1 © 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. 11 Getting Started With...

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© 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.

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Getting Started With ChickensAN INTRODUCTION TO BASIC CARE OF BROILERS

AND LAYERS

Speakers NameSpeakers TitleSpeaker’s Organization

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Determine Goals Poultry Terms Selecting Birds Getting Started Nutrition Housing Pests More Resources

AGENDA

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WHY RAISE CHICKENS? Produce more of your own meat

and/or eggs? Great project for kids – 4H projects Learn life’s lessons

– Natural cycles, birth to death– Meat comes from animals– Fertilizer for the garden

Develop a Business Enterprise?

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TERMS Chick – Baby chicken Poult – Baby turkey Tom- Adult male turkey Keet – Baby guinea fowl Cockerel - A male chicken under one year of age. Rooster – Adult male Hackles - A rooster's cape feathers. Straight run – mixture of males/female chicks

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TERMS Pullet – Young female Hen – Adult female (ready to lay eggs) Brooder - Heat source for starting young

birds. Broody - The maternal instinct causing a

female to set or want to hatch eggs.

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Breeds

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BREEDS Basic groups

– Egg production Brown egg layers (heavies) White egg layers

– Meat production Cornish Cross

– Dual purpose Bantams

– Small versions of others

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LAYING BREEDS

Breed dictates egg shell color White – primarily Leghorns Brown – “heavies” “Easter Eggs” -- Araucanas The egg is the same inside…

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LAYING BREEDS Brown egg layers were traditionally more

practical, especially for outdoor production.– Meatier bird (future soup)– Brown eggs harder to candle (not an issue in the

past)– More docile, easy care– Did not fit the industrial model– Slightly less production– A brown-egg layer has been developed to produce at

the commercial level.

“There’s “trade-off’s” with each breed– Ex. Egg production for hardiness

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Laying Breeds- Leghorns Excellent egg layers White egg shell High strung Small, noisy bird with

great style, Leghorns like to move

about. Good foragers Most numerous breed

today. Rarely go broody Not a good choice for first

experience

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Laying Breeds- Buff Orpington

Heavy dual purpose Lost popularity partly

because of its white skin. Loosely feathered,

appearing massive. Endure cold temperatures Good foragers Docile, brown eggs Will go broody, good

mothers. Various colors

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Layers- Plymouth Rock

Good general farm chicken

Docile Many color combos Normally show

broodiness Some strains are good

brown egg layers while others are bred for meat.

Good mothers. Not aggressive and tame

quite easily

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Layers- Rhode Island Red

A good choice for the small flock owner

Probably the best brown egg layers of the dual purpose breeds.

Handle marginal diets and poor housing conditions better than other breeds

Some males may be aggressive

Most show broodiness, but may not be present in the best egg production strains.

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Layers- Polish An ornamental bird White eggs Polish are an unusual

and beautiful breed. They have a crest Some also have a beard

and muffs Sometimes their crests

restrict vision and cause them to be easily frightened.

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Layers- Araucanas

The "Easter Egg Chicken",

Named from the Indian tribe of Chile

Beautiful colored eggs of blue-green shades from turquoise to deep olive.

Extremely hardy Good egg production

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Layers- Australorp Developed in Australia A very good brown egg

producer Fairly meaty body Have intense beetle-

green sheen on the black birds, dark eyes, deep bodies and are very active.

One of the best dual-purpose birds

Will go broody Australorps hold the

world's record for egg production

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New Hampshire Red

Brown Eggs A dual purpose chicken,

selected more for meat production than egg production.

it dresses a nice, plump carcass as either a broiler or a roaster.

Used in crosses for “Production Reds”

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Sex link Hybrids

High egg production Crosses between

common breeds “Golden Comet” “Golden Sexlink” “Black Star” Males/females

different color at birth

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Meat Breeds

Bred for meat production Can lay eggs, but not their

talent Most meat breeds are

“crosses”– Hybrid vigor

Some are very fast growing – to a fault…– Can have leg and heart

problems, but can be managed with feeding

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Cornish-Cross Meat Birds Developed as the ultimate meat

bird

The backbone of vast broiler industry

Produces a lot of breast meat. (Preferred by consumers.)

Crossed with White Rocks for fast growing broilers.

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HYBRID MEAT BREEDS

Cornish-Cross tend to be non-foraging

– Just want to eat and grow!

– Not good for bug patrol

Can produce a 4-6 lb carcass in as little as

6-8 weeks

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HYBRID MEAT BREEDS Red Rangers- American version of Label

Rouge bird.

