How to raise Silkie chickens? Master the breeding techniques and feeding management key points

The Silkie chicken is also a type of pheasant, but what makes it different from other pheasants is that both its meat and bones are black. Many elderly people in rural areas also call it black chicken, medicinal chicken, and so on, meaning that the Silkie chicken is extremely high in nutritional value and has an excellent tonic effect on people, so these are also praise names for it. Now Silkie chicken farming is a relatively popular money-making project. They can be raised free-range or in cages, depending on the breeding environment. So today let us follow Qinnong.com to see how Silkie chickens should be raised.

1. Breed selection

There are now many breeds of Silkie chickens, such as White Silkie, Black Silkie, White-crested Silkie, Golden Silkie, and so on. So we need to choose according to market demand and the difficulty of raising Silkie chickens. For example, in the Hunan region, the sales of White Silkie are much better than those of Black Silkie, and they are also more convenient to raise, so White Silkie would be chosen for breeding. This also means that if you want to raise Silkie chickens, you need to conduct a simple survey of the local market first, so as to ensure whether you can benefit from it.

2. Breeding conditions

Although Silkie chickens have strong adaptability and can be raised free-range, in pens, or in houses, if conditions permit, it is still better to choose free-range raising, because in this way the Silkie chickens can move freely for a certain short period of time, which can enhance their immunity. Secondly, Silkie chickens can also forage for themselves, which can reduce part of the feeding cost. Also, free-range Silkie chickens have better meat quality. Next, Silkie chickens have relatively poor cold resistance and moisture resistance, so the environment of the chicken coop should be kept dry and warm. Finally, the chicken coop should have a special place built for Silkie chickens to take dust baths, as this helps their growth and development.

3. Feeding management

Feeding management is very important, as it determines the survival rate of Silkie chickens and their production. Feeding management needs to be divided into three stages. The first stage is the chicks just bought back. Their constitution is relatively weak, so basically they need all-day lighting. Secondly, the indoor temperature should be kept above 30 degrees at first. After raising them for one or two weeks, the temperature can be slowly lowered and kept at around 28 degrees. During this period, feeding basically only needs to be done three times a day, mainly with concentrated feed, and some green vegetables can be added as well. After the chicks' physiological functions are fully restored, they can return to normal feeding. We can put the Silkie chickens in the yard and woodland and let them move freely. At this time, we only need to put out feed at fixed times and fixed points every day. Finally, for Silkie chickens that have entered the laying period, we need to first slowly reduce the feeding amount, and then after they start laying, slowly restore the feed to the normal feeding amount, which can increase their laying rate.

4. Stocking density

The management of stocking density can correctly control the growth rate of Silkie chickens and at the same time reduce feed waste. However, the stocking density of Silkie chickens is different at each growth stage. For example, Silkie chickens around half a month old are generally about 40 per sq m, those around one month old are about 30, and adults are only about 8 to 10 per sq m. So at each growth stage we need to carry out group management for the Silkie chickens, so that they can grow faster and more healthily.

5. Daily management

Daily management refers to some rather trivial matters. Silkie chickens love cleanliness very much. If the breeding area is relatively dirty, it can easily lead to bacterial infection and diseases such as chicken plague. So we must regularly clean up the debris and droppings in the breeding area and carry out disinfection. Finally, we also need to regularly vaccinate the black Silkie chickens, which can prevent many unnecessary diseases. For example, if there are parasites in the bodies of Silkie chickens, then no matter how you feed them, they will not fatten up, so we must deworm them in time.