Raising Methods and Key Husbandry Points for the Silkie Chicken
The Silkie chicken has relatively strong disease resistance and wide adaptability. It can be kept free-range, in pens, or in cages, making it suitable both for intensive raising on specialized poultry farms and for free-range raising at home. It has relatively low requirements for raising conditions and is basically the same as domestic chickens in terms of husbandry and management, while its survival rate and feed return are relatively high. In order to raise Silkie chickens scientifically and improve the survival rate and egg production rate, the following points need to be done.
1. Build the chicken house well. The chicken house can use an existing chicken house, an idle room, or open space in a courtyard, but attention must be paid to ventilation in the chicken house and keeping the ground dry. The ground is best made of brick or cement so that manure can be cleaned up and epidemic prevention and disinfection can be carried out. For raising adult chickens in the chicken house, the density is 4-8 birds per sq m. If conditions permit, an open-air exercise yard should be set up in front of the chicken house, with a height of 2 m on all four sides (no overhead netting is needed). At least 1/3 of the exercise yard or chicken house should be covered with coarse sand and provided with bamboo or wooden perches, so that Silkie chickens can take sand baths and perch on the racks.
2. Free-range sites. If conditions permit, free-range raising can also be carried out in orchards or woodland. Orchards can provide a good environment for the growth of green-shell laying hens, chicken manure can fertilize the land, and the orchard can also increase economic returns. Idle courtyards or houses can also be used for raising, with about 6—8 chickens per sq m.
3. Scientific feeding. After chicks enter the brooding room, they should first be given clean, disinfected drinking water, and then fed semi-dry wet feed for 2 days. After 3 days, switch to chick starter feed and feed until 2 weeks of age. After 2 weeks of age, switch to pullet feed and feed until 7 weeks of age. From 8 weeks of age, they enter the growing chicken stage and are fed broiler feed. If raising breeding chickens, feed them according to breeder feed.
4. Strengthen management. Chicks have poor disease resistance and are afraid of cold. The chick house should be kept warm, with air convection and moderate light, which helps improve chick vitality and promote growth and development. The laying hen house should be well ventilated, protected from cold winds and extreme heat, kept dry and clean, and provided with scientific lighting. For floor raising, an outdoor exercise yard can be set up, which can prevent rickets and also increase the egg production rate of hens.
5. Prevention and treatment of chicken diseases. Carry out regular vaccination of chickens; during the raising process, pay attention to frequently observing the chickens' eating and drinking conditions. If disease or an epidemic occurs, timely measures such as blockade, isolation, and disinfection should be taken.
6. Hatching of breeding eggs. Silkie chickens have no broodiness. Fresh breeding eggs are best used within 10 days, and the method is the same as for domestic chickens.