Scientific breeding methods of native chickens

Free-range chickens have been a very popular breeding project in recent years. They are generally raised in a free-range manner, have tender meat, and have a relatively high market price, making them favored by many farmers. Below, the editor will introduce the scientific breeding methods of native chickens. Let’s take a look.

1. Site selection

For raising native chickens, it is advisable to choose a place that is sheltered from the wind, facing the sun, with flat terrain, high and dry, easy to get water, far away from villages, with convenient transportation, small tree crowns and sparse fruit trees. It is important to avoid having chicken farms densely distributed along rivers, and the distance between farms should be at least 200 meters. Taking advantage of the natural barriers of mountainous areas, we advocate one field per hill.

2. Variety selection

When choosing chicken breeds, it is generally recommended to select according to market demand. It is better to choose good-quality chickens that have strong adaptability, disease resistance, foraging ability, and tolerance to rough feeding. Or local native chicken bloodline, accounting for more than 75% of hybrid chicken breeds, and also consider the market demand to choose the best-selling breeds, it is best to choose the excellent breeds of native chickens bred by regular units.

3. Stocking density

The stocking density of native chickens can be slightly larger than that of fast-growing chickens. Generally, the density is kept at 35 chickens/square meter within one week of age, and then reduced by about 5 chickens per week until they are weaned at four weeks of age and can be released into the open air.

4. Brooding management

Chicks need an environment with a temperature of 34 to 35 degrees to grow normally. The method of insulation depends on the number of chickens. You can use cardboard boxes and light bulbs, put the chicks in the box, hang a light bulb of about 60 watts, and put a horizontal stone trough on it. You can use a coal stove in the brooding room to heat it, or you can use an iron pipe to discharge it to the outside. To ensure the accuracy of the temperature, in addition to checking the condition of the chicks, a thermometer should be hung indoors and the feces should be removed.

5. Feeding management

Feed is an important factor affecting meat quality. High-quality native chickens should be fed easily digestible, nutritionally complete chick feed during the brooding period. Because of their slow growth rate, the crude protein content in the feed is 2 percentage points lower than that of the complete feed for fast-growing broilers, and small meals are required to promote good growth and development of the chicks. During the growing and grazing periods, more green fodder, agricultural and sideline products, and local grains should be fed to improve meat quality and reduce feed costs. Generally, supplementary feed is only fed after returning home late. 1-2 weeks before sale, if the chickens are thin, you can increase the amount of compound feed and limit grazing to fatten them moderately.

6. Strict epidemic prevention

Good disease prevention and control is an important guarantee for raising high-quality free-range chickens . Generally speaking, free-range chickens have stronger disease resistance and are less likely to get sick than large broiler chickens raised in cages. However, due to their long breeding period and grazing in the wild, they have many opportunities to come into contact with pathogens, so we must strictly follow the requirements of chicken farming to carry out hygiene, disinfection and epidemic prevention work.

The above is the scientific breeding method of native chickens. Farmers must master the above breeding methods. If the native chicken breeding period is improper, it will directly affect the meat flavor and breeding benefits of the chickens.