The maintenance of laying hens in the country and care for them

The maintenance of laying hens in the cottage carries many benefits. After all, a homemade egg in its nutritional properties is incomparable with shop. There are different breeds of laying hens. Photos of them are quite easy to find. However, in households, it is best to keep hybrid breeds of birds with colored plumage. They are less excitable, more relaxed and have a better egg laying than a white bird. To buy chickens is better in the beginning of spring. Sale of laying hens is carried out by special nurseries and poultry farms. You need to buy individuals that are no more than 3-4 months old.

Accommodation

The maintenance of laying hens in the dacha implies their proper placement. For these purposes, a dried and prepared poultry house will be needed. Its area is determined from the calculation of 4 individuals per 1 m2. On the floor you must first lay straw, hay or dry sawdust (a layer of not less than 5 cm). Of course, over time, the layer of litter can be gradually increased. On the floor you need to install drinkers and containers for feeding. Their edges should be at the back of the birds. The maintenance of laying hens in the dacha requires the creation in the poultry of plots near its walls (height from the floor about 60 cm). For these purposes, poles (diameter 3 cm) will do. The total length should be sufficient to accommodate all chickens. In a shady place, you need to arrange nests for carrying eggs (1 to 4 individuals). The ideal option is to create a fenced-off paddock, where you can release a bird. There you need to create mounds of sand and ash, in which the chickens will bathe - to clean feathers. If the area is very limited, then the bird can be placed in special cages. This does not affect egg production.

Optimal temperature and lighting

The maintenance of laying hens in the cottage requires maintaining a certain temperature range in the house (12-20 C). If the room is cold, and the water freezes in the water bowls, the egg-laying capacity of the bird can drop dramatically. In addition, in the poultry you need to establish ventilation, so that there is constant access to fresh air (transoms, exhaust ducts). Chickens are very demanding on the level of lighting. Therefore, there must be electric light in the henhouse. The total lighting time (taking into account the natural daylight) should not be less than 17 hours a day.

Feeding

To provide birds with the necessary nutrients they must be properly fed. For them, the most suitable cereals such as wheat, corn and barley. For better digestibility of chickens, cereals should be given in crushed form. Grain feed in the bird's diet should be at least 60%. But half of this rate can be completely replaced with food waste: boiled potatoes, cleaning, the remains of cereal cereals. To satisfy the need for protein, chickens need to be given protein foods. This is usually a variety of meals and oilcakes. Their share in the bird's diet should be about 15%. The most valuable food is fishmeal. This product contains a lot of proteins. However, in its absence, chicken can be chopped finely chopped fresh fish. This significantly increases egg production. To meet the needs of chickens in vitamins, they are given (especially in spring and summer time) nettles, pine, alfalfa and some other herbs. In autumn and winter, you can give carrots and pumpkin, as well as vitamin preparations. The bird must have access to gravel.