Rules for the winter keeping of egg-laying guinea fowls
Guinea fowls are poultry with an exotic pedigree that attract attention not only for their beautiful bright plumage, but also for their productive characteristics. Caring for the "royal bird" is not particularly difficult, but keeping guinea fowls in winter requires certain conditions.
Keeping guinea fowls in winter
Since during this period there is a risk of loss of bird offspring or weakening of the physical condition of adult guinea fowls, the egg production of birds will also weaken, which affects the profitability of the farm.
Features of guinea fowl
These exotic birds are similar in appearance to turkeys and domestic chickens. Western and South Africa can be considered their homeland. In Russia, they appeared in the 18th century. There are many breeds of guinea fowl. But they are all similar in their characteristics and growing methods.
If earlier guinea fowls were bred as decorative birds, now the main reason is tasty and healthy meat and nutritious eggs. Keeping this species of birds does not require high financial and labor costs. Another plus is high productivity. With proper care, the guinea fowl layer is capable of producing 150 eggs per year. An amazing feature of the products obtained is that a guinea fowl egg can be stored for several years without losing its useful properties. The meat of these chickens is dietary, very tender, contains a lot of hemoglobin and vitamin A.
Guinea fowls rarely get sick, unlike other domestic birds, which makes it easier to care for them. They have a peaceful nature, which makes it possible for the breeder to place them in the same room with other birds. But you need to know that guinea fowls are very shy. When they are afraid, they start screaming very loudly. They can be frightened by rats and mice, pets and even strangers, so it is important that one owner feeds and looks after the guinea fowls, otherwise they will become inactive, they may stop laying eggs and even die. These birds are extremely loyal to their breeder and develop a close emotional bond with him.
Proper care of guinea fowls in winter
One of the main features of guinea fowls is their adaptability to cold weather.
Every breeder knows that these unusual birds have great endurance and strong immunity. The body temperature of an adult is 42.5 ° С throughout almost the entire year, and in winter it drops to 40 ° С.
The winter keeping of guinea fowls has several nuances. Due to their characteristics, birds in winter can live even in an unheated room, but it is imperative to protect the house from winds and drafts, and also to put up perches so that the guinea fowls do not sit on the cold floor. This is done to prevent the birds from catching colds or other diseases. Even in spite of the fact that young chicks hatched in winter have high immunity, they have not yet matured enough and, due to poor living conditions, can get sick or even die.
The main conditions for keeping guinea fowl in winter:
- Convenient feeders. Proper nutrition is the key to healthy poultry, and therefore tasty, harmless meat and a large number of eggs.
- The presence of a sufficient number of perches. They are needed so that the guinea fowls have a place to rest and sleep. Moreover, each bird must have its own roost. Also, creating a comfortable living environment guarantees a high level of productivity in winter. The height of the rungs should be no more than half a meter above the ground.
- Covering the floor with natural materials: straw, dry peat or sawdust. In winter, this will help keep your shed or cage warm. Cleaning the floor is easy enough: you can simply cover the dirty layer of the floor with a clean one. This will not only help keep it clean, but it will also increase the warmth.
- Provide adequate lighting, as guinea fowls only rush during the day, when the room is light. The correct arrangement of additional lighting will help to increase the laying period, especially in winter, when the day is very short. The most suitable conditions are lighting up to 15 hours a day for an adult bird. An artificial source of light and heating will save the guinea fowl from diseases due to freezing.
Also, the correct maintenance of guinea fowls provides for the maintenance of dryness in the room in the winter. The shed or aviary should be at a slight slope so that mold does not form there from accumulated moisture.
Increased indoor humidity leads to a lower body temperature of the guinea fowl and a low clutch of eggs, which in turn negatively affects the financial viability of the farm.
How to choose the temperature regime for guinea fowls in winter
These chickens can survive a 50-degree frost, but they will carry much less, so in winter it is very important to keep the guinea fowl warm. The room temperature must be at least 17 ° C.
Also, in order to maintain a high level of bird productivity, it is necessary to provide conditions not only for their comfort, but also for mating. For this, the minimum area of a barn or cage should be 1 square meter. m for 2 guinea fowls indoors and not less than 30 sq. m in open space.
Winter feeding rules
These poultry feed not only on plants and food, but also on various insects. In winter, it is impossible to find fresh grass and small insects, therefore it is necessary to create a food ration for the birds that would provide them with all the necessary substances.
You cannot feed the birds only with food all winter, you need to give them sand and ash that will satisfy their physiological needs. Laying birds should be fed with eggshells that contain calcium, as they quickly consume calcium while laying eggs.
What diet will be optimal for egg production
To enrich the diet of birds with beneficial substances, you can include ingredients such as:
- vegetable waste, skins of potatoes and carrots, which will compensate for the lack of greens;
- sour dairy products and fish oil;
- silage, haylage or grain.
Before going to bed, you should feed the guinea fowl with compound feed in order to maintain a high body temperature of the birds and provide them with the necessary energy for an active life. Correctly selected feed ration will help to increase the productivity of birds in winter.