What can you feed weekly chicks
When breeding birds, many farmers are interested in the question, and what to feed weekly chicks? Significant conditions when choosing feed for weekly chicks are completeness and calorie content, as well as assimilation. Weekly individuals are given food almost every 2 hours. It is not recommended for one-week-old chicks to consume heavy foods that are difficult to digest. Feeding young animals at home should be done with all responsibility, since their future health depends on what kind of food you give.
- What ingredients should a nutritional formula contain?
- Feeding newborn chicks
- Feeding weekly chicks
- Diet of two-week-old birds
- Diet of three-week-old and monthly birds
- How to feed three-month-old birds?
- Diet benefits for laying hens
- Feeding broiler birds
- How many times do young animals need to be fed per day?
If you yourself find it difficult to compose a diet for your livestock, so that it is balanced and nutritious, then you should consult a veterinarian so that he can draw up a menu for feeding weekly chickens correctly. Any diet should be made exclusively for each individual, taking into account its age, characteristics and availability diseases... Chicks of different ages must be fed a formula that is right for them, so the mixture must be prepared correctly.
What ingredients should a nutritional formula contain?
- Carbohydrates. They are present in a huge proportion in grain feed. Carbohydrates are spent to a greater extent in the movement of the bird, but not all carbohydrates disappear at the moment of movement, they tend to be deposited in fatty form.
- Proteins. This element is very important for the growth of young stock. After all, chicken meat contains 20% protein. In order for the body to have protein, it is necessary to give not only grain elements, but also boiled meat leftovers, lentils, oilcakes.
- Fats. Feeding foods are high in fat. It is not recommended to give fat as a separate element of food, because it can affect the digestion of a young body.
Also an important element of feeding individuals are vitamins... Vitamins play an important role in the growth and development of young animals. If the level of vitamins in the body of chickens is low, this leads to vitamin deficiency, and this, in turn, affects the work of the exchange of elements. It is for this reason that birds succumb to a large number of diseases.
- Vitamin A. This vitamin is found in carrots, fresh herbs, dairy products and fish. If the bird develops indoors, it needs to include fresh herbs in the food, 30 grams each. In summer, chicks should be released into fresh air so that they eat a little pasture. It is not necessary to release very small individuals, but starting from the age of 2 months under supervision, you can take them for a short walk.
- Vitamin B. The content of this vitamin can be found in yeast or sprouted grains.
- Vitamin D. This vitamin is obtained by individuals from the sun's rays, so it is very important to let all the livestock go for a walk so that individuals can get the natural vitamin from the sun.Some poultry farmers, in the absence of the possibility of walking, use special lamps to illuminate. This element is very necessary so that the bird does not have rickets, as well as for the full nucleation of the eggshell. Recommended to add to food fish fat (from 3 to 10 grams per day).
- Vitamin E. Vitamin E is essential for proper metabolism. This vitamin is found in legumes and wheat germ.
Digestion
The newly hatched chick is supplied with a supply of yolk that provides it with nutrients for many hours after hatching. It is nature's way of allowing early chicks to remain in the nest until the entire brood is hatched. Hatching chicks sent by mail use these yolk stocks for a day or two on the way. By the time the chickens arrive by mail, their yolk reserves are pretty well depleted.
To help the chickens digest their first meal, first give them warm water to drink before they start eating. Feed them for 2 to 3 hours after they drink the water.
Chickens also eat vegetables, fruits, flowers, grasses, grains, and seeds. Grain, protein (egg) plus vitamins and minerals should be included in the diet every day. Youngsters should be provided with round-the-clock access to fresh and drinking water. Chicks should be monitored to ensure that their fur does not get wet and they can drink. Drinking bowls should be wide and low, because it is still inconvenient for babies to drink from adult drinkers. Place food and water in a convenient place where there is no crowding of individuals, preferably a warm and bright place. Youngsters who are only a week old should be given boiled water of 30 degrees and gradually, with age, the water temperature can be reduced. By three weeks of age, the water temperature should be no more than 18 degrees.
Feeding newborn chicks
Initially, for an unborn chicken, its first meal is in the egg. Before being born, the chick will consume the leftover eggs. It is for this reason that it is not necessary to feed it immediately after the birth of the bird. The first step is for the bird to dry up and get some rest. The first meal should be around 12-16 hours, from the moment of birth. A chicken that was fed in the first 16 hours from the moment of birth is distinguished by a high survival rate, vitality from those birds that have not taken food for a day since birth.
The most suitable option for feeding birds in the first week of their life is every two hours, plus time of night. But at the end of the week, it is important to reduce food intake to 7-8 times a day. It is very important that the chicks' feeder always looks full; it is advisable to rinse the feeder with boiled water. To date, there is a large number of different disputes about what should be the first meal of the chick. From generation to generation, it is believed that chopped boiled yolk is considered the best option for the first meal at home. But many studies have proven that this type of food contains a lot of fat, and it is generally believed that such food is harmful to newborn chicks. That is why it is recommended that newborn chicks be given corn grits as their first meal.
A little later, born chicks are advised to give a mixture of hard-boiled yolk with semolina, also boiled, finely chopped nettle. It is recommended to change the diet for 3-4 days. You can add such cereals as wheat and barley, as well as carrots, chopped onions and boiled grated potatoes. Birds should be given kefir and cottage cheese to drink (it contains a lot of calcium, which is so necessary for newborn chicks). From the moment the chicks are born, it is advisable to check the goiter for a whole week before going to bed. For those chicks in which they are completely empty, it is advisable to feed them separately from all the others.
Feeding weekly chicks
Such chicks eat food from a mixture of cereals:
- Corn;
- Barley;
- Oat;
- Wheat.
