Key Points of Feeding and Management Techniques for Adult Silkie Chickens

Feeding and management during the adult stage:

(1) Transferring and selecting breeders. Two weeks before the expected start of laying, select breeders at the time of transfer: roosters should weigh 1.5 kg and hens 1.25 kg, and keep roosters and hens at a ratio of 1:3—4 for free mating.

(2) Lighting: provide 15—16 hours of light per day, with a light intensity of one 40-watt bulb per 15 sq m, placed 2 m above the ground.

(3) Feeding: use domestic chicken breeder feed plus 2% imported fish meal and 5% feed yeast powder, bringing crude protein to 18%, and feed 100—125 g per bird per day. Adding 10 mg of vitamin E per kg of feed can increase the fertilization rate of breeding eggs.

(4) Density: 4—5 birds per sq m, 100-150 birds per flock, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:4.

Disease prevention and control:

1. Newcastle disease:

Prevention and control: at 5 days and 25 days of age, administer one eye drop or nose drop of Newcastle disease vaccine strain II each time; at 40 days and 135 days of age, administer one intramuscular injection or wing-web stab of Newcastle disease vaccine strain I each time; during the non-laying period, breeder chickens should be vaccinated once more with strain I. In epidemic areas, emergency injection of strain I vaccine should be given.

2. Coccidiosis

Prevention and control: from 3—25 days of age, use anticoccidial drugs alternately for prevention

3. Pullorum disease:

Prevention and control: from 1—20 days of age, use 0.1% oxytetracycline, 0.2% norfloxacin powder, and 0.05%--0.1% chloramphenicol powder alternately for prevention.