Today, many farmers and owners of summer cottages prefer to grow broilers, as this allows not only to provide the family with tender, tasty meat, but also to make great money without much investment. The most popular chicken breed is the Ross 308 broiler. It is ideal for both household and commercial production.
Characterization
The Ross 308 broiler chicken breed has special descriptions; its representatives outwardly differ too much from other breeds. These birds have an oval massive body, a strongly protruding thoracic region and well-developed muscles. The legs are widely spaced, strong and brightly colored, the thighs stand out clearly. The main feature of Ross 308 broilers is snow-white plumage. without the presence of interspersed with other shades. If colored blotches are noticed on the feathers, then this indicates that the breed is not purebred.
In addition, breeding this breed of broilers, breeders have worked hard to ensure that the skin of birds has an even skin tone. This gives the carcasses a marketable and attractive appearance. The skin is also characterized by increased elasticity, it does not deform and does not slip when frozen. The head of chickens is small, it has a neat leaf-shaped comb. As for the earrings, they are poorly developed in broilers and stand out against the general background with a bright red color. Although the blood of chickens contains the blood of fighting breeds, they have a peaceful character. and do not participate in fights in the poultry yard, but if necessary, they can stand up for themselves. Since broilers of this species prefer to lead a sedentary lifestyle, they can even be kept in small cages, which is great for growing in summer cottages.
Performance indicators
Ross 308 broilers are classified as meat breeds, but they are also good laying hens, which makes them universal for keeping at home. Unlike egg-laying hens, they begin to lay at 6–7 months of age. From one broiler, you can get up to 200 eggs weighing about 60 grams. The eggs of these chickens have a characteristic creamy shell. Under the right conditions, birds gain weight up to 6 kg, but many farmers start slaughtering them at the age of two months when they reach a weight of 3 kg. At the same time, individual representatives of this breed at this age can be large and gain a live weight of up to 5 kg. When cutting poultry, the yield of pure meat is no more than 74%.
Advantages and disadvantages
The huge popularity of the Ross 308 broiler breed is due to its many advantages. The main advantages of this cross include the following:
- financial benefit – chickens of this hybrid grow quickly and gain weight, without requiring special conditions and a lot of feed;
- the opportunity to receive environmentally friendly products – many believe that broiler meat is filled with hormones due to the rapid growth of birds, but in fact this is not so; breeders have been working on obtaining this breed for decades and have achieved high weight without losing the quality characteristics of meat;
- versatility – in addition to meat, you can get a lot of eggs from birds, although they are inferior compared to ordinary laying hens, but still their egg production rate is quite high;
- resistance to various diseases and a high percentage of survival – chickens have good immunity and rarely get sick.
As for the shortcomings of the breed, there are few of them, namely:
- the complexity of breeding – it is almost impossible to get a purebred broiler at home, therefore, in order to increase the number of livestock, it is necessary to purchase incubation material;
- strict nutrition control – since chickens grow very quickly, their owners need to constantly monitor the quality and quantity of feed; in addition, the nutrition of birds should be balanced and contain many vitamins, useful microelements.
Weight gain of chickens by day
Chickens of the Ross 308 breed are productive, because already at the age of one month, the chicken meat acquires excellent taste and does not lose them over time. This type of bird was bred for quick meat, so if the weight gain per day is less than 60 grams, such individuals will be culled. At birth, a chick weighs no more than 45 grams and is covered with fluff; it acquires full plumage in the second week of life. If properly fed broilers, then in a month they will gain 1,5 kg, and in three months they will weigh about 5 kg. In order to accurately calculate the weight of a chicken, poultry farmers use a special table, according to which the daily weight gain of chickens depends on their monthly growth and looks like this:
- the first month of life – 45-60 grams;
- the second – 65-80 grams;
- the third – 85-95 grams;
- fourth – up to 115 grams;
- fifth – 125-130 grams;
- sixth – 135-165 grams;
- seventh – 175-190 grams;
- eighth – no more than 220 grams;
- ninth – 230-245 grams;
- tenth – 250-280 grams;
- eleventh – up to 325 grams;
- twelfth – 350-370 grams.
Important! Intensive weight gain begins, as a rule, from the 18th month of the life of chickens and amounts to 700 grams per day.
Conditions for keeping
After the broilers are purchased, they must be immediately settled on the farm. At the same time, the young animals must be placed in brooders for the first week and maintain a temperature regime in them in the range from +30 to +32 ° С. Young individuals are demanding in care for the first month of life, then the temperature can be gradually lowered by one degree to + 20 ° C. Humidity also plays a huge role in the room where the chickens are settled. The first week it should be at least 65%, then a level of 55% is allowed. To ensure rapid growth, it is recommended that the birds illuminate the room for 22 hours, gradually reducing the illumination to 13 hours. In addition, the chicken coop should be kept clean and the feeders should be washed regularly, after which they should be filled with a sufficient amount of feed.
Growing chickens of this breed can be done in various ways.
- On the litter. This content option is considered one of the most popular, but when choosing it, one should take into account the fact that young animals are demanding on the quality of the litter. If it is made of poor material, then the chickens will freeze and get sick, losing weight. Experts recommend purchasing loose and hygroscopic material for bedding, which has the ability to absorb gases. Pre-dried sawdust from needles is considered a good choice for this, but the use of sunflower pockets and sphagnum peat is also allowed. The litter is spread in a small layer up to 7 cm. When growing Ross 308 broilers, one should not forget about constantly maintaining the temperature regime, carrying out additional heating of the room with electrical appliances, which are fenced with plywood sheets 40 cm high at a distance of 50–60 cm from chickens. This type of keeping has several advantages : provides birds with a comfortable life and makes it easier to care for them.
