What are the precautions for raising free-range chickens in rural areas?

Free-range chickens should be raised in sites with a superior ecological environment, such as natural grasslands, natural hillsides, orchards and fields, that are suitable for grazing. It is required that there be no major pollution sources within a 5 km radius around the coop, that there be abundant forage, and that small streams and mountain springs are best; the mountain slope should preferably not exceed 25°, and the site should be sheltered from the wind and facing the sun, shaded by green trees, with abundant water sources and convenient access to water. For large-scale farming, road access and power supply are also required to be guaranteed, to facilitate the transport and processing of feed and products. For the size design standards of the chicken house and exercise yard, generally the chicken house is calculated at 0.1 sq m per chicken, and the exercise yard at 1 sq m per chicken; the exercise yard is best enclosed with bamboo fences and plastic netting. Farming season: For free-range chickens, a suitable brooding season must be chosen to facilitate the grazing and raising of ecological chickens. According to the climate characteristics of mountain areas in various places, it is generally best to choose March—June for brooding. This is because during this period the temperature rises from low to high, and there is sufficient sunlight, which is favorable for the growth and development of the chickens and helps increase the brooding survival rate. Nutritional needs: During the brooding and growing stages, the feed supply and supplementation for chicks, growing chickens and adult chickens must be ensured according to the nutritional needs of the chickens at each growth stage. Generally, before grazing, feeding 5—6 times per day is required, while also ensuring sufficient clean drinking water. After entering the release-raising period and having a relatively strong ability to forage freely, artificial supplementary feeding can gradually be reduced to 2—3 times per day, and attention should be paid to feeding less in the morning and more in the evening. Farming method: The release-raising training of free-range chickens is a key link in raising them, and it should start from the young chicks. After the chicks are raised indoors for 4 weeks and reach a body weight of about 200 grams, they are then switched to free-range raising in a site with grass and fencing, and the chickens are purposefully trained to develop conditioned reflexes; after a certain period of training, the chicks will come back to eat and drink when they hear human-made sounds. At this time, the opportunity should be seized to train the flock's ability to seek feed and catch forage grass; after about 4—6 weeks of training, the chicks have formed conditioned reflexes, and their ability to catch food and protect themselves is greatly improved. When the individual chicken weight reaches about 500 grams, the basic conditions for release-raising are already in place, and the flock can be released into a pre-designated grazing site to begin the natural ecological raising of the chickens, allowing the flock to display their abilities freely in the open hills and fields, freely catching insects, seeking grass seeds, and pecking at tender grass. The growth period of free-range chickens is mainly based on release-raising, with most of the time spent active in the wild, and the growth period of ecological chickens is relatively long, generally requiring 4—5 months, during which they may be infected with various diseases at any time. For this reason, the immunization work for the chickens must be effectively carried out. In the prevention and control of chicken diseases, “emphasis” is on prevention, and “value” is in early action; from the first day after hatching, vaccination against Marek's disease must be given. At the same time, under the guidance of a veterinarian, vaccination injections for Newcastle disease, infectious bronchitis, avian influenza, fowl cholera, bursal disease, fowl pox and other vaccines must be carried out. In addition, attention must also be paid to the timely prevention, control and treatment of other diseases to ensure the healthy growth of ecological chickens. Disease prevention and control: Newcastle disease is caused by Newcastle disease virus, mainly manifested as difficulty breathing, diarrhea, green feces, depression and neurological symptoms, swelling of the head and face, cessation of egg production, etc., and the mortality rate of sensitive flocks can be as high as 50%-70%. Preventive measures: at 7-10 days of age, chicks are given the first immunization with Newcastle-bronchitis bivalent tetravalent vaccine by drinking water or nasal drops; the second immunization is at 18 days of age; after 60 days of age, Newcastle disease strain I is injected intramuscularly (before and after each vaccination, Qiwei Antitoxin Drink should be given in drinking water, which can effectively improve vaccine immunity and the body's disease resistance; normally, Hengjie Kang is mixed into the feed to reduce the incidence of Newcastle disease). Fowl pox is caused by fowl pox virus; scabs can be seen on various parts of the sick chicken's body, and in the laryngeal form of fowl pox, ulcers or yellowish-white lesions can be seen on the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, esophagus and trachea. Preventive measures: at 14-21 days of age, fowl pox vaccine is administered by wing-web puncture. Infectious bursal disease is caused by infectious bursal disease virus; the symptoms are that sick chickens pass white or light green thin feces, are listless, with the head drooping, eyelids closed, and feathers loose and drooping, and finally die from extreme exhaustion and dehydration. Preventive measures: at 14-21 days of age, attenuated bursal disease vaccine is given in drinking water, with 2% skimmed milk powder added to the water; after vaccination, Quick-Effect Bursal Disease Ning is continuously given in drinking water, which can reduce the stress reaction of the vaccine and control the incidence of bursal disease. Prevention and control of bacterial diseases: Colibacillosis is caused by Escherichia coli; chicks show anorexia, ruffled feathers, reluctance to move, and finally death; adult chickens show shrinkage of the comb, pale face, and some have diarrhea. Some infections present clinical symptoms, such as arthritis, ophthalmia, and accompanying respiratory symptoms. Treatment measures: antibiotics (such as kanamycin, neomycin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin), sulfonamides and nitrofurans are all effective. Pullorum disease is caused by Salmonella; sick chickens show poor physique and appetite, drooping wings, ruffled feathers, a preference for crouching, and pass yellow-white or green feces. Prevention and control measures: norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin or enrofloxacin are given in drinking water. Fowl cholera is caused by Pasteurella multocida; in the most acute form, sick chickens die suddenly; in the acute form, sick chickens have ruffled feathers, do not eat, breathe rapidly, discharge foamy mucus from the nostrils and mouth, pass yellow, gray or green thin feces, have body temperature rising to 43 degrees C-44 degrees C, become comatose, and die in 1-3 days; the chronic form shows arthritis, lameness, difficulty breathing, etc. Prevention and control measures: after onset, treatment with sulfonamides, penicillin, streptomycin, and erythromycin is effective (when chicks are started, using Fengqiang Hengliyuan/cefotaxime sodium + Weiduoli in drinking water can purge pullorum disease and reduce the infection rate of E. coli). Prevention and control of parasitic diseases: Common parasitic diseases in chickens include tapeworm disease, ascariasis and coccidiosis. Tapeworm disease and ascariasis: after chickens are infected with tapeworms and roundworms, they show slow growth and development, a pale comb, anemia, ruffled feathers, drooping wings, enteritis and diarrhea, etc.; 5 mg of albendazole per kg of body weight can expel these two parasites. Coccidiosis: chicks from half a month to 2 months of age are most susceptible to coccidiosis, often showing symptoms such as anemia, emaciation, diarrhea and blood in the feces. For drugs to expel coccidia, toltrazuril solution can be chosen for drinking water; normally, sulfadiazine suspension + E. coli Special No. 1 are given in drinking water for regular health-prevention, and this can also control intestinal infections in chicks and reduce the occurrence of intestinal toxin syndrome.