Or with a special compound feed along with herbs, potatoes, carrots and fermented milk products. You cannot give water from potatoes, as it contains substances harmful to birds. Also, water from boiling potatoes should not be used for harvesting mash... The potatoes themselves do not harm the birds. All vegetables must be well washed and processed. At such a small age, chickens are vulnerable and can be subject to various viral diseases.
For very young individuals, breeders often purchase start compound feed. Food intake should be more than 7 times a day. If chicks are fed fewer times, they will not receive the required dose of feed and nutrients. While the young are growing up, they need to actively feed and gain strength. In order not to have problems with different infections, it is advisable to give a rather weak mixture of potassium permanganate 3 times a week. You can learn more about the diet of weekly chickens in a photo or video.
Diet of two-week-old birds
Two-week-old individuals that have already grown up from the moment of birth need a more nutritious diet. You can feed them with a mixture of cereals and soaked bread, it is also recommended to give boiled fish. It is very important to keep the troughs clean and keep food and water fresh. Place only the amount of food they will eat in the feeder. You don't need to add a lot, it is important to keep the food fresh. Now you can feed the birds with bran instead of compound feed. The food intake of two-week-old chicks per day should be about 6-7 times.
Diet of three-week-old and monthly birds
Three-week-old or more adults and layers that have been living for a month from birth can walk outside, you need to feed them with fresh grass. You should also include coarse grains in the meal, and if the chicks are more than a month old, even about 1.5, then give whole grain. But do not forget that you need to add vegetables or vegetable waste, cereals and dairy products to the meal.
It is allowed to add boiled meat waste to the meal, only low-fat. Give the chicks a separate feeder with sand or crushed eggshells. It is contraindicated to give earthworms to birds, despite the fact that they are very much to their liking. By eating this kind of food, birds have every chance of contracting helminths, which will lead to bad consequences.
How to feed three-month-old birds?
After three months of life at home, it is time for the chick to be given food, which is suitable for adult birds, but eating very often. Just as before the main food for birds is grain, you can also give food from the table. For instance:
- Bread;
- Meat;
- Fish.
It is also necessary to give fresh herb every day. In order for the grass to be used more economically, hanging feeders should be made. With their help, the grass will not be trampled and you will not have to give fresh herbs very often.
Diet benefits for laying hens
Laying hens should have a balanced and nutritious diet, because the health of individuals and the quality of eggs depend on this. In laying hens the first 5 days of life, the diet is no different from the rest of the young. Only after the 5th day do you need to add a little dry food to the diet. Before giving oatmeal or barley flour, it is very important to sift out grain films, because the body of the chicks processes them hard. It is very important that food contains food that contains proteins, vitamins, such as:
- Greens;
- Dairy products;
- Yeast;
- Carrot;
- Coniferous or herbal flour.
It is very important to teach future laying hens to greens. In the future, this will help you save on additional vitamins and supplements. Green fresh herbs contain many elements, vitamins and the quality of egg production in future laying hens at home improves. When chicks are reared not outdoors, but indoors, they need to add 0.1 - 0.2 grams of fish oil to their food per chick from a 5-day return.In order for the feeding to be complete, it is necessary to make a mixture of fish oil with crushed grain, because in this form it will most likely be eaten. Youngsters at the age of 1 month need to weigh 220-270 grams, and young roosters need to weigh 970 - 1150 grams. At the age of 5 months, the weight should be 1.6 - 1.7 and 1.9 kg.
Feeding broiler birds
Broiler chicks have a huge advantage over other chicks. The main advantage of this type is that they have fast growth, large size and unpretentiousness in food intake. For this reason, many farmers give their preference to growing this particular species. In just 2 months, these birds can gain weight up to 1.4 - 1.6 kg. Birds of this kind are raised only for the first three months, then their growth will become a little worse than before, and there is no point in continuing to feed them in the future. For this type of bird, you do not need to allocate a lot of space in the room, because for them the main task is to gain as much weight as possible, and not move more.
Compound feed it is necessary to add 20 grams to the diet from day 2. The first two weeks need to start only with the pre-start compound feed. The composition of such compound feed contains all the necessary elements, which contribute to the growth and development of small chicks. After a period of 14 days, special compound feed should be given according to the age of the birds, and after 30 days of feeding with such feed, it is recommended to switch to the final feed. It is necessary to carefully study the composition of the compound feed, since a poor-quality product will negatively affect the young. A balanced and good food must contain natural ingredients.
After 5 days from the moment of birth at home, vitamins A, D2 and E should be added to the diet. With a deficiency of such vitamins, young animals may have a common avian disease - rickets. After 10 days from the moment of birth, you can feed the individuals with the main food with the addition of grated carrots. The daily rate of carrots in the body of young animals should not exceed 5 grams per individual. From the age of 15 days, you can start giving fish and meat little by little. Also pay special attention to fermented milk products, as they must be present in the diet of chickens.
How many times do young animals need to be fed per day?
- The first week from the moment of birth is the most basic and young animals are fed up to 8 times.
- From the second week, you can feed 6 times.
- Third week - 4 meals.
- At the age of 30 days, you need to feed 2 times a day.
A few weeks before slaughter, gravel is removed from the diet of chickens and roosters. When fattening broiler breeds, you need to know that in the first month from the moment of birth, individuals grow more intensively if they are fed with dry feed containing protein. A 30-day-old broiler chick should weigh about 600-700 grams. With the period of growing up and further fattening, young animals are given vegetables and herbs, and the amount of dry feed with protein content is reduced.
At the age of 2 months, a broiler should weigh 2 kg or more. To accurately control the weight and height of the birds, checkweighing should be carried out regularly. To keep the birds healthy and active, it is recommended periodically, especially during periods of vitamin deficiency, to give additional vitamin and mineral supplements. If you follow simple rules for feeding and caring, your birds will always be healthy and active.