A Complete Analysis of Efficient Silkie Chicken Farming Techniques: Scientific Rearing Brings Higher Returns
The Silkie chicken resembles a domestic chicken, but has a small head, a short neck, and black eyes. Its comb is small and its wings are short, giving it poor flying ability. Its whole body is covered in white feathers, its legs are short and black, its feathers are fine and dense, and its rear toes are forked. The Silkie chicken is small in size; adult males weigh no more than 2 kg, females weigh 1 kg-1.5 kg, annual egg production is around 80 eggs, and the average egg weight is 41 g.
Breeding of Silkie Chickens
Male Silkie chickens reach sexual maturity early, at around 15 weeks of age; hens reach sexual maturity at around 25 weeks of age and begin laying eggs, reaching the peak of egg production at 33 weeks of age.
Natural mating between roosters and hens is usually used for breeding; in large free-range flocks, the male-to-female ratio is 1:10. When kept in breeding cages, 7 birds per cage, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:6. The natural lifespan of a Silkie chicken can reach more than 10 years, but the peak reproductive period lasts only 2 years. After collecting breeding eggs, fumigate them with formalin immediately for disinfection, then store them after disinfection. The suitable storage temperature for breeding eggs is 10°C-15°C, with humidity of 65%-70%; after storage for more than one week, turn the eggs once a day to prevent the yolk from sticking to the shell membrane. Usually, when storing, place the breeding eggs upright with the small end up; the incubation period is 21 days.
There are 6 incubation conditions: temperature, humidity, ventilation, egg turning, egg cooling, and candling. The suitable temperature is 39°C; humidity is 55% in the early and middle stages of incubation, and in the later stage (19 days-21 days) it is increased to 60%-70% to prevent the chick down from sticking to the shell membrane; maintain ventilation to supply the embryo with fresh air; after incubation begins, the eggs must be turned, once every 3 hours. Stop turning eggs after 18 days of embryonic age; the turning angle is 45° forward and backward. After 17 days of embryonic age, the eggs need to be cooled to lower the temperature: cut off the power, open the door of the incubation room, keep the fan running as usual, and cool the eggshells to 32°C. Candling is for observing whether the embryo is developing normally; if abnormalities are found, promptly identify the cause and adjust the incubation conditions.
Feeding and Management of Silkie Chickens
Brooding feeding and management. For Silkie chickens aged 0-6 weeks, provide warmth and keep them warm: 35°C within the first week, then reduce by 2°C-3°C each week, and 23°C is suitable at 6 weeks of age. Suitable density is 50 birds per sq m at 1-2 weeks of age, 30 birds per sq m at 3-5 weeks of age, and 20 birds per sq m at 6-10 weeks of age.
After the chicks enter the brooding room, they should drink water first, and start feeding 2 hours-3 hours after drinking. For the first feeding, broken rice, millet, or pelleted feed can be used as the starter feed. After the chicks learn to drink water and eat on their own, from the second day they should be given a nutritionally complete full-price compound feed as much as possible. The feed formula during the brooding period is: corn 60%, soybean cake 24%, wheat bran 5%, imported fish meal 6%, yeast powder 2%, bone meal 2.5%, salt 0.4%, trace elements 0.1%, multivitamins 10 g; feed 6 times-8 times a day, and after 3 weeks feed 4 times-6 times a day.
Under normal conditions, chicks should begin ventilation from the fourth day to promptly expel ammonia and carbon dioxide from the house, and a safe environmental condition should also be created so that the chick flock is not disturbed.
Feeding and management of growing Silkie chickens. Silkie chickens aged 7 weeks-25 weeks enter the growing period and should be transferred from cage rearing to floor rearing. This is beneficial for increasing exercise and promoting growth and development. Those not kept for breeding are raised as commercial chickens, with males and females managed separately; for floor rearing, 100 birds-150 birds form a small group. Feed formula: corn 64.5%, soybean cake 23%, wheat bran 4%, imported fish meal 3%, bone meal 2%, salt 0.4%, yeast powder 3%, trace elements 0.1%, multivitamins 10 g, 3 times a day.
Rearing density under floor rearing conditions: 10 birds per sq m at 18 weeks of age, and 7 birds per sq m after 18 weeks of age. Regular weighing should also be done; those below standard should be given more feed or more feedings, and vice versa.
Feeding and management of adult breeding chickens. Supply sufficient nutrients, reduce eggs laid outside the nest, improve the fertilization rate, and keep the outside of the eggshell clean. During the peak egg-laying period, light exposure should reach 16 hours per day. For hens that have just become broody, inject testosterone propionate immediately at 12.5 mg per kg of body weight.
?Disease Prevention and Control of Silkie Chickens
Prepare well before introducing the chickens. Thoroughly clean the brooding chicken house. Block rat holes, then spray and disinfect once with 2%-3% caustic soda water, and finally seal the chicken house and fumigate and disinfect with formaldehyde and potassium permanganate.
After the chickens are introduced, spray and disinfect the chicken house once a month with 2%-3% caustic soda water, and disinfect the inside of the chicken house with chickens present once a week using Baidusha or peracetic acid.
Timely carry out immunization and prevention against infectious diseases such as Marek's disease, Newcastle disease, infectious bronchitis, and infectious bursal disease. From 1 day to 21 days of age, add drugs such as norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin to the feed or drinking water to prevent bacterial diseases; from 15 days to 70 days of age, add drugs such as maduramicin and sulfaquinoxaline to the feed to prevent coccidiosis.