Raising chickens at home

Raising chickens at home

What is chicken?

Chickens are the name given to more than 60 strains of medium-sized birds that are unable to fly, whose domestication and domestication have been common among humans since prehistoric times in pursuit of their eggs and meat.

It is believed that the origin of all domesticated chickens currently in various parts of the world is due to a type of bird called the red jungle rooster that lived in India, and humans succeeded in domesticating it thousands of years ago, so we say it with them to all continents.

 It is possible that the number of chickens around the world exceeds the number of any other species of the bird family, as it is estimated that the number of chickens that the population of the earth consumes annually is more than 28 billion kilograms, and the number of eggs that they eat is more than 500 billion eggs per year.

The weight of an adult hen ranges between half a kilogram and five kilograms (depending on the type), and the chicken is distinguished by that it is a bird that cannot fly, except that its body is completely covered with feathers except for its scaly legs, and it has fleshy growths on its body, called the crest (above the beak) and the deltoid (under the beak), Which are red in color due to blood flowing through them.

Raising chickens

Most people prefer to start raising newly hatched chickens (at the age of one day), which can be bought from many local stores, and usually buy female chickens at first and avoid the pawns, because roosters are very noisy and violent with other hens, which will more comfortable without their presence.

 It is also possible to obtain and incubate the eggs of chickens until they hatch at home, or buy full-grown chickens ready to lay eggs, an option that may be comfortable for the newcomers to raise chickens, so there are several positives, including that adult chickens begin to give eggs quickly, and that they are much less likely to die than Young hens, who constantly face the dangers of predators, diseases, pests, and poor care.

The first days of the life of poultry are dangerous for them, and therefore it is necessary to monitor the chickens during their first hours of hatching, and it is preferable to give them sugar-sweetened water at a rate of 8-10%, and you must also take into account that the chicks are not crowded into the cage, and it is important to clean the feeders for eating and drinking constantly to ensure their health, Heating, and ventilation must be available inside her home.

The hen house is a fundamental issue in raising it, and amateurs often choose to build a chicken house themselves, as it is easy and inexpensive, but it can be bought ready-made as well. It can be raised from two to four hens in a single house, which is sufficient for the high production of eggs.

After a period ranging from 20 to 24 weeks (five to six months) after hatching, the chickens are supposed to start laying eggs, and this is the stage at which farmers begin to benefit from their chickens, and egg production usually is about 5 to 6 eggs per week, except that It decreases in the fall and winter months with decreasing daylight hours, and as the chickens start their feather change cycle.

In the following spring, the chicken feathers will have regenerated and will return to producing eggs at a greater rate. In general, as one year passes from the age of the hen, its weekly production of eggs will decrease by approximately 20%.

Basic needs of chickens

Among the basic requirements that you need to raise chickens at home:

Housing: The floor must be cement, and the house must contain hay, straw, and sawdust on its floor, and it is very important to clean and ventilate continuously to prevent moisture, and also must be equipped with a sufficient number of feeders in which to put food and drink.

And the dwelling must be very protected because of the large number of predators that can seek to reach and devour chickens or chicks, such as dogs and stray cats, and sometimes even birds of prey, in addition to the large number of insects that will try to reach the chickens, such as cockroaches and flies, which cause By transferring diseases and epidemics to him.

Heating: It is very important in the winter season to provide adequate heating inside the housing of the chickens, to avoid respiratory disease or death in some cases, especially from young birds because of their high sensitivity to the surrounding environment.

Lighting: If it can be provided, it is important to provide a thermal electric lamp (it provides light and warmth at the same time) and operate it continuously - all day long - for young chicks whose ages range from one to 20 weeks, which is very important to encourage young growth and vitality.

A lamp like this can be bought from agricultural stores, and if the number of chicks is small, it is possible to suffice with a standard lamp with a capacity of 75 to 100 watts to perform the job.

If the chicks pile around each other a lot, this may mean that they are feeling cold and trying to get warm from their body temperature, and then it will be necessary to bring the lamp closer to them or to strengthen it.

Nutrition: The chickens must be given the appropriate food, there are special feeds that can be bought from the market, and it is necessary to check the water daily to make sure that they are not lacking fluids.

Chickens need a lot of food to produce their eggs and young, so one of the best ways to feed them is to give them leftovers or leftovers from preparing food in the kitchen, such as leftovers from vegetables and fruits, but you must pay close attention to what is given to them from the rest of the food, so they should not be given any food that contains meat Or any leftover meat products.

It can also be served with cooked rice, pasta, potatoes, corn, bread, or legumes such as raw lentils or raw rice, in addition to barley.

 It is also necessary to clean the feeders after each meal, in order not to leave the opportunity for the occurrence of rotting, which results in the growth of disease-causing microbes and fungi.

Vaccination: It is very important in raising these birds to vaccinate them with the necessary vaccinations to continue their growth without being exposed to common diseases among poultry, especially in the early period of their life, and it may sometimes be difficult to identify diseases of poultry because it is not easy to diagnose symptoms for people who are new to this field, and therefore An expert question and advice in the field may be required.

Prevention of poultry diseases

As for the preventive measures that can be taken to avoid the occurrence and transmission of diseases to domestic chickens, including:

• Regularly cleaning the housing and utensils of the chickens, and keeping the floors and nests dry, and it is also possible to control the "habit of predation" by avoiding crowding among the hens, by providing the appropriate large area determined by the number of birds present.
• Not to raise more than one type of poultry in the same house, but it is necessary to separate them.
• She must return to the veterinarian if any symptom indicates that she is sick is seen or noticed.
• Sorting between poultry in terms of cocks and chickens.
• Disposal of chicken waste in places far from the dwellings, and sprinkle the waste as a precaution if possible, to avoid the spread of diseases.
• Usually, poultry keepers cut the upper part of the chicken's beaks on the seventh to the tenth day for several reasons, which are to prevent the "habit of predation" (ie, chickens break eggs with their beaks), and to avoid wasting feed.