How much does a de-brooded free-range chick cost? A detailed explanation of breeding management points
With the improvement of living standards, people have higher and higher requirements for diet, and everyone likes to go to rural areas to buy free-range chickens to eat. In recent years, the scale of free-range chicken farming has expanded somewhat, and some farmers go to chick farms to buy de-brooded free-range chicks to raise. De-brooding is when free-range chicken farming stops artificial heating measures, letting the chicks rely on themselves to resist the effects of low temperatures. This process is also a key step in whether the free-range chicks survive. So how much does a de-brooded free-range chick cost? What are the management points?
1. How much does a de-brooded free-range chick cost?
The price of de-brooded free-range chicks varies from place to place, at around 2-10 yuan per bird, and is affected by factors such as breed, place of origin, chick size, market conditions, purchase quantity, and purchasing channel. For example, the price of de-brooded free-range chicks at a farm in Jining is 3 yuan per bird; the price of de-brooded free-range chicks at a farm in Shandong is 10 yuan per bird. When buying de-brooded free-range chicks, everyone must pay attention to selecting healthy, lively free-range chicks, so that the survival rate of breeding is higher.
2. What are the management points for de-brooded free-range chicks?
When free-range chicks are moved from indoors to outdoor free-range rearing, it should be based on their growth and development status, weather changes, the density of chicks in the chicken shed, and the external environmental temperature, especially the outdoor temperature difference between day and night.
De-brooding of free-range chicks generally takes place at thirty days of age. At this stage, the feathers of the free-range chicks have gradually become full, reaching the standard for de-brooding.
Even so, at this time the chicks are relatively thin and weak, with not much fat, and their ability to defend against external low temperatures is not very strong, so they do not meet the standard for de-brooding. If it is summer, it is fine, but in autumn and winter when the temperature is relatively low, the resistance of the chicks is relatively poor, and de-brooding at this time can easily lead to death. Therefore, if de-brooding in autumn and winter, it should be carried out after fifty days of age.
When de-brooding free-range chicks, it should be done step by step, without being impatient. At the beginning, first stop heating during the day and keep heating at night, then gradually stop heating at night as well. When de-brooding, pay attention to the weather forecast.
After de-brooding, free-range chicks will enter a free-range state and come into contact with the natural environment. When eating at this time, they will come into contact with insects, green grass, and so on. During this period, they can easily ingest bacteria, insect eggs, and so on, causing intestinal diseases, so it must be taken seriously.
In order to reduce the occurrence of this situation, one to two weeks before de-brooding, green feed can be added to their diet, starting with a small amount and then increasing the amount later.
In order to protect the intestines of the chicks, appropriately supplement some probiotics one week before they enter outdoor free-range rearing, which can play a preventive role.
When the chicks reach fifty days of age, deworming work should be done well, which can reduce the parasites in the bodies of the free-range chickens.