests are an integral part of any chicken coop.

Perches are made of wooden bars or poles, which have a diameter of not more than 6 cm. You need to have perches near a window, at a height of 1 m or more from the floor. The distance between the crossbars - 35-60 cm.

To make it easier to carry out cleaning in the room, perches can be made lifting, on hinges.

On average, 20-25 cm perch is enough for one chicken. If you allocate each individual less space, it threatens to conflict.

Now let's talk about nests. Most likely, each owner understands that the chickens will not rush anywhere (although it happens), therefore for them you need to build a comfortable nest, from where it will be convenient to pick up eggs.

Nests are built in a darkened corner of the chicken coop. To do this, you can use wooden boxes or wicker baskets with dimensions of 30 × 30 × 35 cm. Fill the nests with straw, hay or wood chips.

One nest is enough for 5-6 individuals. It can be placed both on the floor and on a small hill. The place should be accessible and warm.

Feeders and drinkers

Feeders and drinkers should be both in the hen house and on the street, so that the bird can quickly find food and water.

The feeder is made in the form of an elongated low capacity, which is made of wood or metal. The material should be non-toxic, should not dissolve or release any poisons in contact with water.

The length of the feeder and their total number depends on the number of birds. At least one individual should be at least 10 cm feeder. In the opposite case, you get an uneven distribution of food (someone will overeat, and someone will starve), or there will be fights between chickens.

In order to prevent the digging of food, the feeders are set at a low height so that the chicken can reach the food with its beak.

Drinkers, as well as feeders, should be located both in the yard and in the hen house. Many have now submitted a swamp, which is formed near the tank with water as a result of the "bathing" of the bird. That is why the drinker should be of such a design that allows you to get to the water, but does not allow the chicken to pollute or spray it. Therefore, you should buy a special drinker for chickens, so that you do not have to get rid of excess moisture in the room (chicken coop) every day. In appearance, they should resemble a cooler, only with an additional sump into which water will flow.

Ash baths

Many owners who are breeding chickens do not know that the presence of a "bath" with ashes in the hen house is mandatory.

The fact is that the bird often suffers from various skin parasites (ticks, bedbugs, lice), which can be eliminated only by taking a ash bath. Parasites not only cause direct damage, but also are carriers of various infections that can destroy livestock.

The bath is made of drawers or other containers that have dimensions of 120 × 70 × 20 cm. The filler is a mixture of sand, clay, and furnace ash. Everything is mixed in equal proportions.

Ash baths bring not only benefits, but also the pleasure of poultry.

Features of the winter keeping of laying hens

This item is very important, since in winter many chickens simply cease to fly at many owners, and we buy the chicken of egg breeds precisely for obtaining the maximum possible number of eggs.

There is no real “break” in the winter time. The absence of eggs is only affected by conditions.

If you save on heating or other conditions,then the bird will consume food, electricity and other resources will be spent on it, and you will not receive any products.

Start with the most important thing - temperature In winter, the temperature in the chicken coop should not be below 15 ° C. In order to constantly maintain such a temperature, it is necessary either to insulate the walls, or install heating devices (it must be remembered that the bird should not have access to them), or to lay the litter correctly.

Immediately it should be said that it is very dangerous and expensive to put heating devices in the hen house. Not a bad choice setting the "stove" close to the wall, which will slightly heat the room.

Wall insulation also requires significant costs, but one-time costs will pay off in the future. Insulate the chicken coop in the same way as the living quarters, however, on top of the insulation you need apply a larger layer of plaster, so that the chickens do not pierce the walls and pull out the insulation.

The easiest and cheapest way to keep warm - lay the litter. The vital activity of microorganisms in the litter heats it to a temperature of 32 ° C, which is enough to maintain the minimum allowable temperature. The litter is laid in several layers. As soon as one layer is drowned out, the next one is put.

Above we mentioned that in the winter time the length of the daylight is not enough and it is necessary to include artificial lighting. To achieve maximum productivity, the light must be turned on in the morning (from 6 to 9) and in the evening (from 17.00 to 20.00).

Now let's talk about than to feed laying hens in winter. To preserve the health of the poultry and get high-grade products, in the diet, in addition to grain crops, boiled vegetables (beets, carrots, potatoes) and vitamin D dressing (prepared at home by mixing bran, eggshell, bone meal and sunflower oil cake) must be present.

Do not forget about water temperature in drinking bowls, as cold water can cause colds. Water should have a temperature of 25-35 ° C so that it does not immediately cool, but not burn the poultry's esophagus.

