Growing chickens is not a new idea. Rather it is a very old and traditional practice. People used to keep some chickens from the ancient time as a secure food source. And from this sense, growing chickens is all about taking care of the baby chickens and helping them to grow into strong, healthy adult chickens.
Caring tasks of the growing chickens involves providing them with necessary care, good and nutritious food, adequate clean and fresh drinking water, and a favorable environment to help them grow into healthy mature chickens.
What Is Growing Chickens?
As we have mentioned above, growing chickens means taking good care of the chicks and helping them to grow into adult chickens. And this process includes feeding them with good quality and nutritious food, keeping them in a safe environment, and helping them to growing in a safe and healthy environment. Chickens grow relatively quickly, so taking good care of them in the initial stage is very important.
Growing Chickens For Meat
Growing chickens for meat is a very easy and popular business. Although, it is a very easy process, but it also requires care and attention. Meat chickens are called broilers, and they are specifically raised for meat. The broiler chicks need a warm and safe place to live for their first few weeks of age. You can use a brooder to give them adequate warmth.
Use heat lamp inside the brooder for keeping them warm. During the initial weeks, feed the chicks with starter feed. And as they grow, you can start giving them grower feed. Grower feed helps them gain weight quickly and stay healthy and active.
As you know, the broilers grow faster then other types of chickens, and they usually reach the right size within their 6 to 8 weeks of age. Make their house spacious enough to move around freely, and always try to provide them with enough clean and fresh drinking water as per their demand. And always try to keep their living area as clean as possible.
Growing Chickens For Eggs
The chickens raised for eggs production purpose are called layer chickens. Just like broilers, keep the layer chicks in a brooder and provide them adequate warmth and safety. Use a heat lamp for providing them enough warmth. Feed them with starter feed for the first few weeks of age, and then switch to grower feed. And once they start laying eggs, feed them layer feed.
Layers chickens typically grow more slowly as compared to the meat chickens. And they generally take between 16 to 20 weeks for start laying eggs. Provide them enough nutritious food and always provide them enough clean and fresh drinking water as per their demand. Always try to keep their house clean and fresh, and safe from predators.
What Are The Fast Growing Chickens For Meat?
Cornish Cross is one the fastest growing chickens, and among the most popular types of meat chickens. These broiler chickens are very easy to raise and they will be ready for marketing within their 6-8 weeks of age. If you want to raise chickens for meat production purpose that grow quickly, then modern broilers like the Cornish Cross are the best choice for you.
Feeding Your Growing Chickens
Feeding your growing chickens with very good quality and nutritious food is the most important part of raising chickens. Feeding them with enough good quality and nutritious food is very important for their health, activeness and overall growth.
Feed the younger chicks with starter feed initially and then grower feed. Doing so will help them to grow bigger and gain weight faster. If you are raising layer chickens for eggs, then give them layer feed when they start getting older (around 16 weeks). Along with providing your growing chickens with enough nutritious food, always try to provide them with enough clean and fresh drinking water as per their demand.
Caring Your Growing Chickens
Taking good care of the growing chickens helps to grow well and stay active and healthy. Provide enough warmth for the chicks when they are very young. You can do so by using a brooder and a heat lamp. And always try to give the chicks with enough food. Giving starter feed in the initial stage will help them to grow better, and gradually move to a grower feed.
Arrange enough space inside the house depending upon the number of your birds, so that they can move around freely. Provide them enough clean and fresh drinking water as per their demand. Check them for any signs of illness and do the needful as early as possible. Vaccinate them timely and always try to keep good contact with a vet in your area.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
People often ask some questions regarding these growing chickens. Here we are trying to list the most common and frequently asked questions about these chickens and trying to answer them. Hope these answers will help you. Don’t hesitate to ask if you have more questions.
What to feed growing chickens?
You can feed your growing chickens with starter feed initially, and then move to grower feed as they get older. In case of egg-laying chickens, switch to layer feed at around their 16 weeks of age. Feeding the growing chickens with right food is very important. So, always feed them the right food depending upon their age and growth stage.
When did they start growing chickens in Georgia?
People of Georgia have been raising chickens for many years. But the state’s commercial poultry industry started to grow significantly in the mid-1900s.
What are the fastest and largest growing chickens?
The Cornish cross is the fastest and largest growing chickens. It is a meat chicken breed and mainly raised for meat production purpose. It is the most common and most popular meat chicken breed in many countries around the world.
What are the fastest growing chickens?
Cornish Cross is the fastest growing chicken breed. These chickens typically reach marketing size within their 6 to 8 weeks of age.
I learnt alot during this hour of reading. I am a beginner poultry farmer, who wants to start a small scale commercial farming. As times goes my production should increase.
I do raise about 20 birds Blue Holland chickens in my back yard as free range. However I want to raise at least 100 birds for meat production (Broilers). I will choose the best birds that can be ready for the market 4 weeks or so.