Slower-growing, 10-14 weeks to reach 4-5 lbs carcass weight.

Great foragers for bugs and pasture.

Excellent meat quality! Leaner carcass.

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GETTING STARTED When Ordering Chicks: Hatcheries can be found online and by searching Poultry

U. http://www.poultryu.umn.edu/

Plan their arrival around their departure. For broilers, have processing and a market lined up in advance. For layers, know where they will go as they mature and begin to lay eggs.

Broilers can be ordered in a group of cockerels (males), pullets (females), or a straight run (a batch of both cockerels and pullets). Layer chicks are all females.

Vaccinate against Coccidiosis. Layers against Mareks.

http://www.poultryu.umn.edu/

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GETTING STARTED Chicks $1 to $3 each Feeders can be purchased or made

– A few dollars/feeder– Make your own – rain gutter or pvc pipe– Waterers more expensive

Can use buckets, pans, old pots/pans

Feed most expensive variable cost.

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GETTING STARTEDPreparing for their Arrival

Clean space, warm, draft-free.

Wood shavings, sawdust, straw.

90-95 degrees for the first week of life. Lower 5 degrees per week.

Infrared vs incandescent.

Feed and water set up. Different feed for broilers vs layers. More on this later.

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MANAGEMENT STEPS TO HELP THEM THRIVE

Clean water twice daily

Limit feed after the first week, for the next 3-4 weeks, to avoid Flip Disease.

Clean bedding around the waterers frequently to avoid ammonia buildup.

Keep area bio-secure.

In hot weather, 85+ degrees, pull feed during the hottest part of the day. You’ll save birds.

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FEEDS AND FEEDING Single greatest variable cost is feed

Nutrient needs varies with age and stage– Chicks need higher protein than adults– Meat birds need protein and energy– Layers need more calcium (oyster shells)– Grit needed to digest whole grains given to

adult birds.

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FEEDS AND FEEDING Conventional, transitional, organic feeds. Organic has organic standards to follow.

No chicken feed has added hormones. Commercial feeds can be purchased with

or without medication. Be sure to look at the label.

Purchasing blended feed from local grain elevator may be the most economical.

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FEEDS AND FEEDING

Chickens are omnivores. They eat meat, bugs, snakes, frogs, mice, table scraps, as well as grains and forage.

Pastured birds will still need a balanced feed ration available.

Insects and forage will only supply a small portion of the nutrients needed.

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FEEDS AND FEEDING Two-phase Feeding for Broilers. High

protein diet for rapid growth.

Starter Feed- 20-24% protein. Feed for the first 1-4 weeks.

Grower Feed- 18-20% protein. Feed to finish weight.

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FEEDS AND FEEDING Broilers will consume 2 lbs (average) feed/lb gain.

National average is 1.9 lbs feed/lb gain.

Cornish cross will be the most efficient at growth/feed conversion. A 5-6 lb carcass at 8 weeks of age.

Red Rangers will take 10-12 weeks to produce a 4.5 lb carcass.

Dressing weight is 70-75%.

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FEEDS AND FEEDING3-4-phase feeding program for layers.

Designed for slower growth, less protein, a program designed for egg production

Pullet Starter- 0-6 weeks, 18-20% p Pullet Grower- 7-14 weeks, 16-18% p Pullet Developer- 14-20 weeks-14-16% p Layer- 20+ Weeks, 16-18% p

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Egg Production

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EGG PRODUCTION

Pullets begin laying 5-6 months (20-24 weeks)

Production actually peaks at 30-34 weeks of age. Declines thereafter.

Takes 25 hours to produce an egg- 2 eggs/3 days.

Don’t need a rooster, unless you want fertilized eggs for hatching - or alarm clock

Will molt at 60-72 weeks of age.

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EGG PRODUCTION

Pick eggs daily (or more often). They will be cleaner.

Don’t clean if not dirty.

If you sell eggs, follow state and federal egg rules. https://www.mda.state.mn.us/food/safety/shell-eggs-sale.aspx

https://www.mda.state.mn.us/food/safety/shell-eggs-sale.aspx

https://www.mda.state.mn.us/food/safety/shell-eggs-sale.aspx

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© 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, this PowerPoint is available in alternative formats upon request. Direct requests to the Extension Store at 800-876-8636.

Thank You!Questions?

This product was developed with support from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture — National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA). Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed within do not necessarily reflect the view of the SARE program or the U.S. Department of Agriculture. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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