What are the precautions for raising free-range chickens? These points you need to know
Free-range chicken is a rather general term; it can refer either to local native chicken breeds suitable for local farming or to free-range chickens raised in large-scale intensive systems. Either way, they are not the kind of chickens that are fattened rapidly and sent to market in one or two months. As living standards rise, free-range chickens are becoming more and more popular. Below, Qinnong Web introduces the precautions for raising free-range chickens.
1. Site selection
Free-range chickens are generally raised in a free-range manner, allowed to forage freely combined with supplementary feed, as only this way can they be pollution-free, so the farming site is especially important. There are also certain requirements for the farming site; it is not the case that any random plot of land can be used for raising them. For example, when raising them in woodland, you need a plot with higher terrain, facing the sun, well ventilated and well drained. The most important thing is that there must be abundant grassland nearby so that the free-range chickens can freely forage for grass seeds, roots and tubers, and insects.
2. Feed supplementation
When raising free-range chickens, apart from resources such as insects and forage that they obtain through free foraging, artificial feeding is also indispensable, and the feeding time must be well controlled. In the evening, when free-range chickens have their strongest appetite, feeding them high-quality feed at this time can promote their rapid growth and development, help them put on fat, shorten the time to market, and improve economic returns. At noon and other time periods, letting them freely forage for grass seeds and insects can reduce farming costs. But note that you must ensure there is sufficient drinking water, and the water must be changed frequently. Especially during high-temperature periods, drinking water spoils very easily and must be changed even more frequently. Maintaining sufficient drinking water during high temperatures can reduce the chance of heatstroke among free-range chickens.
3. Hygiene and disinfection work
The main methods of raising free-range chickens are free-range and open-range models, both of which involve contact with the external environment. As for chicken-house farming techniques, their farming sites are all strictly treated so that the chickens can grow healthily. Free-range chicken farming must also attach importance to disinfection work. The external environment is complex, with an abundance of bacteria and microorganisms, and once management is improper, disease can easily occur and harm the entire flock. Therefore, a large-scale disinfection of the farming environment should be carried out regularly, and the living areas and feeding utensils of the free-range chickens must be cleaned and disinfected once a week, so as to reduce the reproduction rate of pathogens to the minimum. In addition, when disinfecting, do not use only a single agent; use multiple agents alternately without interruption, and multiple agents can also be used in combination. This is to prevent resistance from developing, which would weaken the effect of the disinfectant or even make it completely useless.
4. Timing and method of beak trimming
Generally, when raising free-range chickens, to prevent them from pecking each other and causing injuries, beak trimming is usually carried out, generally 7-10 days after the chicks hatch. It is required to remove half of the upper beak and about one third of the opposite beak. Before and after beak trimming, an appropriate amount of antibiotics and vitamin K must be added to the feed and drinking water. This is to prevent the chicks from being attacked by bacteria and pathogenic microorganisms after beak trimming, which could cause them to contract disease and die. After beak trimming, prepare sufficient feed, and it must be piled thickly, to prevent the chicks from pecking at the bottom of the trough and infecting the wound, which would affect their growth.
The above are the precautions for raising free-range chickens brought to you by Qinnong Web. We hope it can help you. To learn more, please stay tuned to Qinnong Web.