Key Technical Points for Free-Range Raising of Local Chickens in Mountainous Areas

People in mountainous areas live scattered, with vast areas of natural grassland and woodland and very abundant raising resources, which provides excellent geographical conditions for modern free-range raising of local chickens. Local native chickens are known for their delicate meat, delicious flavor, good taste and high nutritional value, and are deeply loved by people. The free-range management techniques for local chickens are introduced below:

I. Preparatory work before feeding:

1. Site selection: The chicken farm should be chosen in a sunny location with high, dry terrain, sufficient water sources, convenient drainage and a quiet environment, such as grassland, river valleys, woodland and orchards.

2. Chicken house construction: Build the chicken house on higher, flat ground in the woodland. The chicken house can use a bamboo and wood frame with an asphalt felt (asbestos shingles or nylon cloth) roof, with a shed height of 2.5 m, enclosed with nylon netting or wire netting (switch to plastic sheeting for warmth in winter). Inside the chicken house, bamboo and wood are set up about 0.3 m above the ground so that the chickens are separated from the ground. The area of the chicken house is determined by the number raised, generally 15-20 birds per sq m, mainly used for perching at night and sheltering from wind and rain.

II. Selection of chick breeds

In order to cut off the invasion of external diseases, an on-site inspection should be carried out before selecting chicks. As far as possible, transport chicks from a hatchery in a local chicken farm with no history of infectious diseases, with complete pedigree registration of breeding chickens, standardized management and a sound epidemic prevention system. For chicken breeds, excellent local breeds with strong stress resistance can be chosen, such as Sanhuang chickens, Ma chickens and Leghorn chickens.

III. Raising of chicks

1. Timely first feeding and drinking water: Chicks are first raised indoors. 1-2 hours after the chicks enter the house, they can be given drinking water. 5% glucose and multivitamins can be added to the water, or a 0.01% potassium permanganate solution can be prepared for drinking, to enhance the chickens' constitution, relieve stress reactions and facilitate the discharge of meconium. The water temperature should generally be close to the house temperature (20-22°C). Chicks generally begin feeding 24 hours after hatching. At first they can be fed broken rice, and after 3 days of age they are switched to complete pellet feed.

2. Control the temperature inside the chicken house: Newly hatched chicks require a temperature of 35°C (referring to the temperature at the same height as the chickens' backs), then decrease by 1°C every 5 days, and at 35-42 days of age the temperature is finally reduced to 20-22°C. While keeping warm, ventilation is also needed. Commonly used warming methods include cardboard boxes, heated kang and brooding cages. The heated kang brooding method is: build walls with bricks on the kang, make an arch with bamboo strips, with a shed height of 0.8-1.0 m, cover the surroundings with plastic film to make a simple small greenhouse, spread short wheat straw, dry sawdust, etc. on the kang, and replace the bedding on the kang once every 2-3 days.

3. Appropriate lighting: 1-day-old chicks receive 23 hours of light (the bulb should not be too large; one 15-25W bulb per kang is enough), from 2-15 days of age reduce by 1 hour per day, and after 16 days of age no more supplemental lighting is given.

4. Appropriate indoor raising density: 0-10 days of age, 40-50 chicks per sq m; 10-20 days of age, 30-40; 20-30 days of age, 20-30; at 42 days of age, 20 per sq m.

5. Pay attention to ventilation: The chicken house must be ventilated; it can guarantee enough oxygen for the chickens, but drafts must be prevented.

6. Regularly feed insoluble grit. Grit can enhance the chickens' digestive function and is beneficial to the chickens' growth and development.

IV. Free-range time and free-range density:

After 20 days of indoor raising, free-range release can be chosen on sunny days. For the first few days, release for 2-4 hours each day, then gradually extend the time. At 30 days of age in summer, 35 days of age in spring and autumn, and 45 days of age in winter, they can be transferred to outdoor raising. When first entering the woodland, nylon netting should be used to limit them to a small range, then gradually expand. It is best to use silk netting fences for partitioned rotational grazing, changing to a new place after one week of grazing, with 100-150 birds per mu.