- On mesh floors. This growing option is usually chosen by large farms, since it is economical (cleanliness in the pens is maintained without changing the litter). To provide the chickens with proper care and good conditions for growth, it is necessary to install cells with such a perimeter that the litter would easily fall into the pan and the paws of the birds would not fall through. Young growth in this case is populated at the rate of 35 birds per 1 m². At first, you need to lay paper and keep the chickens behind special screens for at least 10 days, making sure that the temperature and humidity in the room remain at the same level. Small birds require a temperature within + 28 ° C and a humidity of 55%, but over time, these figures may decrease. When the population density is high, you will have to additionally install good ventilation.
- In cells. If you need to quickly get the meat of birds, then they are limited in movement, placing them in cages. This method of cultivation is well suited for both cottages and farms. In this case, bird care is simplified and space in the chicken coop is significantly saved, since broilers are settled in multi-tiered cages. The main thing in caring for chickens is maintaining the temperature regime (the first week it should be at least + 30 ° C, then it will drop to + 18 ° C) and providing the room with good lighting. If you follow all the rules in the care of broilers and initially calibrate, you can get a high profit from the sale of meat and eggs.
Care and feeding
For normal growth and weight gain, Ross 308 broilers need to be provided with a balanced diet and proper care, which has its own characteristics depending on the age of the birds. Beginning poultry keepers should remember that chickens must be constantly provided with fresh clean water and their houses kept clean, otherwise the birds will get sick. In addition, the birds should be at rest, if there is a low level of lighting in the room, this will provoke high activity and negatively affect the growth of young animals. In order for the chicks to feel comfortable, the chicken coop must have good ventilation.
Regardless of the chosen method of keeping chickens, it is important to take care of their nutrition. Experts recommend feeding broilers of this breed with special feeds, periodically replacing them with homemade ones. This is especially true for babies, for whom further growth and development depends on the quality of food. For broilers, you need to install hanging or floor feeders in such a way that they cannot climb there with their paws. At the same time, the sizes of the feeders are selected in accordance with the volume of the daily feed intake.
As for the drinker, it should be convenient not only for chickens, but also for poultry farmers. It is advisable to give preference to structures made of lightweight material with automatic filling. It is not recommended to purchase drinkers made of metal, which quickly oxidizes when interacting with drugs added to bird feed. The diet for broilers is set depending on their age.
For chickens
Young birds should not be given wet and juicy foods, as they serve as an excellent breeding ground for bacteria. For the first five days, it is best to feed the chicks with millet or oatmeal, supplementing them with a boiled egg. Then, finely chopped greens, previously washed in running water, can be included in the diet. At the request of raging chickens, you can feed them with sprouted barley and cottage cheese. Starting from the tenth day of life, chickens are given boiled vegetables containing a huge amount of minerals and carbohydrates (potatoes, carrots).
From the second week of life, special mixtures should be included in the diet of birds that will contribute to rapid weight gain.. When planning to use self-made grain mixtures, it is important to observe their percentage ratio in strict proportion, since any deviation will affect the rate of muscle gain. The more minerals and vitamins in the feed, the faster the birds grow, so it is advisable to purchase ready-made mixtures. The amount of feed is calculated by the weight of the chicken, on average, up to 1 kg of feed goes per 2 kg.
For adults
Their diet differs significantly from that of chickens. It is composed in such a way as to provide the body of adult chickens with all the necessary trace elements to improve the taste of meat and lay eggs. For one laying hen, at least 150 grams of feed per day is required. You can either buy them ready-made in stores or cook them yourself at home. Such mixtures should include carbohydrates, fats (10%) and as many proteins as possible. It is best to give preference to wheat, barley, oats and corn. It would be useful to give adult chickens and wet mixtures that help enrich the body with useful substances. Many poultry houses also steam chickens with crushed grains in meat broth, adding trimmings from meat, fish and vegetables to them.
Incubation mode
Growing broilers is considered quite painstaking, but profitable business, which begins with the incubation process. Before purchasing a hatching egg, you need to carefully look at its size and shape. In addition, it should not have visible signs of damage and marriage. Ross 308 eggs are sold in specialized stores and they have certificates confirming the authenticity of the incubation material. In other places, poor-quality eggs may be sold, there is a risk that they will hatch from unpurebred chicks. The prices for incubation material are small, so even the most economical poultry houses can afford to purchase it.
When the eggs are bought, they should be heated naturally, while the air temperature in the room where they are located should not exceed + 25 ° C. Then, according to the manual, the incubation material must be placed in an incubator, setting the temperature in it to + 38 ° С. For the first week, the temperature is maintained at +37,9°C, then the degree is gradually lowered, which, in conclusion, is +36,2°C. In addition, experienced poultry houses recommend setting the humidity for future birds at 80% at the beginning of incubation and maintaining it at this level until hatching. This is necessary so that the shell does not become too hard and does not dry out. If this is not taken into account, then the chickens will not hatch on their own.
Reviews
To date, breeding Ross 308 broilers is considered quite cost-effective, as they are productive (they give a lot of not only meat, but also eggs) and are unpretentious in care. Many summer residents and farmers prefer this breed of birds for the reason that they are resistant to various diseases. The only thing when growing chickens at home, you have to constantly monitor the conditions of their maintenance and control nutrition, on which growth and weight gain directly depend.
For information on how to properly grow Ross 308 broilers, see the following video.
