A Detailed Explanation of the Key Technical Points for Scientific Free-Range Chicken Farming in Rural Areas

(1) Brooding: The success of brooding mainly depends on the survival rate. Focus on the following points:

1. Temperature: After the chicks hatch and are brought back, the temperature in the first week should be controlled within 34—35°C, and from the second week onward, reduce it by 2°C each week until the sixth week when heating is stopped. The method of keeping warm depends on the number of chickens. If there are few chickens, a cardboard box and a light bulb can be used: place the chicks in the box, hang a light bulb of about 60W, and place a water bottle and feed trough inside. If there are many chickens, a brooding room can be used, heated with a coal stove or similar, but the coal smoke should be discharged outdoors through an iron pipe. To ensure temperature accuracy, in addition to observing the state of the chicks, a thermometer should be hung indoors, and manure should be cleaned frequently.

2. Lighting: In the first week of brooding, 24-hour lighting is required to ensure that the chicks can eat and drink day and night and to promote growth and development. After that, reduce it by 2 hours each week until the light is turned off at night. Lighting and heat preservation can be combined. For brooding in a cardboard box, if the temperature is insufficient, boiled water can be added to a container, wrapped with cloth, and placed in the box for heating.

3. Stocking density: At 1-14 days of age, 50-60 birds per square meter; at 15-21 days of age, 35-40 birds per square meter; at 21-44 days of age, 25 birds per square meter; after 60 days of age, 12 birds per square meter. After heating is stopped, the chicks can be raised in cages, on the floor, or by free range, as long as the density does not exceed the above standards.

4. Feeding and drinking water: Chicks can be given water and feed 24 hours after hatching. Place the brooding feed in a feed bucket for free feeding, and put clean water in the water cup. For the first 20 days of brooding, give cooled boiled water; afterward, well water or tap water can be used. Because chicks eat little and have a vigorous metabolism, to prevent malnutrition, 8-10% glucose and water-soluble multivitamins must be added to the water during the first 10 days.

(2) Feeding after heating is stopped: After the chicks are raised to 40 days of age, heating is no longer needed, but the temperature must not change too much. In winter and during rain or strong wind, the room temperature should still be kept above 15°C, and the lighting should be natural light. The rearing methods include the following:

1. Cage rearing: Transfer the chicks after heating is stopped into adult chicken cages for rearing. Its advantages are that space can be fully used, the chickens do not come into contact with manure, there is less disease, and it is convenient to catch the chickens, reducing the labor intensity of the keeper; the disadvantage is that for flocks raised for a longer time, stress reactions are greater, and the chest and legs of the chickens are prone to lesions.

2. Floor rearing: Floor rearing can be divided into raised net floor rearing and ground floor rearing. Raised net floor rearing is similar to cage rearing, but the chickens have more activity and are less likely to get sick; of course, the cost is higher. Ground floor rearing means spreading wheat straw, grain husks, rapeseed husks, or other litter on a cement floor and placing the chicks on it for rearing. Its advantages are saving costs, and the chest and legs of the chickens are not prone to lesions. Because local crossbred chickens are more active, the litter does not need to be replaced. The shortcoming is that the chicks defecate directly on the litter, which can easily induce some diseases.

3. Free range: That is, release the chickens outdoors in the morning to let them receive sunlight and contact soil, and at the same time they can find some mineral feed and insects. At noon and in the evening, drive the chickens back into the house to supplement feed. The advantage of this method is that it lets the chickens return to nature, and the meat quality is especially good, so the selling price is high. The shortcoming is that it requires a relatively large area, so the rearing scale is limited. This method is suitable for small-scale free-range raising by farmers.

(3) Management

1. Feeding: In production practice, the method of small amounts and multiple times is usually adopted to stimulate the chickens' desire to eat. Therefore, during the brooding period, feed should be added no fewer than 5 times a day, and the amount added each time should not be too much. After the chickens finish eating, leave the feed bucket empty for a period before adding the next feed.

2. Feed switching: When changing chicken feed, there must be a transition, and the process generally takes three days to complete. On the 1st day, feed 70% original chicken feed and 30% new chicken feed; on the 2nd day, feed 50% original chicken feed and 50% new chicken feed; on the third day, feed 30% original chicken feed and 70% new chicken feed; on the 4th day, feed all new chicken feed.

3. Adding sand: After 20 days of age, provide 500g of clean fine sand per 100 chickens each week. Free-range chickens do not need added sand.

4. Grouping: In the end, the chickens should be grouped by strength and by sex for rearing. For roosters, increase the thickness of the litter and raise the levels of dietary protein and lysine. Roosters grow faster and have higher requirements for feed nutrition. The purpose of increasing nutrition is to meet their needs so that they can be marketed earlier.

5. Pay attention to ventilation in the chicken house: The ventilation conditions of the chicken house should be good. Especially in summer, conditions must be created to ensure cross-ventilation in the chicken house; even in winter, appropriate air exchange should be carried out to keep the air in the house fresh. In a chicken house with good ventilation and air exchange, people do not feel stuffy, eye-stinging, or nose-stinging after entering.

6. Maintain appropriate density: If the density is unreasonable, even if other rearing and management work is good, it is difficult to raise a high-yielding flock. During the growing period under floor rearing conditions, the suitable density per square meter is: 7-12 weeks of age, 8-10 birds; 13-16 weeks of age, 8-6 birds; 17-20 weeks of age, 6-4 birds.

7. Reduce stress reactions: Daily management work should be carried out strictly according to operating procedures, and interference from adverse external factors should be avoided as much as possible. When catching chickens, movements must not be rough; be cautious when vaccinating; do not suddenly appear in front of the flock wearing special clothing, to prevent flock panic and affect the normal growth and development of the flock.