Conditions for raising chickens in summer cottages
Keeping chickens in the country is very profitable and convenient. You can make a good profit by selling meat and eggs, and all your work will pay off instantly. It is necessary to raise chickens in a summer cottage in such a way that they do not disturb people in neighboring plots, otherwise neighborly relations may be damaged.
The conditions for breeding birds and animals in the country are set out in detail in the charters of partnerships and cooperatives. Before acquiring livestock, it is necessary to carefully study the regulations and find out exactly which animals and birds are allowed to be kept on the territory. Please also keep in mind that there should not be more than 40 chickens on one plot.
They differ in character
Surprisingly, chickens and hens are as different in character as
and others
. They can be curious, timid, outgoing, fussy, grumpy—anything! They require very little attention, but the more time you spend with them, the more their behavior will resemble that of other pets. They will even start greeting you when you arrive.
Chicks and hens are as varied in their personalities as other pets.
Chicken breeds
To choose the most suitable breed of chickens, you need to decide on the purpose of breeding. If you want to keep chickens to produce eggs, then you should pay attention to laying hens: Italian partridge, minorca, highsex, and so on.
If we are talking about obtaining meat, then brahma chickens or broilers are suitable. The listed breeds are more popular among poultry farmers, as they tolerate diseases well, easily adapt to new living conditions, and are unpretentious in care.
Laying hens are purchased in the spring at the age of 4-6 months, and meat breeds are best purchased at the age of 1-2 months. Meat chickens do not lay eggs well, but they grow very quickly and gain body weight, which, in fact, justifies their purpose.
Walk
Some crosses can live in cages without getting out and not complain about their fate. If this type of housing is chosen for the feathered family, then walking will not be necessary. But it is worth considering that walking in the fresh air has a beneficial effect on health, egg production and meat quality.
Therefore, you need to take care of creating a walking yard. It is desirable that it be spacious, but if there are green spaces on the site, and for hygienic purposes, it is better to fence it with a high mesh fence.
To make it easier to keep your walking yard clean, you can sprinkle it with a layer of river sand. Some farmers sow cereals or any other plants that chickens love in the spring.
Preparatory activities
How to get chickens in the country? It would seem that the answer to this question is simple: buy and settle on the site, but in fact, before purchasing young animals, you need to take care of organizing the place where they will be kept.
The first step is to prepare the barn where the chickens will live. Currently, poultry farmers have the opportunity to purchase ready-made chicken coops from manufacturers of different sizes and designs. Having the skills of a carpenter and having tools on the farm, you can build a chicken coop yourself.
The main requirements for a room intended for keeping chickens include: absence of drafts, good lighting, ventilation, the presence of perches, feeders, drinking water containers, and nests.
Most often, chicken coops are built from boards, insulated and supplied with electricity. It is best to fill the floor in the room with concrete and lay hay or straw on top. This option is more practical and durable. If you plan to keep chickens in your dacha in winter, then you need to think about heating the chicken coop.
When the design of the poultry housing has been thought out, it’s time to move on to preparing the area for the chickens to walk. This should be a lighted area in the shade or under a canopy. You should not give chickens complete freedom and let them roam on their own. The best option is to build an enclosure based on 1 square meter. m per individual. The larger the walking area, the lower the risk of infectious diseases and stress conditions in birds.
Preparing the premises
Before purchasing young animals, take care of the premises in which the feathered family can be settled. If there is a ready-made room that can be converted into a chicken coop, this option is the simplest and least expensive. If there is no ready-made one, start construction.
Today you can find many ready-made schemes and projects for budget and expensive poultry houses, made from a wide variety of materials. Therefore, here you should be guided only by your financial capabilities and preferences.
Here are some interesting and profitable options.
The author of these lines has a chicken coop in a polycarbonate greenhouse. This is Chelyabinsk in the Urals. In winter it is often minus 30 degrees below zero! Read the link for details. There is a photo and a temperature report. Polycarbonate is an economical material that also has excellent performance characteristics. In the summer, this is an excellent overnight stay for the winged family, and in the winter it can be additionally insulated with polystyrene foam and a waterproofing layer can be placed, which will additionally retain heat.
For regions with mild winters, it is possible for chickens to live in such a dwelling without additional heating. In harsh climates, small infrared heaters can be installed. Some poultry farmers install small wooden houses for laying hens in greenhouses for the winter, in which they can winter without heating.
- A wooden poultry house is a practical, although more expensive, housing. The advantage of such a structure is that it is more durable and reliable. In order to build such housing, it is important to select high-quality raw materials, and be sure to process them to extend their service life. You can build the structure with your own hands or seek the help of specialists. But, besides this, you can simply purchase a ready-made structure and install it anywhere on your site.