V. Feeding management:

Complete feed is used during the chick stage. In the first week of age, feed 6 times a day; in the second week of age, 5 times a day; at 3-4 weeks of age, 4 times a day; at 5-6 weeks of age, 3 times a day; after the 7th week, gradually transition to adult chicken feed and reduce the feeding quantity. After the first week of free-range raising, feed once in the morning and once in the evening; in the second week, feed once every evening. For higher-quality, fast-growing local chickens, after 5 weeks of age they can gradually be switched to grains such as corn and miscellaneous grains.

VI. Disease prevention and control

1. Epidemic prevention: At 1 day of age, chicks are injected subcutaneously with Marek's disease vaccine; at 5-7 days of age, use infectious bronchitis vaccine by eye drop or nasal drop; at 10 days of age, use infectious bursal disease vaccine in drinking water; at 12-15 days of age, use Newcastle disease strain II or strain IV vaccine for the first immunization; at 20 days of age, inject avian influenza vaccine intramuscularly in the breast or subcutaneously in the neck; at 30 days of age and 75 days of age, inoculate fowl pox vaccine once each by subcutaneous wing-web puncture; at 2 months of age, carry out the second Newcastle disease immunization. After vaccination, Vc, Subu 14, amino acid glucose oral liquid, etc. can be added to the feed or drinking water to enhance the immune effect.

2. Drug prevention: Pullorum disease in chickens is most likely to occur from 4-21 days of age, so from the 3rd day drugs are added to the feed for prevention. Preventive drugs include penicillin, oxytetracycline, garlic juice, etc. From 15-60 days of age, coccidiosis in chickens is likely to occur, and drugs such as coccidiostat powder, chlorphenamidine and penicillin can be added to drinking water; after continuous feeding for 5 days, stop for 2 days, then continue feeding. In the middle and late stages of broiler raising, try not to use synthetic drugs to prevent and control diseases, and mostly use traditional Chinese medicines and biological control to reduce and control drug residues in chicken meat.

VII. Timely marketing: A suitable raising period is an important link in improving meat quality. If the raising period is short, the meat has a high water content, insufficient accumulation of nutrients, and low content of flavor compounds and aromatic substances; the meat quality is poor, the taste is not fresh, and it does not meet the standard of high-quality local chicken. If the raising period is too long, the muscle fibers become too old and the raising cost is too high, which is not cost-effective. According to the growth physiology and nutrient accumulation characteristics of local chickens, as well as the characteristics that small roosters grow faster than hens and reach sexual maturity earlier, small meat-type roosters are marketed at about 100 days and hens at 120 days; medium meat-type roosters are marketed at about 110 days and hens at 130 days. When marketed at this time, the chicken meat is tender and fresh, and it is the best period in terms of physique, quality and cost.

VIII. Strengthen management

1. Handling of sick and dead chickens: If sick chickens are found, isolate them promptly; dead chickens should be buried deep or burned immediately, and the site, tools and items should be disinfected with 0.2-0.4% peracetic acid.

2. Chicken house hygiene and disinfection: Tools and items in the house should be cleaned frequently and kept clean. Chicken manure in the house should be cleared once every half month, disinfected with 10%-20% quicklime water, and the chicken house sealed with nylon cloth and fumigated with 40% formalin solution. After 2-3 years of free-range raising in the same woodland, change to another woodland, let the woodland naturally purify for more than 2 years, and raise chickens again after comprehensive disinfection.

3. Strictly prevent rat damage or other animal intrusion: Enclose woodland or grassland with wire netting, nylon netting or bamboo fences to prevent chickens from escaping or wild animals from invading.

4. Pay attention to weather changes: Listen to the local weather forecast in a timely manner, and before rain or snow arrives, do a good job of windproofing, rainproofing, leakproofing and harm prevention for the chicken house.