A profitable business is the breeding of chickens of meat breeds. They grow quickly, gaining body weight. With proper care, after a month and a half, the bird can be slaughtered for meat. The money spent is well worth it. One of the conditions of detention is the observance of the correct temperature regime. The normal increase in livestock largely depends on this.
When keeping broiler chickens, the lack of heat supply or its excess leads to a decrease in productivity and even death of babies. This article talks about what should be the constant temperature on a farm where broiler chicks are kept, taking into account their age.
Features of breeding
Within two months, the chicks become adult hens. The maximum carcass weight is 1,7 kilograms. It is not necessary to spend too much food. Pets get along well with regular food. It is economically profitable for farmers to breed meat breeds of chickens.
For breeding full-fledged individuals at home, experts recommend observing the following rules, such as heat, illumination of the area, hygiene, air humidity, equipment of the place of detention.
If these requirements are met for breeding broiler chickens, there are no problems. Pets in any period of life are very calm, do not create unnecessary noise. Rarely get sick and unpretentious.
Characteristics of chickens
If you are buying two week old chicks, it is worth checking them for viability. A strong teenager has an excellent appetite, he moves quickly, reacts to sounds. He has a soft to the touch abdomen, an unclouded look. The wings are tightly pressed to the body. The plumage is uniform and clean from litter. The body is even in shape, has no defects.
Heating control
Adjusted heating speeds up the growing process. When the chicks are hatched, the maximum heat level is set. In the first week, babies prefer warming up the space to at least + 35 ° C.
The indicators of optimal temperatures for broiler chickens of different periods of life were combined by specialists in a table. Temperature indicators for chicks of different ages by day:
- 1-6 days – + 34.36 ° C;
- 7-15 days – + 28.32 ° C;
- 16-22 days – + 26.28 ° C;
- 23-29 days – + 21.24 ° C;
- the following days – +20°C.
It is important to note that temperature fluctuations adversely affect newly hatched chicks, so it is dangerous to transport them at this age. The best option for acquiring young stock is 10-12 days after hatching. But if you still decide to buy tiny birds, then it is worth equipping an insulated box with a hole for ventilation for transportation.
Before settling the kids in the place designated for their residence, it must be well warmed up in advance. When installing heating appliances, do not forget to attach a thermometer next to the heater. The chicken coop should be very warm, but not hot, not higher than + 36 ° C. Overheating is dangerous for babies. In extreme heat, the birds fluff up their feathers. They open their mouths, lie more than walk.
Babies would be nice to keep in a box. In a small area, more heat is retained. And near the box is a heater or lamp. Two-week-old teenagers are already being transferred to prepared chicken coops, but even there you can’t do without a heater or an electric fireplace. A plywood partition is installed near the electrical appliance. It is located at a distance of 50 centimeters from the heating source. This technique helps to ensure the safety of the young.
It is necessary to check that electrical appliances are in good condition, they can only be connected to a reliable network.
Caring for the brood, intensive heating is carried out in the cold season. During the cold season, young hens spend a lot of energy warming their own bodies. It’s great when there are several heating items in the corral. You can also use an infrared lamp or a suitable heating film stretched around the entire perimeter.
Lighting
A well-lit poultry house is an indispensable condition for rearing broiler breeds. With a lack of light, they are passive, do not fit the feeders, begin to lose weight and wither away. Little crumbs need highlighting all 24 hours. Adults have enough natural light. But if the chicken coop does not have windows, turn on the lighting lamp, simulating the day. The lighting device is suspended at such a height that it completely captures the entire surface of the area. In order to maintain the productive growth of the meat population, the rules of lighting should not be neglected.
Using deep litter
Installing heating and lighting fixtures is only part of the comfortable equipment of the farm. Before transferring chickens to it, it is wise to take care of the flooring. Covering devices are prepared in warm weather. First, the floor is covered with limestone, a thick layer of sawdust mixed with wood shavings must be laid on top. Sawdust fall asleep only dry. Such a litter absorbs excess moisture, ammonia vapors, improves the hygienic condition of the place of residence of individuals, and serves as thermal insulation.
Content without walking
Having a small personal plot, poultry farmers grow livestock in cages or buildings without walking. Such a structure should be not only warm, but also dry. In advance, you should think about the tightness of the roof, floor insulation. It is necessary to close up all the holes so that rodents do not penetrate. Apply anti-fungal and mold impregnation to the walls.
With a large accumulation of birds without walking on the street, carbon dioxide accumulates in the house, dampness forms. Ventilation is indispensable here. On farms, devices are being built that determine the state of air humidity. A suitable option is 62%.
When growing in cells, they are arranged in tiers. At the bottom, pallets are attached to accumulate litter. The tiered arrangement of cells is fairly well lit. In cold weather, they are placed near the heating or near the heating system. This method has its advantages: saving space, energy costs, cleaning. With such care, chickens significantly increase weight gain. Due to the lack of flooring in which dirt accumulates, infections are reduced to a minimum.
There are also negative aspects of cell feeding:
- purchase of cells;
- manure cleaning;
- paw damage in chickens;
- change in the taste of products.
Broilers are very shy, afraid of noise. From a sudden movement, they stray into flocks, cripple one another. To avoid this, it is better to use noise isolation.
Having fully fledged, young chickens are less responsive to weather changes. But it is not recommended to let them out for walking, in rainy weather or at low air temperatures.
Sometimes farmers keep chickens in greenhouses and closed aviaries. Pets live in them all year round. In the summer, the doors of the greenhouse are opened for the pupils to walk. In winter, especially in severe frosts, the chicks are inside the bird house. In winter, it is forbidden to open the windows of the house, so as not to freeze its inhabitants. When heating bird houses with artificial heating Strictly observe fire safety regulations.
Infrared lamps are very easy to use. They heat the house, but do not heat the objects. For small farms, this is the best option. To track the temperature in the room, poultry farmers use a thermometer. It is fixed at a distance of 10 centimeters from the floor – in the place where the chickens run.
The temperature regime should be observed during feeding. Good nutrition, established from the first days, helps to strengthen the newly hatched crumbs. Feed them fresh warm food. Change water frequently in drinkers. In the first 10 days of life, drink only boiled warm water.
Conclusion
In order to grow full-fledged chickens, experts recommend following the instructions for caring for offspring. Healthy food, well-equipped housing are mandatory conditions for keeping. But no less important point is the right heating. Observe the behavior of the wards more often. Both excessive heat and cold negatively affect their well-being. Monitor the air temperature in the poultry house, distribute it according to the age of the chickens. Only in this way can you achieve 100% survival of an individual, grow a wonderful meat breed. Please yourself and your customers.
For information on what temperature should be for keeping broilers, see the following video.