- Another good option is construction from foam blocks. Economical, energy efficient and durable material, which is also very lightweight and retains heat well. You can build a chicken coop from foam blocks that will last for many years.
There are other types of materials that can be used for construction. The choice depends on financial capabilities and preferences.
Feeding chickens
Rational and proper nutrition is the key to high egg production and weight gain. Under no circumstances should birds be overfed, but they should not suffer from lack of nutrition either. Erratic eating can lead to digestive upset, so it is necessary to strictly adhere to the bird's feeding regimen. The composition of morning and evening food is different, but feeding should occur at the same time every day.
Feeding geese - breeding and raising various breeds of geese at home (105 photos)- Diseases of geese - first symptoms, effective medications and treatment options for diseases of geese (85 photos + video)
- Geese Linda: description of the breed, advantages, disadvantages and rules of cultivation (75 photos and videos)
Fresh herbs must be present on the menu. This is the main source of vitamins in poultry. For harmonious growth and development, chickens need cereal crops - barley, oats, wheat. In specialized veterinary stores you can purchase special, balanced feeds and supplements developed taking into account the individual characteristics of certain breeds of chickens.
The amount of feed depends on the breed of chickens, their weight and individual characteristics. On average, an adult eats 100 grams of food per meal.
Chickens should always have access to clean drinking water. Drinking water must be changed regularly and the drinking bowl rinsed.
As for chickens and meat chickens, when feeding them it is necessary to monitor the cleanliness of the food. To prevent chickens from stepping on the feed and droppings getting into it, it is recommended to purchase special feeders and devices for supplying drinking water. Broiler chickens are first fed crushed grain with the addition of soft cottage cheese, and as they grow, they are transferred to dry food: compound feed, grain, fresh grass, vegetable peelings, and so on.
Features of maintenance at different times of the year
Summer cottage care
What is it like to keep laying hens at the dacha in the summer? During the summer, chickens should be free-range for the most part. It is better if they have free access to various herbs and insects, which is quite problematic in urban environments.
Fresh grass must be present in the diet of laying hens , as it contains all kinds of vitamins and minerals. During abnormal heat, chickens may also begin to lay eggs poorly, so if in the summer the constant air temperature is heated to more than 30 - 35 degrees, you should try to shade the chicken coop and the walking area.
Keeping laying hens at home in winter
Keeping laying hens at home in winter should include a well-heated chicken coop. A room that is too cold can stop the laying and laying of eggs. Green grass should be replaced with fresh hay in the diet.
ATTENTION : Chickens can only be allowed to walk from morning to evening, and if the temperature is below 25 degrees and there are strong winds, it is better to close the chickens, because they can catch a cold.
Diseases: causes and signs
Difficulties associated with bird disease arise both for experienced poultry farmers and for beginners. To avoid problems, it is necessary to identify the cause of infections in a timely manner and eliminate it.
It is important to visually inspect the bird every day, remove weak and sick individuals and begin treatment on time.
Initial signs of chicken disease:
- Lethargy and inactivity.
- The bird does not get off its perch and closes its eyes.
- Heavy breathing, wheezing, extraneous sounds.
- Often the condition of a sick bird changes sharply from lethargic to overexcited and vice versa.
These signs indicate that the bird needs to be separated from the rest and try to identify the cause of the malaise.
If the following symptoms are present, treatment should be started immediately:
Incubation of duck eggs: subtleties, rules and features of raising ducks at home (115 photos and videos)Wood processing: advice from professionals on preparing and decorating wood (120 photos + video)
- Raising turkeys - tips for novice poultry farmers and secrets of raising turkeys (110 photos)
- Deterioration in the appearance of the bird and its plumage.
- Discharge from the nose, eyes, ears.
- Inflammation around the eyes and anus.
- Loose stools.
Most often, chicken breeders encounter the following problems:
- Chickens peck each other. The reason for this problem may be the small size of the chicken coop. In the same way, hens protect eggs from other individuals.
- Molting is a normal process that is common to all breeds of chickens, despite the fact that at this time the bird may look sick.
- Loss of appetite is a reason to watch the bird. Poor appetite can be the result of illness or stress.
Take a look at the photo of chickens in the country, and you will see that in fact creating optimal conditions for keeping and breeding them is not at all difficult, as it may seem at first glance.
