Keeping laying hens in the country all year round and seasonally

Summer cottage life brings adults and children not only a lot of trouble, but also joyful moments associated with animals. Okay, the dog and the cat are used to them, but no less interesting moments will be connected with the chickens that will become your pets.

Breed selection

Chickens in the country give eggs that are completely different in taste, bring joy to children and train them to work. And if the kid refused to pick herbs for the wards, the next day he can be shown an empty nest under the eggs – an educational moment.

So, it’s decided, we choose laying hens of the breed:

• Leggorn.
• Hisex breed.
• Loman Brown.

The best of them is Loman Brown. Large chicken with a stable psyche and good egg production. You can also choose white layers of the Leghorn or Hisex breed. The egg production of these birds is excellent with good feeding. But in the fall it will be a pity to part with such productive laying hens. The easiest way to ensure the content of chickens in the country from hybrids. And the motley herd looks more cheerful and it is more unpretentious.

Containment facility equipment

For summer content chicken coop must have two compartments and a walking area attached to it. The chicken coop itself is made as a dense covered room with a door, designed for such a number of chickens that they are allocated 30 cm each on a perch at one level. The perch should be 60 cm above the floor.

For such a room, a part of the utility block, which is always available in the country, may be suitable. In addition to the perch, you will need to place nests for laying eggs there, in a secluded place. The grill can separate the front free part so that the layers can hide from the weather.

Further immediately located indoor paddockwhere the bird spends all day. Rain does not get there, and the sun’s rays and fresh air pass through the picket fence or chain-link mesh. A feeding trough and a drinking bowl are attached to one wall of the paddock from the outside so that there is no hustle and bustle when eating food. Water should be in the tank all the time, mineral additives and chalk in the compartments are always available. The bottom of the protein feeder should open and the container should be cleaned so that there are no sour residues in the heat.

The walking area should be on the ground or grass. It’s great if a dried tree remains there, the chickens will climb the knots with pleasure. Such a structure with a layer of sawdust lined at the bottom requires almost no maintenance, just sweep away the night feces in the morning and close the door to the night light from coolness.

Maintenance in late autumn and winter

Keeping chickens in the country in winter is more difficult. Ventilation required, heating the chicken coop in severe frosts, lighting and provide dry bedding. This is difficult, since the chickens are in cramped conditions, there is a lot of fumes from them, and insects can start in cramped conditions. Therefore, the best building will be an extension to the main bath wall.

At the same time, you should create a room that is convenient for maintenance. It is better to make it two-story, then the sleeping place will be located on top, like on a shelf in a bathhouse, and below you can equip a paddock with feeders and an ash pan. So it will be convenient to clean up the night guano, and create space for laying hens. It is better to arrange nesting places in a secluded place on the shelf, where the birds feel more secure.

How to care for chickens

The birds quickly get used to the calm voice of the hostess and the food received on time. They are independent, but jealous of signs of attention from the hostess. Well, if you had to take one of the pets in your arms in order to consider something, then the rest should be stroked.

You can not:

• overfeed the chickens;
• disturb during egg laying;
• swear or talk in annoyance.

feed base

Chickens are omnivores. They can eat chopped or simply cut root crops, minced meat or fish from waste with bones, green cut grass. But they cannot do without grain. Therefore, daily 60% of the daily diet should be a mixture of cereals, and preferably wheat. To obtain good nutrition, a chicken should peck half a glass of grain per day, and all other feed in the required amount.

Space, clean feeders, balanced feed and fresh air will create all the conditions for a productive herd. Chickens are very fond of mash. This is fresh finely chopped greens of nettle, biting midge, onion mixed with bran and porridge. It is difficult to overfeed a chicken that is laying, and when underfed, the clutch is drastically reduced.

A good stimulant for egg production are special additivescalled premixes. They should be given in microscopic doses. Special chicken feed will reduce the hassle, but will not replace grain mixtures. In winter, all the waste from the table will become a welcome food. Sometimes you can get hold of green fodder at vegetable bases from entrepreneurs. Winter eggs become unusually tasty after such top dressing.

Buy laying hens or raise chickens

Feather breeding can begin with the acquisition of adults. Young chickens are good because they immediately begin to rush and delight the owners. But they must be chosen correctly. It happens that instead of young ones, you can buy a rejection from the factory.

Buy young stock

It would be better if the young are bought on a farm specializing in poultry breeding. When choosing you should examine the chicken carefully:

• the feather at the anus should be clean without traces of feces;
• comb and beard bright red;
• legs are yellow without growths;
• the feather is dense, smooth, shiny;
• the chicken is mobile, hardly gets into the net.

A healthy chicken will start laying eggs quickly. It is necessary to make sure that there are no external damage to the skin on the chickens, since the intensive pecking of the bleeding place by the girlfriends immediately begins. That’s their nature the weak are pecked to death.

chicken breeding

The best time to acquire a squeaky family will be February or March. Chickens grown at this time give a full laying in the summer. Breeding chickens in the country is possible only with a one-year stay. Then the pullets will fully rush for a long time. It is profitable to purchase broiler chickens for giving seasonal residence. During the season, you can get a decent amount of first-class dietary meat with intensive feeding. Save on feed the grass growing at this time in abundance in the country will help.

The most adapted and strong are chickens bred by a mother hen. Depending on her weight, she can warm from 11 to 20 eggs with her heat and in three weeks fluffy lumps will come out. Experienced housewives bribe daily allowances at the factory by the time the chicks are hatched. The chicken does not notice the dirty trick, warms and leads everyone. Less care for the hostess, kids under supervision.

Special food for babies. First, an egg is fed, and then a crushed grain mixture, cottage cheese, fish and other protein feeds. The main thing is that the food is always fresh. Free and safe access to water must be ensured at all times. Chickens grow quickly and after two months they no longer need a mother chicken.

You can breed chickens in an incubator and become their mother for the first week, providing almost round-the-clock control.