It is necessary to understand that in winter time water is changed much more often, therefore, it is necessary to pour 2-3 times less water in the drinker.

Followed by A few tips that have a positive effect on the quantity and quality of eggs:

• in winter, the litter needs to be raked daily with a rake, so that it does not clump, or pour various “goodies” on the floor, so that the bird itself rakes the straw.
• the length of the day should be slowly increased at the end of autumn and also slowly reduced in early spring.
• at night, hens are given whole grains, which, when digested, emit a lot of heat and warm the bird.

How to feed laying hens: chicken diet

In this section, we’ll talk about what chicken eats, what vitamins and microelements a bird needs to live and how to feed chickens to get really nutritious eggs.

Feed the birds need at least 3-4 times a day. The first portion is given early in the morning, the second - late in the evening (give whole grains). Daily portions are given with the same period of time. They should consist of wet mash, which should contain a lot of vitamins and trace elements.

It often happens that chickens do not eat all the food and begin to just throw it around the yard or chicken coop.This leads to the emergence of rodents and the development of pathogenic bacteria. To avoid this, it is necessary to clearly understand how much feed chickens need per day. The optimal amount of feed for one individual in the summer is 140 g, in the winter - 120 g. Thus, for a day, each hen should be given 420 g of various feed in the summer, or 360 g in the winter.

Now consider the vitamins, trace elements and other components that are part of the feed, their impact on poultry and eggs.

Squirrels. The most important building material of which animal cells are composed. Everyone knows that eggs are valued for their high protein content. Therefore, to talk about its importance is unnecessary. If the chicken does not get the right amount of protein, then the eggs will be poor. Chicken gets protein by eating bone (fish) flour or sunflower, soybean or rapeseed meal.

Fat They need a bird to replenish energy reserves. Fatty rich corn and oats.

Carbohydrates. Provide energy to the physical activity of the hens.

Vitamins. Vitamins A, B and D are important for laying hens.To provide the bird with these vitamins, green food (green beans, pumpkin pulp, corn, carrots, quinoa, nettle, dandelion or other wild herbs) is added to the diet. Vitamin D is rich in Baker's yeast, which can be added to feed in small quantities.

Minerals. They are responsible for the thickness and integrity of the eggshell. In order for the bird to obtain the necessary substances, feeders with chalk (preferably not crushed), small shells, crushed eggshell, gravel or crushed bones are installed in the chicken coop and on the walking yard.

Now let's talk about how to feed the laying hens for the prevention of various diseases.

Above, we described that chickens should be bought at the age of 4-5 months, since at that age they should have received most of the vaccines for the most common diseases.

If you bought chickens, then follow a strict vaccination schedule.

When chicks are 5 weeks old, they are given Infectious bronchitis and Newcastle disease vaccine. A week later, vaccinated against salmonellosis. At 7 weeks vaccinated against mycoplasmosis, and at 9 weeks of life vaccinated against rhinotracheitis.At thirty weeks, the bird is vaccinated against infectious encephalomyelitis.

Vaccine for vaccinations can be purchased at any veterinary pharmacy.

How to store eggs

Many owners do not even think about how to properly store eggs. Some put the eggs in the fridge, others keep them in the pantry, others - use preservative coatings that are applied over the shell.

Now we will discuss all the basic ways to store eggs.

Cold storage. A common mistake is the arrangement of eggs on the door of the refrigerator. The fact is that the flow of warm air and frequent temperature drops reduce the shelf life of products. Eggs are best placed in the fruit and vegetable compartment. Storage temperature - 1-2 ° C. At this temperature, they remain fresh for three months.

Store at room temperature. Fresh eggs can be stored in a room where the temperature does not exceed 20 ° C (humidity at the level of 70-85%), but the shelf life of products in such conditions is only three weeks.

There are other ways of storing eggs, which, although not very popular, still retain their freshness and quality as well.

1. The shell is covered with egg white. Protein is applied several times intermittently so that the previous layer can dry out. After that, the products wrapped in paper and carried to a cool place.
2. Eggs smeared with petroleum jelly or glycerin, placed in a box and put in a cool place.
3. Eggs can be stored in table salt. For this, products are plentifully sprinkled with salt and put in a cool place.

There are more than a dozen other ways to store eggs, but they are not much different from those described, but they require a lot of resources.

Breeding laying hens is not only interesting, but also profitable. If you like to grow a bird, you want to consistently receive high-quality and useful products, then follow the rules described and use the experience gained.