Minorca
If you remember how many breeding experiments most modern chicken breeds have gone through, you will be amazed. But still, Minorca has remained unchanged from the moment of its appearance to the present day. A characteristic feature of such a chicken is a bright red comb and white earrings. The main color of the Minorca's plumage is black, although it is claimed that snow-white individuals also existed many years ago. The Minorca is much larger than the Leghorn, as it weighs about three kilograms, but is significantly smaller, for example, than the Jersey Giant, and the weight does not affect the intensity of egg production. That is why a bird can lay up to two hundred eggs in a year.
Even in winter, egg production does not stop, which is very convenient for the household, since eggs are a very nutritious product. It can be consumed by humans and can also be used as winter feed for poultry. This property of Minorca is especially relevant for those who sell eggs, since the business moves from seasonal to year-round, and accordingly, income from it grows.
Setting up a chicken coop
Now let’s talk about the interior arrangement of a summer chicken coop.
A roost is made inside the barn for chickens at a distance of 0.5 m from the floor. Its length is taken at the rate of 1 m for 5 small or 4 large chickens. A tray made of smooth material is attached under the perch 20-30 cm lower to make it easier to remove droppings.
The pen contains feeders and drinkers with low sides for young birds and higher ones for adult birds.
Nests are made from old boxes or leftover boards. For a flock of 10 chickens, 4-5 nests are enough. They are placed on the floor, and if they are hung on the wall, then an inclined board with transverse slats is attached to the nest, along which the bird climbs. Dry hay is placed inside.
Sawdust or small shavings are poured onto the floor of the paddock.
A homemade chicken coop for the summer will not be very expensive. If the bird is placed correctly and cared for appropriately, then the owners will receive environmentally friendly products throughout the summer.
Chicken coop for the summer in 2-3 days
Stages of construction of a summer chicken coop.
Once the location for the chicken coop has already been chosen, you can begin building it. The construction stages will be as follows:
- The area for the chicken coop is covered with crushed stone and compacted.
- The frame of the summer chicken coop is being prepared. Its size is calculated based on the planned number of chickens. It is better to take the height 2 m, so that a person can stand there at full height when cleaning. The frame is divided into 2 halves - a paddock and a barn.
- The walls of the barn are covered with boards, which are fastened with nails; corners are used for reinforcement. A floor made of edged boards, moisture-resistant plywood or OSB is laid on the logs. It is advisable to also lay a floor on the walking area. This will eliminate the possibility of undermining and will maintain cleanliness.
- It is better to make the roof of the barn sloping and cover it with roofing felt or any roofing material. Make the roof of the walkway from mesh or reinforced film. Reinforce with several slats. The walls of the walking area can be covered with netting, or you can use plastic garden netting of any color.
Brief business plan
A business plan for a small household that raises chickens should include the following main points: chickens at home
- Analysis of a business idea, determining its profitability. It is assumed that this is a profitable project in terms of cost and expected profit. A combination of keeping laying hens and broilers can bring particularly good income.
- The starting capital for the project is approximately 250,000 rubles.
- Business registration. It is not recommended to register this type of activity immediately. To begin with, it is better to try breeding poultry for yourself and analyze the results of the pilot project. If successful, state registration can be carried out, because it is easier for a registered entrepreneur to find points of sale for products.
- Financial costs go towards setting up premises and equipment for raising chickens, as well as purchasing, maintaining and feeding poultry.
- Search for sales markets. Traditional places: markets, shops, catering establishments, etc. Competitors are the same entrepreneurs and larger-scale poultry farms. Poultry farms are out of competition due to the lower quality of their products.
- Project payback. Average payback 1 year. Net profit can be 200,000 rubles. The average cost of product sales is 150 rubles, which includes the sale of meat, eggs, feathers, down, and bird droppings as fertilizer.
- Taking into account expected risks. This could be livestock losses as a result of disease, sudden deterioration in living conditions, or other unforeseen circumstances.
They can fly
This may not happen, but it's better to find out about it and think about it before you actually find your chickens on top of your neighbor's garden.
and you will scratch your head, wondering how to get them out of there. The good news is that your pets are quite happy to be close to home and - more importantly - to a food source. Therefore, they are not particularly keen to realize their ability to fly.
Make fences and fences higher
( 2 ratings, average 4 out of 5 )
Prevention of poultry diseases
To maintain the health of chickens, the following conditions must be observed:
- regular cleaning and disinfection of the premises;
- inspection of the chicken coop inhabitants to identify parasites;
- balanced and proper nutrition for birds, containing vitamins and microelements;
- periodic irradiation of the room with an ultraviolet lamp;
- timely treatment of walls against pests;
- taking measures when birds quickly gain or lose weight;
- the presence of clean water in the chicken waterer;
- prompt isolation of chickens with signs of disease.
